Sodexo Hiring for SVP, Marketing and Communications, APMEA at Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Full Time

Job title: SVP, Marketing and Communications, APMEA

Job location: Within APAC region preferably in China, India or Singapore

Job purpose: The Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communication, and CSR for the APMEA region is a senior leadership position responsible for leading and orchestrating BRANDS, service development, regional marketing capabilities, communication strategy and corporate social responsibility initiatives throughout the region by building, coordinating and leading strong and efficient professional families to effectively serve the business. The role will require designing a strong strategic and digital marketing vision, developing new services to generate profitable growth, and driving demand generation through robust digital marketing strategies. Additionally, the SVP will be accountable for managing internal and external communications to support business objectives and fostering a strong corporate social responsibility strategic agenda. The position entails representing Sodexo in cultivating strong external relationships, including media and key stakeholders.

Role main responsibilities:

Lead marketing transformation (Brand-led business model through empowered marketing) at the regional level

• Work closely with Global marketing on marketing vision and priority for the region
• Optimize the regional brand portfolio (and by segment where applicable).
• Develop marketing expertise (as shared services) such as Insight, Integrated marketing. communication (big part will be Digital marketing, content development, media mix etc.), brand management (through brand owners).

Orchestrate Brands, Service Development Resources

• Lead and oversee the strategic orchestration of brands, service development initiatives, collaborating closely with Tech & Services, Operations, and Sales teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Assume the role of Chair for the Brands and Service committee, playing a pivotal role in driving collaboration and alignment within the APMEA region.
• Facilitate resource allocation and arbitration across segments to optimize service development efforts and enhance operational efficiency.

Provide Segments Marketing with Regional Capabilities

• Spearhead the establishment of regional marketing capabilities, with a primary focus on digital lead generation and digital marketing excellence (MSDC, regional/country websites management, and optimization).
• Oversee the management of regional marketing technology, encompassing digital marketing, CRM, sales activation technologies, and more.
• Implement and optimize brands performance measurement tools and CCX measurement to drive data-driven decision-making.
• Cultivate retail capabilities, tools, and methodologies, including 2C pricing strategies, to maximize market penetration and profitability.
• Drive content creation regional capabilities, ensuring compelling and tailored messaging across diverse markets.
• Lead digital product management for regional/cross-segment digital products, enhancing customer experiences and generating revenue opportunities.

Foster a Strong Marketing Professional Family

• Champion and promote a cohesive marketing professional community within the APMEA region, fostering knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and camaraderie.
• Provide mentorship and support for the upskilling and professional development of regional marketing personnel through targeted training and methodologies.
• Act as the representative of the regional marketing family to the Regional Leadership Team, advocating for their interests and contributions.
• Act as the Interface representing the professional family to the Global Growth & Commercial team.

Internal and External Communications

• Accountable for the conception execution of communications strategies that support business growth and mitigate reputational risks.
• Continuously advocating Sodexo’s strategic ambition and positioning through effective engagement with key audiences particularly to support regional leadership team and CEO in their efforts to build strategy alignment and buy in throughout the region.
• Communication reference expert within the regional leadership team, providing communications guidance and expertise for all key country stakeholders.
• In close alignment with country CEOs and regional leaders, lead and manage the regional communications community to ensure alignment on strategic objectives, KPIs & targets, provide guidance and promote effective best practice and resources sharing.
• Be the interface between countries and global communication teams to ensure strong alignment on objectives and global communications plan and priorities and effective roll out of campaigns while also actively channelling up local news and initiatives.
• Actively represent the region within the Global Communication Leadership Team specifically on the following:
• Reference expert and lead in crisis communication to the countries and RLT.
• Actively manage region’s CEO communication as a key company spokesperson internally and externally.
• Monitor and benchmark functional performance and impact with common set of KPIs reported by countries.
• Leverage, activate and hold responsibility for all communications channels both internal & external (social media, Yammer, intranet, country websites).

Corporate Social Responsibility

• Engage with client partners and prospects on solutions in support of business growth opportunities by developing customized CSR programs.
• Foster, develop, and support community initiatives and relations by building strong partnerships with key stakeholders: governments, NGO’s, communities in doing the right thing, to mitigate risk, and to drive business growth and our brand.
• Proactively monitor and address potential CSR challenges and risks with respect to business development or operations issues or brand.
• Support clients meet their own sustainability and social impact initiatives.
• Act as the representative of the regional CSR family to the Regional Leadership Team, advocating for their interests and contributions.
• Act as the interface representing the CSR professional family to the Group CSR team.

Specific Context Challenges

Anticipating Opportunities and Risks:

• Proactively leverage clients’ and consumers’ insights to identify emerging trends and potential risks in the market landscape.
• Monitor competitive activities to capitalize on opportunities and maintain a competitive edge in the region.

Proposing Organizational and Skill Changes:

• Assess the organization’s capabilities and identify key enablers required to drive service development, pricing strategies, and impactful marketing content.
• Propose necessary changes in organizational structure and skill development to ensure agile and effective responses to evolving market demands.

Driving Continuous Innovation:

• Instill a culture of innovation and forward-thinking within the marketing, communication, and CSR functions.
• Lead efforts to explore new business models and cutting-edge solutions to meet ever-changing market needs.

Cultivating Strong External Relationships:

• Act as Sodexo’s ambassador in forging influential partnerships and alliances with external stakeholders, including clients, industry peers, and governmental entities.
• Collaborate with external organizations to achieve positive business outcomes and drive brand success.

Accountabilities

Business Growth Enablement:

• Develop and execute strategic marketing plans that align with the overall business objectives, contributing to revenue growth and market expansion.
• Collaborate closely with the Operations and Business Development teams to drive business growth initiatives that are in line with the marketing strategy.
• Identify new opportunities and market trends to drive innovative services, pricing strategies, and marketing content that resonate with clients and consumers.
• Drive positive brand awareness and protect brand reputation.

Financial Performance Optimization:

• Support for revenue growth, profitability, and client retention, implementing initiatives to maximize financial performance and ensure sustainable business growth.
• Oversee cost management and SG&A optimization to drive operational efficiency and enhance overall profitability.

People Engagement and Development:

• Foster a culture of employee engagement, empowerment, and innovation within the marketing, communication, and CSR functions, nurturing a high-performance team.
• Champion talent development, providing training, mentorship, and career growth opportunities to enhance the capabilities of regional marketing professionals.
• Drive retention efforts to retain top talent, promoting internal mobility and succession planning to build a strong talent pipeline.

Risk Management and Compliance:

• Assume responsibility for managing risks associated with marketing, communication, and CSR activities, implementing proactive measures to mitigate potential challenges.
• Ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards in all marketing and communication initiatives, acting as a custodian of Sodexo’s reputation and brand integrity.

Reporting lines

Reports to APMEA CEO and respective Group Head of Marketing & Communications