Head of Sales – Italy & Strategic European Markets

Head of Sales – Italy & Strategic European Markets

Scope of Responsibility: Italy (direct) + Germany, France, Spain and secondary European markets

We are looking for an experienced, dynamic and results-driven Head of Sales to lead and develop our commercial organisation in the lifestyle industry. This strategic role will play a key part in the company’s growth, with direct responsibility for the Italian market and oversight of our key European countries: Germany, France and Spain, as well as related secondary markets.

The ideal candidate is a natural leader with strong experience in the lifestyle or consumer goods sector, capable of combining strategic vision with hands-on execution. This role will act as the main commercial reference point for current and future customers in Italy and will drive business development across major European markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement, manage and continuously improve the company’s existing sales strategy, ensuring consistent and effective execution across all European markets.
• Build and structure the European sales organization, defining processes, roles, responsibilities, decision flows and operating models.
• Take full ownership of commercial results (P&L, revenue, margins, volumes, market share) across Italy, Germany, France, Spain and assigned secondary markets.
• Support local sales teams or commercial partners in strategic markets.
• Set clear, measurable and shared objectives for each market and sales leader, translating company strategy into concrete action plans.
• Design and scale the sales model (direct and indirect), defining standard policies for:

– Distributor management

– Commercial policies

– Pricing, discounts and conditions

– Channel and product portfolio priorities

• Implement and strengthen structured CRM, pipeline, forecasting and reporting processes, ensuring data accuracy, performance visibility and reliable forecasting.
• Continuously monitor KPIs and performance metrics, identifying gaps and defining structured corrective actions.
• Analyse market trends, country-level performance and competitor activity, turning data into actionable insights to continuously optimise the sales strategy.
• Manage and develop strategic relationships with key international accounts, major distributors and senior stakeholders, acting as a senior commercial representative of the company.
• Lead, motivate and develop multi-country sales teams, building local leadership and fostering a culture of accountability, performance and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with Marketing, Product and Supply Chain teams to ensure alignment between sales strategy, go-to-market plans, product availability and execution.
• Prepare regular reports, forecasts and structured presentations for management and the board, actively contributing to strategic decision-making.

Requirements

• Degree in Economics, Marketing or related fields; MBA or Master’s degree is a plus.
• 7–10+ years of experience in sales, preferably within FMCG, lifestyle, or related industries.
• Proven experience as Head of Sales, Sales Director or equivalent role, with direct responsibility for multiple countries
• Strong background in managing international sales teams and complex commercial structures.
• Demonstrated track record of consistently achieving and exceeding sales targets.
• Excellent knowledge and hands-on use of CRM systems, pipeline management and forecasting tools (e.g. Odoo, HubSpot, Salesforce).
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and negotiation abilities.
• Authoritative leadership style, capable of guiding multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel frequently to Croatia and key European markets.
• Fluent Italian and English.

Work Location & Travel

• Regular presence at HQ (minimum 5 days per month) to support strategic coordination with management.
• Frequent travel across European markets.

What We Offer

• A key leadership role in a fast-growing lifestyle company.
• A dynamic, international and innovation-driven environment.
• Competitive compensation package, including fixed salary plus performance-based variable component.