Chief Merchandising Officer

As Chief Merchandising Officer of a US$100M apparel and textile manufacturing group, the primary mandate is responsible for driving sustainable year-on-year to drive topline growth of 15%, while maintaining or improving margins. The position will strengthen strategic, strengthening customer relationships, expand market share, develop new business opportunities, and build a high-performing Sales, Merchandising, Business Development and Design organization.

Commercial Strategy and Revenue Growth
· Develop and execute a 3 to 5-year commercial growth strategy to deliver 15% annual year-on-year revenue growth from the current US$100 million base.
· Identify new markets, product categories, customer segments and business opportunities that support sustainable growth and margin improvement.
· Build and manage a robust sales pipeline with clear conversion strategies.
· Establish annual sales targets, budgets, revenue forecasts and commercial priorities.
· Drive initiatives to improve customer retention, wallet share and profitability.
· Lead contract negotiations and strategic customer partnerships.

Leadership of Sales and Merchandising Function
· Lead, mentor and develop the Sales and Merchandising organization across all operating locations.
· Set clear KPIs and performance standards for customer acquisition, sales growth, order conversion, on-time delivery and profitability.
· Strengthen customer relationship management and key account growth strategies.
· Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, customer satisfaction and business results.
· Develop succession plans and talent pipelines within the commercial organization.
· Oversee capacity planning to ensure factories are evenly loaded and minimize production peaks and valleys.

Business Development Leadership
· Lead the Business Development team in identifying and securing new customers and strategic opportunities.
· Expand the Group’s presence with global brands, retailers, sourcing offices and emerging customers.
· Monitor industry trends, market shifts and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.
· Represent the Group at customer meetings, trade fairs, industry forums and international business events.
· Develop strategic partnerships that enhance market competitiveness and commercial capability.

Design and Product Development Leadership
· Guide the Design and Product Development teams in developing commercially relevant products and collections, supported by AI and digitalization tools where appropriate.
· Ensure product innovation is aligned with customer requirements, market trends and manufacturing capabilities.
· Collaborate with customers to convert concepts into commercially viable products.
· Promote speed-to-market initiatives and solution-based selling approaches.
· Drive innovation in materials, sustainability and manufacturing processes.

Customer Relationship Management
· Maintain executive-level relationships with key customers and strategic accounts.
· Act as the primary commercial representative for major customer negotiations and business reviews.
· Lead customer engagement strategies to improve satisfaction, retention and long-term partnership outcomes.
· Resolve critical customer issues in a timely and commercially balanced manner.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
· Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Technical, Supply Chain and Finance teams to align commercial commitments with operational capabilities.
· Ensure profitable order acceptance and optimal capacity utilization.
· Support cost management initiatives and margin improvement programmes.
· Participate in strategic planning, budgeting and business transformation initiatives.

Quality and Compliance
· Work with relevant teams to ensure customer requirements, quality standards and compliance expectations are clearly understood and properly executed.
· Support commercial decisions that are aligned with quality, compliance, ethical sourcing and customer audit requirements.

Industry and Market Intelligence
· Monitor global apparel and textile market trends, sourcing dynamics and emerging opportunities.
· Identify strategic investments or acquisitions that support business growth objectives.
· Provide market intelligence and commercial insights to the Executive Leadership Team and Board.