Vice President Retail EMEA

Job Summary: The Vice President of Retail EMEA will drive retail operations and performance across all brands in the EMEA region to achieve key business outcomes. This role is a key business partner developing and executing retail operations strategic plans for the EMEA region in alignment with Brands Store Pods teams (Merchandising, Planning, Marketing and Brand).

This role is pivotal for evolving store capabilities to drive sales, executing retail strategic plans and operations execution across the 250+ retail stores (450+ M Revenue) in partnership with the brands, finance, real estate, asset protection, supply chain, and other functions. This role involves leading a high-performing team and driving sales, store profitability and ensure operational efficiency through excellent customer service, product presentation and new technical solutions.

How You Will Make a Difference:

• Lead the retail operations team and the Store Performance organization (approx. 15/16 DMs and more than 270 stores) to achieve sales and profitability targets, ensuring exceptional customer service standards across retail locations.

• Oversee daily operations of retail stores, ensuring compliance with company policies and standards.

• Define processes and tools to receive product and present to the sales floor across all back-of-the-house functions. Manage process and tool improvements, and other initiatives.

• Drives strategy and operations for brand presence and sales in the travel retail channel, focusing on key relationships, performance monitoring, and market expansion. Responsibilities include developing market strategies, negotiating with travel retailers, managing P&L and budgets, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and analyzing performance to meet sales and brand objectives. 

• Oversee the operations of our multi brand store Orefici 11, supporting the local leadership in ensuring excellent customer experience and product presentation and leveraging on the store environment to run pilots for new implementations.

• Driving forward travel retail business and O11 concept for VF in EMEA identifying opportunities and collaborating on execution with the brand teams.  

• The leader will be conducting financial modeling for operational optimization (including cross brand workforce organization) leveraging technology to anticipate and meet evolving consumer preferences.

• Responsible for Individual Store Planning and Target setting (for sales activation purposes) as well ad Sales Activation & Customer Experience.

• The Vice President for Retail collaborate with Real Estate and Finance ensuring the network evolution of our store portfolio will be in line with the business and brand priorities.

• Lead operational readiness for all new stores and relocations per year to ensure smooth and efficient new store openings.

• In partnership with IT, develop and execute store technology and innovation roadmap in support of store operations strategy. Define business requirements for in-store tools across all areas of customer and associate experience. Oversee new technology introductions and drive adoption.

• Train, coach, and performance manage teams within the function and mentor individuals in related functions. In collaboration with HR, establish internal processes to foster professional growth and capability development to create a high-performing organization. Lead and develop a high-performing team of District Managers

• Establishing a culture where compliance, asset protection, health and safety are kept top of mind. Ensure all operations comply with health, safety, and legal regulations.

• Engage closely with IT, Supply Chain, Field, Finance, and other functions to deliver on objectives, garner support for programs, and coordinate cross-functional execution of initiatives in the Stores organization.

• Be a change champion and support Retail Transformation and evolution.

• Provide guidance and direction to develop best-in-class retail processes that drive strategies and innovation.

• Guide the annual planning process across operations functions with accountability for sales and expense budgets.

Skills for Success:

• Strategic and collaborative leader with a track-record of leading cross-functional teams to achieve results.

• Strong critical thinking, planning and business curiosity with the ability to work in a complex cross functional environment.

• Strong business acumen and understanding of retail systems and technology (omni channel models)

• Change leader with the ability to adapt and evolve the business through key partnerships and relationships throughout the organization with an ability to influence optimally toward outcomes in a cross-functional manner, with a history of achieving goals.

Qualifications and Experience:

• 15+ years of experience in retail, preferably with some experience in a global organization

• 10+ years of experience in store operations at leadership level

• Proven ability to drive change in stores at national scale retail with over 500+ stores

• Demonstrated problem solving, organizational leadership, and communication skills

• Strong leadership, strategic planning, and operational management skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.

• Experienced leader that can mentor and develop a dynamic team to successful business outcomes

• Travel: Willingness to travel extensively within the EMEA region.