Key & Field Accounts Director

Key & Field Accounts Director

Location: Gurgaon, India

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

The Key & Field Accounts Director is responsible for driving profitable market share and net sales growth across Strategic and Key Accounts, Regional Distribution Accounts, and Export Markets , while upholding the premium image of the adidas brand. This role leads the Key Account Management (KAM) organization with passion and focus, identifying, developing, and executing strategies that fuel sustainable growth across the Key Account channel.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a strategic and commercially driven sales leader with more than 12 years of experience in large, dynamic sales organizations, ideally within apparel, fashion, footwear, sports, or FMCG .

The ideal candidate will have:

• A proven track record in Key Account Management .
• Strong knowledge of Wholesale, Distribution, Large Format Retail, E-Marketplace, and Export markets .
• Demonstrated success in leading high-performing teams .
• Deep industry expertise combined with strong analytical, negotiation, and relationship management skills .
• Ability to set strategy, manage P&L, and drive cross-functional initiatives across digital, marketing, and supply chain.

This leader will excel at building long-term, value-driven partnerships with key accounts while fostering a performance culture and ensuring sustainable, profitable growth for the adidas brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overall strategy for the Key Accounts portfolio , in alignment with global and market strategies, jointly with the DTC Director.
• Deliver Net Sales and Margin growth by setting clear targets, monitoring progress, analyzing risks, and identifying new business opportunities.
• Ensure the KA organization applies adidas standards and best practices in daily operations.
• Review, challenge, and sign off on Strategic Account Plans and Account Marketing Plans .
• Lead trade term negotiations with the DTC Director to secure favorable agreements.
• Establish and optimize the KAM organizational structure with the Senior DTC Director, aligned with the global blueprint.
• Inspire and lead the team, fostering a high-performance culture .
• Manage and nurture key customer relationships .
• Develop, train, and retain top talent within the team.
• Set objectives, KPIs, and guidelines for direct reports and manage them as an integrated team.
• Track and measure performance against KPIs .
• Monitor and report on customer and competitor sell-through and activities , taking proactive action.
• Provide accurate sales forecasts and performance plans for key accounts.

Key Relationships

• Global: Centre of Excellence (CoE) Wholesale
• Market: Brand, Customer Service, Sales Coordination, Business Development, HR, Controlling, Planning, Logistics

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of Wholesale, Distribution, Large Format Retail, E-Marketplace, and Export markets .
• Proven Key Account Management expertise within large sales organizations.
• High analytical skills for strategy development, business planning, and decision-making.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship management .
• Solid commercial and business acumen (sales, trade marketing, finance, and controlling).
• Decisive, pragmatic, and results-driven with high initiative.

Requisite Education & Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• University degree in Business with Sales or Marketing focus .
• Minimum 12 years of sales experience in large organizations, ideally in apparel/fashion/footwear/sports or FMCG, with at least 5 years in senior sales roles .
• Minimum 5 years of people and operational management experience .
• Exposure to Sports, Marketing, and Supply Chain functions.
• Advanced MS Office proficiency .