Overview
General Manager – Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth. Distinguished Sydney food distribution business with 20+ years market presence, operating from a state-of-the-art 10,000+ sqm semi-automated facility. Serving Sydney’s most prestigious restaurants, luxury hotels, and specialty retailers through a sophisticated dual-channel model – high-volume commodity distribution via national consortium membership plus exclusive premium product ranges.
The Opportunity
Exceptional leadership opportunity to guide an established food distributor under $100M through strategic evolution to $120-140M. Whether your strength lies in commercial operations or relationship-driven growth, this role offers the chance to build on extraordinary foundations while adding the disciplines required for scale.
The infrastructure is world-class, systems operational, customer relationships exemplary – now they need a strategic leader to unlock untapped potential.
The Company
Distinguished Sydney food distribution business with 20+ years market presence, operating from a state-of-the-art 10,000+ sqm semi-automated facility. Serving Sydney’s most prestigious restaurants, luxury hotels, and specialty retailers through a sophisticated dual-channel model – high-volume commodity distribution via national consortium membership plus exclusive premium product ranges.
Recent multi-million dollar automation and WMS implementation
Digital customer platform and advanced BI systems are operational
Industry-leading delivery operation with midnight starts
Exclusive distribution agreements with sought-after producers
Strong balance sheet with significant growth capacity
The Role
The business is seeking an outstanding leader to serve as Managing Director, reporting directly to the owner with full autonomy. You may bring either strong commercial expertise or exceptional relationship skills, and you will be supported by experienced functional leaders across all areas.
Two Candidate Profiles We’re Seeking
Path 1: Commercial Operations Leader
Your Likely Background:
Branch Manager at Bidfood, PFD, or similar
Regional Operations Director from major distributor
State Manager FMCG with operational oversight
Operations Director with transformation experience
What You Bring:
Deep understanding of warehouse operations, logistics, supply chain
Full P&L; management including labour, wastage, margins
Expertise in procurement, rebates, supplier negotiations
Track record implementing WMS and automation
Your Focus:
Implementing supplier agreements and commercial frameworks
Building commercial disciplines and KPI frameworks
Optimising technology investments and facility
Driving margin improvement through procurement
Path 2: Sales & Relationship Leader
Your Likely Background:
GM Sales or National Sales Manager from food distribution
Head of Sales from premium food/beverage company
Commercial Manager with artisan/specialty expertise
Senior BDM who has scaled customer portfolios
What You Bring:
Exceptional ability building trust with premium suppliers/customers
Revenue growth through relationship management
Deep understanding of premium brand positioning
Network within Sydney’s hospitality sector
Your Focus:
Strengthening commercial documentation while preserving relationships
Expanding premium supplier partnerships
Growing share with top-tier hospitality
Building artisan portfolio and market presence
Core Accountabilities (Both Paths)
Implement comprehensive supplier agreements and MOUs
Establish QA protocols and recall procedures with cost recovery
Drive margin enhancement across all categories
Optimise procurement through consortium leverage
Strategic & Financial
Full P&L; accountability to ownership
Develop and execute growth strategy to $120-140M
Balance dual-channel requirements (commodity/premium)
Optimise working capital and inventory efficiency
Team Leadership
Lead 100+ staff across multiple functions
Build a performance culture, preserving service excellence
Develop talent pipeline and succession planning
Essential Requirements
Minimum 5+ years senior management food/FMCG
Proven P&L; management responsibility ($60M+ preferred)
Track record of driving significant growth
Experience managing 60+ staff
Strong negotiation and stakeholder management
Critical Attributes
Strategic thinking with execution focus
Cultural intelligence and change leadership
Commercial acumen (whether primary strength or developing)
Commitment to service excellence
All inquiries are managed with complete discretion. This is a rare chance to lead a thriving business through a critical transformation. The company is open to various approaches to success, with the focus on your ability to drive growth while maintaining what makes it unique.
For more information, visit placedrecruitment.com.au and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Linked In — your next move starts now.
Job Details
Seniority level: Executive
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Management and Manufacturing
Industries: Staffing and Recruiting
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