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 LinkedIn — 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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📌 General Manager – Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth
🏢 Placed Recruitment
📍 Australia