SVP; General Manager - Natural CPG

Position: SVP (General Manager) - Natural CPG
Senior Vice President, Sales & Commercial Operations

Confidential Search

Our client is a leading Canadian health and wellness organization with an established portfolio of branded products and distribution partnerships across North America. As the business continues to grow, they are seeking a commercially driven Senior Vice President, Sales & Commercial Operations to assume responsibility for the majority of day-to-day commercial leadership while partnering closely with the Managing Director on long-term strategic growth initiatives.

This is a highly visible executive leadership position with responsibility for sales leadership, vendor relations, distribution partnerships, customer strategy, and new brand acquisition.
The successful candidate will become a key member of the executive leadership team and play a critical role in shaping the future growth of the organization.

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Senior Vice President, Sales & Commercial Operations will lead the commercial organization and assume responsibility for approximately 80% of the Managing Director's current operational responsibilities.

The successful candidate will oversee sales leadership, key account management, vendor partnerships, customer strategy, distribution relationships, and commercial execution while helping identify and onboard new brands and growth opportunities.

This role is ideal for a proven executive who combines strategic thinking with strong operational leadership and has deep experience within the Canadian natural health, wellness, food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods sectors.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership

Provide executive leadership across all sales and commercial functions

Lead and develop a team of commercial leaders including Key Account Management and Sales leadership teams

Establish sales strategies, growth objectives, and performance metrics

Drive accountability and execution across the commercial organization

Partner/Mentor leadership on annual planning, forecasting, and growth initiatives

Customer & Distribution Management

Maintain and strengthen strategic customer relationships

Lead relationships with key distribution partners

Develop channel strategies across retail, natural, grocery, and specialty channels

Support customer negotiations and annual business planning processes

Identify opportunities to improve commercial effectiveness and profitability

Vendor Relations & Brand Partnerships

Serve as a senior point of contact for vendor and brand partners

Lead efforts to attract and secure new brands and supplier relationships

Evaluate partnership opportunities and growth potential

Build long-term relationships within the natural health and wellness community

New Brand Acquisition

Identify, evaluate, and recruit new brands into the organization's portfolio

Conduct commercial assessments and business case evaluations

Collaborate with leadership on acquisition and partnership opportunities

Develop a robust growth pipeline for future expansion

Leadership & Talent Development

Coach, mentor, and develop commercial leadership team members

Participate in executive-level hiring and succession planning

Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth

Build scalable processes to support future expansion

Ideal Candidate Profile Required Experience

10+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience

Experience on Brand, Distributor and Broker sides ideal (2/3 can work)

Senior leadership experience within:
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Food & Beverage Natural Health Products Wellness Distribution Consumer Healthcare

Proven success leading large commercial teams

Experience managing senior sales leaders and key account organizations

Strong understanding of retail and distribution channels

Highly Preferred

Deep experience working with: UNFI Purity Life Regional Distributors Major Banners Natural and specialty retailers

Experience evaluating and onboarding new brands

Strong vendor management and supplier relationship experience

Distribution business experience

P&L ownership experience

Leadership Style

Ability to manage and grow customer base

Empowers teams and leaders

Strong coach and mentor

Commercially aggressive while maintaining strong relationships

Able to balance growth initiatives with operational discipline

Compensation

Base Salary:
Approximately $150,000+

Variable Compensation: $40,000-$60,000+

Bonus tied to growth performance

Vehicle allowance/company vehicle potential

Comprehensive benefits program

Executive leadership growth opportunity

Location

GTA base

Executive presence in office expected

Travel as required throughout Canada

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to step into a highly influential executive leadership role within a growing organization where you will directly impact company strategy, commercial growth, brand acquisition, and long-term success while partnering closely with an entrepreneurial Managing Director focused on building the future of the business.

If this sounds like something…