VP of Sales - National Accounts

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, develop, and inspire a national accounts team who covers Club (Costco/Sam’s), Mass (W-M/Target), Value (Aldi, Lidl, DG) sales channels to exceed revenue and profitability goals.
• Provide direction, coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities for National Sales Directors and field sales teams.
• Build organizational capability by recruiting, developing, and retaining top sales talent.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, execution, and employee engagement.
• Provide hands-on coaching through customer visits, presentations, and joint sales calls.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex customer, pricing, and resource issues.
• Develop and execute a sustainable, adaptable, and progressive sales strategy aligned with company objectives.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities and customer relationships to drive growth.
• Lead annual customer planning processes and monthly business reviews.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to develop cross-selling opportunities and integrated growth strategies.
• Provide thought leadership to the organization with a strong focus on revenue growth, profitability, and execution excellence.
• Own revenue, net sales growth, gross margin, and profit performance across national, regional, and strategic accounts.
• Analyze market trends, customer performance, and sales data to identify opportunities and risks.
• Lead growth planning initiatives and develop actionable recommendations based on business insights.
• Manage trade spend processes and support effective investment decisions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, distributors, brokers, and strategic partners.
• Develop and execute joint business plans with customers and partner organizations.
• Support onboarding and ongoing management of new partners.
• Evaluate account performance and recommend strategies to improve results.
• Address customer service, pricing, and sales-related issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Represent the company at customer meetings, trade shows, and industry events.
• Partner closely with Marketing to evaluate promotional effectiveness and align commercial strategies.
• Collaborate with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and revenue management.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure alignment between sales plans and operational capabilities.
• Communicate business performance, opportunities, and priorities to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Present at company meetings and contribute to strategic decision-making as a member of the leadership team.
• Develop and manage sales budgets and related expenses.
• Create and deliver regular reporting and business reviews.
• Utilize data and analytics to drive decisions and improve business performance.
• Stay informed on industry trends, competitive activity, and evolving customer needs.
• Leverage relationships with industry leaders, distributors, and customers to expand the business.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive sales leadership experience, including Director and/or Vice President-level roles.
• 15+ years of experience within the food and beverage industry; refrigerated products experience preferred.
• Proven track record of delivering revenue growth and business results within national account environments.
• Experience managing both field-based and internal sales organizations.
• Strong understanding of customer trade practices, distributor relationships, and account profitability.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and retain high-performing teams.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical capabilities with experience using data to drive decisions and forecasts.
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and execution-oriented.
• Passion for customer service and creating exceptional customer experiences.
• Ability to travel overnight up to 60% of the time.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.