On Premise Channel Manager - Illinois

Campari Group today is a major player in the global branded spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, marketed and distributed in over 190 markets around the world, with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 25 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 26 countries, and employs approximately 4,700 people.

Shares of the parent company Davide Campari - Milano N.V. are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. Campari Group is today the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry.

We're hiring an On-Premise Channel State Manager to lead our team in Illinois. This is an opportunity for an experienced commercial leader who knows how to build and develop a high-performing team, strengthen distributor and key account relationships, and drive growth across the On-Premise channel.

General Description of the Role

Campari America is seeking a high-impact commercial leader to own and accelerate the growth of our On-Premise business in Illinois. This role is responsible for shaping market strategy, influencing distributor and customer investment decisions, building a high-performance team, and driving execution that increases share, distribution, and brand equity across one of our most important markets.  This is one of the most visible commercial leadership positions within Campari's Central Region, providing a unique opportunity to shape growth in a critical market while developing future sales leaders.

Who Thrives Here

You will be successful in this role if you:

• Have a strong bias for action and accountability.
• Are energized by ambitious growth goals.
• Challenge the status quo and continuously seek better ways to win.
• Use facts and insights to drive decisions.
• Hold yourself and others to high performance standards.
• Build credibility quickly with customers, distributors, and teammates.
• Develop people as aggressively as you develop business

What Success Looks Like

• Delivers above-market depletion and distribution growth across the Illinois On-Premise channel.
• Builds and develops a best-in-class team recognized for execution excellence.
• Strengthens strategic partnerships with key operators and distributor leadership.
• Identifies and scales growth opportunities for priority brands through fact-based selling and disciplined execution.
• Creates a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

Team Management

• Lead a team of assigned On Premise Specialists.
• Utilize account segmentation data to design and manage optimal market coverage.
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous development.
• Recruit exceptional talent, rapidly address performance gaps, and build a robust succession pipeline for future leadership positions
• Set clear performance standards and use data-driven coaching to maximize individual and team effectiveness.

Budget, Planning & Price Management

• Assist Strategic Market Vice P in monthly depletions forecasting.
• Actively contribute to the annual budget planning cycle.
• Partner with Field Marketing to develop annual activation budgets for priority brands.
• Collaborate with IL, Vice President to shape strategic investment decisions and influence distributor resource allocations.
• Develop, own and monitor annual on premise channel plans. 

Channel Execution & Account Management

• Own the On Premise Channel performance, drive share growth and accelerate priority brand growth.
• Define the segmentation and tiering of accounts to improve execution and brand building initiatives in top accounts.
• Understand Revenue Management levers to identify the most efficient way to develop the portfolio.
• Develop strong working relationships with key accounts in the on-premise channels.
• Provide key accounts with compelling selling stories and/or programming initiatives to grow distribution, brand visibility, and depletion performance.
• Identify new key account opportunities to continually evolve optimal market coverage.
• Deliver fact based selling presentations within defined strategic accounts.
• Collaborate with National & Regional Account Managers, On Premise in program execution, compliance, and pricing initiatives.

Distributor Management:

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to distributor leadership, influencing resource allocation, priorities, and execution plans to ensure alignment with Campari growth objective.
• Develop and implement plans and activities within the on premise channel to ensure assigned Distributor teams have the tools needed to execute successfully against the Campari portfolio goals.
• Follow up and develop plans to address market gaps and Distributor performance issues.
• Effectively leverage Distributor teams to support key account activities as needed.
• Train and assist distributor sales personnel to conduct brand presentations in target accounts, ensuring the proper implementation of brand strategy.
• Collaborate with Field Marketing to ensure the effective execution of program plans.

Key Relationships

Internal:

• Strategic Market Vice President
• On Premise Specialists (Direct Reports)
• Territory Field Marketing Manager
• Brand Ambassadors
• On Premise National & Regional On Premise Managers
• Brand teams

External:

• Distributor Trade Marketing Director
• Distributor On Premise sales leads & teams
• Strategic Accounts

Experience

Required

• 7+ years of progressive sales and commercial leadership experience within the beverage alcohol industry
• Candidates must demonstrate an ability to leverage distributor data, depletion trends, market insights, and account segmentation strategies to prioritize resources and maximize ROI.
• Proven track record of delivering sustained depletion, distribution, and share growth
• Experience managing and developing high-performing sales teams
• Experience influencing distributor strategy and holding partners accountable for results
• Demonstrated ability to analyze market data and convert insights into actionable commercial plans

Preferred

• Experience managing large metropolitan markets such as Chicago
• Experience working with national and strategic on-premise accounts
• Experience leading organizational change, market restructuring, or team transformations

Education / Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required – preferably in Business Administration or some related field

Skills

• Strategic Account Management
• Commercial Acumen
• Distributor Leadership
• Team Development & Coaching
• Negotiation & Influencing
• Revenue Management
• Data-Based Decision Making
• Executive Communication
• Change Leadership
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

Essential Job Functions

• Ability to work extended workdays, nights/weekends as required.
• Ability to travel approximately 20 business days per year
• Must have a motor vehicle and possess a valid driver’s license.

The expected base salary for this position ranges from $110,600 - $145,000. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors and considerations. In addition to base salary and a generous employee benefits package, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus.

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

At Campari Group we believe in building more value together, thus we see diversity in all forms as a source of enrichment. Our employment policies and practices ensure that we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment without regard to any individual’s race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or characteristics or expression, political affiliation or activity, age, veteran status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Campari Group believes that fair compensation and equal opportunities are crucial for employees’ well-being, empowerment, and engagement.  Our efforts to ensure fair pay have earned us the Fair Pay Certification by Fair Pay Workplace, an independent organization dedicated to dismantling pay disparities based on gender, race and their intersection.

Note to applicants:

Your application will be assessed based on your abilities, expertise, general knowledge and experience, not because of any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information you may possess. You must not disclose to Campari Group any such information. In the event that you are asked a question that cannot be answered without disclosure of any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information (including from a current or prior employer or their vendors or customers), you must decline to answer the question.

Notice to third party agencies:

Please refrain from cold-calling or emailing our executive leadership team or the HR community directly. The Talent Acquisition department manages centralized recruiting operations globally, including the selection and management of external suppliers. Currently, our preferred supplier list is at full capacity. To ensure we have your information on file for future consideration, we kindly request that you complete the online form provided here.