Strategic Market Vice President - 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.

General Description of the Role

The Strategic Market Vice President, IL leads the performance, people, and commercial strategy for one of Campari America’s largest and most dynamic markets. This executive role drives growth through data-informed decision making, thoughtful planning, and strong distributor and customer partnerships. The position is responsible for delivering annual financial objectives, accelerating market share, optimizing pricing execution, and developing a high-performing team aligned with Campari’s premium and entrepreneurial culture.

Mission / Objectives

Drive profitable growth in Illinois by using data-driven strategies for revenue and performance management. Increase market share through targeted initiatives informed by Nielsen trends, pricing analysis, promotional outcomes, and CDI/BDI insights. Enhance margins with strategic pricing, optimized promotions, LMF planning, and effective distributor negotiations. Develop a high-performing team by fostering speed, setting clear expectations, encouraging accountability, and promoting continuous professional development.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

Strategic Leadership & Sales Execution

• Develop annual and multi-year Illinois business channel plans using Nielsen sell-out data, pricing and promotion trends, CDI/BDI analysis, and financial performance metrics to identify market strategies that balance growth, profitability, and brand equity.
• Lead initiatives that expand distribution, increase velocity, and grow market share across priority brands and channels.
• Translate national priorities into market-specific plans that deliver sustainable results.
• Implement channel strategy (on, off, chains) and align internal sales team sizing & segmentation criteria.
• Develop “Perfect Store” criteria (on and off premise) and implement programs to improve distribution and visibility.
• Serve as the leader of channel managers, ensuring strong understanding of on‑premise, off‑premise, and chain channels and their respective routes to market (RTM); guide channel strategy and resource allocation to maximize commercial results and strengthen execution through both direct and distributor teams.

Price Strategy and Management

• Oversee pricing and price architecture within Vistaar, ensuring alignment with national guidelines and brand positioning.
• Partner with Revenue Growth Management team to develop and execute market-level pricing decisions that protect brand integrity while maximizing net revenue and margin.

• Analyze pricing elasticity and promotion effectiveness using sell-out data and post-event analysis to continuously improve ROI.

• Partner with Commercial Finance to identify opportunities for margin expansion, cost control, and operational leverage.

Budget Planning, Evaluation & Management

• Maintain full accountability for the Illinois DD & Tactical Budgets, ensuring alignment between volume growth, pricing strategy, promotional spend, and profitability.

• Lead annual LMF/iLMF planning for Illinois, ensuring investments are prioritized based on return, strategic alignment, and execution capability.
• Measure, evaluate, and recalibrate all commercial investments to ensure resources are deployed against the highest-value opportunities.

• Design and implement performance dashboards and KPIs to evaluate execution and commercial health.
• Continuously evaluate market-level performance to identify whitespace, underperforming segments, and potential share gain opportunities within the state.

• Monitor plan vs. performance with a strong bias for action, closing gaps through timely course correction and reallocation of resources.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Use robust data sources and analytics tools to identify trends, measure performance, and inform commercial decisions.
• Complete monthly forecast updates in Vistaar, followed by clear, data-backed analytics and executive summaries to the General Sales Manager on business health, risks, opportunities, and mitigation plans.

• Leverage insights to refine strategy, allocate resources effectively, and drive continuous improvement.

Distributor and Customer Relationship Management

• Own senior-level relationships with SGWS Illinois, leading negotiations on margin structures, executional priorities, and performance expectations.
• Drive distributor performance through clear objectives, KPI scorecards, regular business reviews, and accountability processes.

• Lead Illinois business reviews leveraging data-driven insights to assess performance, align priorities, and secure executional commitments.

• Serve as the senior commercial leader in IL with key retail and on-premise partners. Build mutual trust and joint business plans that unlock growth opportunities.

People Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, and inspire a team of sales professionals in Illinois.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on pace, empowerment, accountability and continuous improvement.

• Develop team capability in data interpretation, financial acumen and strategic selling.

• Coach and develop all levels of the team with clear expectations, regular performance feedback, and individualized development plans.

• Role model strong leadership behaviors, high standards, and a bias for action
• Act as a champion for inclusion, engagement, and talent readiness across the organization.

Key Relationships

Internal:

• General Sales Manager
• Strategic Market VP, TX
• Division VP
• Region Field Marketing Manager & Territory Field Marketing Manager
• National Account Managers, Off Premise
• National & Regional Account Managers, On Premise
• Insights & Analytics Manager, Central Region
• Revenue Growth Manager, Central Region
• Commercial Finance & Planning Manager, Central Region
• Commercial Operations & Planning, Central Region
• Marketing – Brand Management

External:

• SGWS IL EVP/GM
• Vice Presidents of Sales – multiple divisions
• Trade Development Manager
• Key Account Management

Experience/Skills Required

• 12+ years of progressive commercial experience in the beverage alcohol or CPG industry
• Proven success in strategic sales leadership, distributor management, and market planning
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with expertise in data tools and performance measurement
• Experience with pricing management systems (e.g., Vistaar) and trade insights tools (e.g., Nielsen, CGA, CDI/BDI, Data Essentials)
• Strong budget planning and management capability

• Exceptional negotiation, communication, cross functional collaboration and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop diverse teams in a results-focused environment.
• Results oriented; thrives in a dynamic; fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 6-10 days per month, night/weekend availability as required.

The expected base salary for this position ranges from $150,900 - $200,000. 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.