Director of Fulfillment and Distribution – EMEA

Stanley is famous for its high-quality, sustainable drink containers and iconic thermos designs. As they celebrate their 111th anniversary in 2024, Stanley has achieved record-breaking growth. The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution EMEA will expand and optimize their regional fulfillment organization with a strategic eye on efficiency and customer satisfaction. 

About Stanley

Founded in 1913, Stanley has made major efforts in recent years to expand its product range, helping change how customers store and consume their food. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Stanley’s trendy designs and handy products became very popular for camping trips or hikes. And thanks to the public’s social media engagement, Stanley’s new designs, sustainable drinkware, and containers have gained even more awareness and traction. Their omnichannel business model has leveraged its sales to grow exponentially, with a recent expansion into soft material goods, such as backpacks and cross body bags. 

To achieve their significant growth, Stanley has been focusing on its two core strengths: innovation and sustainability. They’ve added more product lines and new designs, including a line of products in vibrant colors to appeal to a variety of demographics. In addition, Stanley’s sustainability strategy is to create products that last a lifetime, using recycled materials and wrapping products in paper packaging.

The globally operating brand, owned by HAVI, is headquartered in Seattle, U.S., with a growing regional team in Amsterdam, and additional locations such as Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro. Their global Supply Chain organization consists of Supply Chain Planning, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Transportation, Fulfillment, and Quality. The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA will be a key member of the global fulfillment operations organization.

Vacancy: Director of Fulfillment and Distribution – EMEA

The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA oversees all e-commerce fulfillment, retail customer distribution, inventory management, and regional reverse logistics. They will play a crucial part in setting the EMEA fulfillment and distribution organization up for success.

Strategic organization-building
In the short term (one to two years), Stanley’s fulfillment and distribution strategy focuses on growth and expansion readiness. And in the long term (five years), the company will continue to focus on efficiency from the perspective of cost-saving in order to become the world’s most efficient fulfillment organization.

The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA will initially grow the organization – and the team – to ensure best-in-class fulfillment operations within the next few years. This requires strategic thinking and defining which roles are needed, and the structures that should be in place to facilitate Stanley’s high growth numbers from an operational perspective. Experience with leadership, organization-building, and process design are important criteria for success.

“The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA has an entrepreneurial mindset and is keen to identify and seize opportunities for continuous improvement, and is always eager to collaborate with company-wide cross-functional teams. As one of the key figures in our global supply chain organization, the Director is also an important (indirect) leader and motivator for the other members of the organization.” – Thomas Ondraczek, Senior Director Global Fulfillment Operations for Stanley EMEA 

Data-driven performance measurement
In addition, the Director of Fulfillment and Distribution EMEA develops and implements strategies based on analysis of the right performance metrics with an eye on customer satisfaction. They lead all aspects of B2B and D2C fulfillment execution, set performance goals for third party providers, and track and analyze the relevant metrics to ensure all partners meet data-driven targets.

The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA will also identify new opportunities for continuous improvement and scalability. They align systems, tools, and business processes with strategic objectives and customer-centric goals, in collaboration with the relevant teams. These include Technology, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Sales teams. They will also use data-driven business and performance insights to inform the Fulfillment roadmap and measure operational performance.

The Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA will also lead the regular budgeting and forecasting exercises for this part of the organization.

To succeed in this role, the  Director of Fulfillment and Distribution of EMEA has extensive experience building teams and optimizing an international, omnichannel distribution and delivery organization with emphasis on 3PLs. They have the seniority and executive presence to build and lead the team on the ground, and work effectively with colleagues in other regions. For example, they can achieve strategic goals in negotiations with vendors. They also ensure a flawless customer experience and service – while driving continuous improvement throughout Stanley’s fulfillment and distribution operations.

Interested?

Stanley is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Emma de Wit at emma.dewit@topofminds.com