Petrol Industries is a Dutch, denim-inspired, casual mens’ fashion brand. Using an omnichannel approach, their stylish designs sell in retail stores, online and through wholesale fashion retailers. Now they’re scaling up to become a pan-European ‘power’ brand. The International Sales Director will be responsible for all wholesale channels – the majority of Petrol’s business. 

About Petrol Industries

Dutch-based Petrol Industries is a denim-inspired, casual-wear men’s fashion brand. They stand for high quality, value-for-money menswear collections. And they successfully market their clothing using an omnichannel approach. This includes their own brand stores, through online channels, and wholesale channels, such as European fashion retailers.

The company is led by a management team consisting of the CEO, CFO, and Digital Director. Petrol Industries is a portfolio company of Vendis Capital, a European Private Equity firm that specializes in scaling-up winning consumer brands.

Founded in Tilburg, The Netherlands, Petrol Industries has rolled out its stylish men’s clothing internationally. And they accelerated their growth with Vendis Capital’s backing. Today, the mens’ fashion brand is sold in over 3,000 stores across Benelux, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal. They also opened their own retail clothing stores in European outlet parks and are expanding their digital sales strategy.

Their aim is to build a pan-European ‘power’ brand. This includes ongoing development of their USPs, such as brand positioning and their collection structure. It also requires sustainability strategies, integrating digital demands, and adapting their wholesale strategy and organization to meet ongoing customer needs. This is where the International Sales Director comes in.

Job description: International Sales Director

The International Sales Director will report to Elwin Flint, co-founder and CEO of Petrol Industries, and become a key member of the management team. They will lead and inspire the international sales team, including country sales directors, sales representatives and freelance brand agents. The International Sales Director will drive growth and partner retention with a dedicated focus on building relationships and maintaining structure.

For agents and retail partners to fully commit to Petrol Industries, they need to trust the menswear brand on a personal and business level. They must be comfortable with the people who represent the clothing brand, and understand that Petrol Industries can boost their own bottom lines. That’s why the International Sales Director needs to develop a strong level of trust, along with their sales team. It requires solid stakeholder management skills as well as frequent travel.

“A big component of this role is around strategy and implementation. The company is traditionally very strong on a local sales level, with many experienced sales reps that connect with local retailers. A rapidly changing market – with key accounts requiring different business models to be successful – provides ample opportunity to accelerate our growth. The International Sales Director will design this strategy and drive its execution. Not just from behind their desk, but personally visiting our partners in the markets and working closely with our teams and accounts.” – Elwin Flint, CEO of Petrol Industries

Another important growth component for the wholesale fashion channel is to develop a structured and data-driven approach. The International Sales Director will lead by example. They will provide and ask for feedback, collect data on the impact of sales campaigns, and make detailed sales plans with partners to reflect a robust ROI – using metrics like revenue per square meter of used store space. This role is comfortable coaching team members to adopt structured methods, and will frequently offer constructive feedback.

This role requires solid people management skills and the ability to apply structure in a data-driven environment. With Petrol Industries’ expected growth in the next few years, the International Sales Director is joining at an ideal time to accelerate their own career and enhance their learning curve.

The International Sales Director will work closely with their sales team, colleagues, the Management Team, and with the CEO, Elwin Flint. They will be supported by Vendis Capital in accelerating the company and creating value.

“We support and accelerate winning consumer brand companies like Fatboy, Kamera Express and Pink Gellac. We always focus on helping them become international market leaders. At Petrol, we are now recruiting a key person for this process. It’s a very exciting role in a very exciting company” – Vincent Braams, Partner of Vendis Capital

This role is ideally suited for an experienced sales leader who has a background in quality and fast-moving consumer goods. Someone who knows the value of building trusted and honest relationships and knows how to meet KPIs.

Interested?

Petrol Industries is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Janko Klaeijsen at janko.klaeijsen@topofminds.com .