Regional Director - Middle East & French West Africa

Role Description

Governance And Reporting Structure

• The Regional Director will report to the Group Director International Business and will be responsible for overall governance, operational leadership, and financial performance of the defined region.
• Key governance responsibilities include:
• Full regional profit and loss accountability
• Development and execution of regional business plans
• Establishment of effective governance and reporting processes
• Alignment of regional strategy with global corporate objectives
• Ensuring regulatory, financial, and operational compliance across all markets

Regional Strategy Development

• Develop and implement the commercial strategy for the region.
• Identify and prioritize new market entry opportunities including new countries, therapeutic segments, market segments, and product opportunities.
• Develop multi‑year regional growth plans including revenue targets, portfolio expansion, and market penetration strategies.
• Assess regulatory environments and competitive landscapes across the region.

Market Entry And Expansion

• Lead the planning and execution of country launches across priority markets.
• Establish commercial operations in new markets including distributor and promotional agency partnerships, commercial infrastructure, and local teams.
• Expand operations beyond the initial markets of Iraq, Senegal and Ivory Coast, into other regional markets.
• Drive early market entry and rapid product launch strategies.

Regulatory And Market Access Acceleration

• Assess regulatory environments across target markets.
• Devise and implement strategies and action plans to accelerate regulatory processes.
• Ensure early market entry and rapid new product launches through proactive regulatory planning and coordination.

Commercial Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to commercial teams across the region.
• Establish clear regional sales targets and financial performance expectations.
• Drive revenue growth and market share expansion across multiple markets.
• Ensure disciplined commercial execution at the country and front-line levels.

Organization And Team Development

• Recruit, develop, and lead strong country leadership and front-line teams.
• Foster a culture of engagement, accountability, and performance across all country teams.
• Drive continuous team development and capability building.
• Promote strong collaboration across commercial, regulatory, and operational functions.

Operational Leadership And Execution

• Maintain a hands‑on leadership approach with active involvement in on‑ground execution.
• Ensure disciplined implementation of commercial plans and market expansion initiatives.
• Work closely with distributors and local partners to ensure strong market penetration.
• Closely engage with key opinion leaders and key officers of major medical associations in the region and at the county level.

Business Monitoring And Performance Management

• Develop and implement robust business monitoring systems across the region.
• Establish performance management frameworks to track sales, profitability, and operational metrics.
• Monitor business performance against plans and forecasts.
• Implement corrective actions where deviations from plan occur.
• Maintain clear and structured reporting systems at country, region and corporate levels.

Strategic Partnerships And Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with pharmaceutical distributors and channel partners across the region.
• Engage regulatory authorities and healthcare stakeholders across the region.
• Represent the company within relevant pharmaceutical and healthcare industry forums.
• Identify partnerships that accelerate market penetration and commercial growth.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Coordinate regional activities across regulatory, supply chain, marketing, finance, and medical functions.
• Ensure alignment between regional commercial strategy and corporate priorities.
• Maintain strong operational discipline and compliance across all markets.

Performance Expectations

• Success in the role will be measured by the candidate’s ability to:
• Deliver strong regional revenue growth and profitability
• Successfully launch and expand operations across priority markets
• Build high‑performing country leadership teams
• Establish a scalable commercial infrastructure across the Middle East and Francophone West Africa
• Achieve rapid market penetration and successful product launches
• Implement strong governance, reporting, and business monitoring systems

Candidate Profile

• The ideal candidate must have:
• More than 15 years of pharmaceutical commercial leadership experience, including at least 5 years in sales leadership positions
• Significant experience managing multi‑country operations in Africa
• Strong knowledge of Middle East and African healthcare markets
• Demonstrated success launching or expanding pharmaceutical businesses in emerging markets
• Strong financial and P&L management capability