Head of Sales – East Africa

About the role

Tropical Heat Ltd is seeking an experienced Head of Sales to lead its East Africa commercial operations. You will be responsible for shaping and executing a high‑impact sales strategy that drives growth across multiple FMCG channels.

Key responsibilities

• Own and deliver the East Africa sales strategy with a focus on execution, scale and sustainable growth.
• Lead, coach and manage Sales Managers across markets, fostering a high‑performance sales culture.
• Drive revenue growth, market‑share gains and numerical distribution across modern trade, general trade, HORECA and institutional channels.
• Design, optimise and implement route‑to‑market and distribution models.
• Translate commercial strategy into actionable plans with measurable targets.
• Collaborate closely with Trade Marketing, Marketing, Finance, Logistics and Operations for seamless in‑market execution.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, distributors and strategic partners.
• Lead forecasting, budgeting and sales performance reviews, ensuring rigorous KPI tracking.
• Recruit, develop and retain top sales talent, emphasizing coaching and succession planning.
• Contribute to the broader leadership team, influencing overall business strategy.

Required profile

• Minimum 10 years of FMCG sales experience, preferably across multiple channels (modern trade, general trade, distributors, HORECA, key accounts or exports).
• Proven track record of driving market‑share growth in competitive FMCG categories.
• Strong expertise in designing and optimising route‑to‑market and distribution models.
• Demonstrated ability to lead sales teams using data‑driven forecasts, KPIs and performance dashboards.
• Excellent leadership, coaching and succession‑planning capabilities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross‑functional teams.

Required skills

• Sales strategy development
• Route‑to‑market design and optimisation
• Forecasting, budgeting and KPI‑driven performance management
• Leadership and coaching of sales managers