Commercial Director

Rogers & Company, Château, Villa & Estate Wines is a leading importer of premium wines into Ontario. Based in Toronto, we are a family owned and operated business since 1984. We have introduced and established markets for some of the world’s greatest wine estates with a focus on wines from California, Italy, and France. We continue to seek out special wineries and producers of other alcoholic beverages from around the world as we continue to grow our business.

We are seeking an experienced Commercial Director to drive our company's retail growth by maximizing the performance of our wine portfolio across the LCBO and grocery channels, adding new strategic winery partnerships, and leading a high-performing commercial organization that delivers sustainable revenue, profitability, and market leadership.

Commercial Director 

The Commercial Director is responsible for leading the company's retail business across Ontario, including the LCBO, grocery, and emerging retail channels. Reporting directly to the Managing Director, this executive will develop and execute commercial strategy, manage key supplier and buyer relationships, oversee retail sales performance, and ensure that the company's portfolio is optimally positioned to drive sustainable revenue growth and gain market share.

This role serves as the primary liaison between our producers and our retail customers, while providing strategic leadership across retail sales, portfolio development and retail execution.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy & Growth

·      Develop and execute the company's retail growth strategy.

·      Establish annual revenue, margin, and market share objectives.

·      Identify new business opportunities within LCBO, grocery, and future retail channels.

·      Contribute to portfolio planning with the senior leadership team and route-to-market strategies.

·      Assess market trends, consumer insights and competitive activity, and convert into action plans that drive growth.

LCBO Leadership

 ·      Own the senior relationship with LCBO category managers and merchandising teams.

 ·      Develop strategies for:

• General List
• Vintages
• Limited-Time Offers (LTOs)
• Destination Collection
• Seasonal programs
• Monitor and help improve SKU performance across channels.
• Lead annual planning and joint business reviews with Brand Managers.

Grocery Channel Leadership

 ·      Develop strategic relationships with major Ontario grocery retailers including:

• Costco
• Loblaw Companies
• Sobeys
• Metro Inc.
• Longo's

 ·      Negotiate promotional programs (when permissible) and merchandising opportunities.

·      Drive distribution expansion and shelf placement initiatives.

·      Lead customer-specific business plans.

Team Leadership

·      Lead and mentor Brand Managers, Brand Coordinators, and work alongside the Senior Leadership team

·      Establish performance objectives and accountability metrics.

·      Build a high-performance sales culture.

Portfolio & Supplier Management

·      Communicate market opportunities and performance results of wineries at annual reviews and trade shows.

·      Guide portfolio decisions based on consumer demand and retail trends.

·      Review and finalize strategic producer reviews performed by Brand Managers.

Fiscal Accountability

·      Own retail sales forecasts and budgets.

·      Manage profitability and overall margin.

·      Monitor promotional spending and ROI.

The Commercial Director reports directly to the Managing Director, and will be responsible for the following:

·      Revenue growth in retail channels

·      Retail portfolio growth

·      Gross margin performance

·      Market share growth

·      LCBO distribution gains

·      Grocery distribution gains

·      Supplier retention and growth

·      Team engagement and development