The Head of Americas is the senior commercial and business leader responsible for delivering the revenue, profitability, cash flow, and market share objectives across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, the role owns customer relationships, commercial execution, regional marketing, operational performance, and overall business results across the Americas region. The Head of Americas serves as the primary link between enterprise strategy and marketplace execution - translating global brand, portfolio, and innovation priorities into regional business results through strong customer partnerships, regional marketing excellence, operational leadership, and disciplined business management. The role represents the voice of the customer, retailer, distributor, and consumer within the broader global organization and plays a critical role in ensuring global strategies are effectively adapted and executed across diverse Americas markets. Success requires close partnership with the Chief Growth Officer organization, Japan-based stakeholders, and global cross-functional partners to deliver sustainable growth, profitability, and cash generation.
Key Responsibilities
1. Regional Business Leadership
- Lead the Americas business, including the United States, Canada, and Latin America, with accountability for revenue growth, profitability, cash flow, and market share performance.
- Develop annual operating plans and multi-year growth strategies aligned with enterprise objectives.
- Establish clear performance expectations and accountability across the region.
- Monitor business performance and implement corrective actions as necessary.
- Balance short-term financial delivery with long-term capability building and brand growth.
2. Customer Leadership & Strategic Partnerships
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships with major retailers, distributors, licensors, and strategic partners.
- Lead annual customer planning, strategic negotiations, and joint business planning processes.
- Expand distribution and strengthen customer profitability across channels.
- Develop strategies that create mutual growth opportunities with customers and partners.
- Ensure the organization is viewed as a preferred partner by key customers throughout the region.
3. Commercial Execution & Revenue Growth
- Translate global portfolio, innovation, and brand strategies into winning regional commercial plans.
- Partner closely with Brand & Portfolio Management leaders to maximize marketplace impact across customers, channels, and consumers.
- Lead regional trade marketing, channel marketing, shopper marketing, and retail activation capabilities across the Americas.
- Ensure regional marketing programs effectively translate global brand strategies into customer-relevant and channel-specific execution. Lead execution of pricing, assortment, promotion, merchandising, and distribution strategies.
- Drive excellence in launch execution and in-market activation.
- Ensure commercial investments generate appropriate returns and contribute to profitable growth.
4. Omnichannel & Route-to-Market Leadership
- Drive growth across mass retail, specialty retail, distributors, e-commerce, marketplaces, and emerging channels.
- Lead execution of digital commerce and social commerce strategies.
- Optimize route-to-market models to maximize consumer reach and profitability.
- Identify new channels, customers, and distribution opportunities.
- Ensure consistency across physical and digital consumer experiences.
5. Financial & Operational Leadership
- Own regional revenue, operating profit, contribution margin, working capital, inventory, and cash flow performance.
- Lead regional financial and operational performance in partnership with enterprise teams, ensuring alignment between growth, profitability, service levels, inventory management, and cash generation objectives.
- Improve forecast accuracy, demand planning effectiveness, and operational execution across the region.
- Drive productivity initiatives that improve profitability, cash generation, and organizational effectiveness.
- Balance growth, inventory, service levels, and working capital objectives while supporting long-term value creation.
6. Matrix Leadership & Enterprise Collaboration
- Partner closely with the Chief Growth Officer organization and Brand & Portfolio Management leaders to ensure successful execution of portfolio priorities.
- Collaborate with Japan-based stakeholders and global cross-functional partners to align on growth plans, product launches, and strategic initiatives.
- Provide customer, channel, competitive, and consumer insights to influence future portfolio decisions.
- Ensure regional perspectives are incorporated into enterprise planning processes.
- Foster a One Takara TOMY culture across teams and geographies.
7. Leadership & Organizational Capability
- Lead regional sales, customer development, e-commerce, regional marketing, finance, operations and commercial teams.
- Build strong succession plans and leadership pipelines.
- Develop organizational capabilities in customer development, revenue growth management, digital commerce, and commercial excellence.
- Foster a culture of accountability, agility, collaboration, and performance.
- Attract, retain, and develop top talent across the region.
Qualifications
Experience
- 15+ years of progressive commercial, general management, or business leadership experience.
- Proven P&L leadership experience within consumer products, toys, entertainment, licensing, or related industries.
- Significant sales, customer development, and commercial leadership experience required.
- Direct responsibility for major retailers, distributors, and strategic customer relationships.
- Proven track record of delivering growth through customer partnerships, distribution expansion, and commercial execution.
- Experience leading large cross-functional organizations within matrix environments.
- Experience managing businesses across multiple countries and diverse market environments.
- Experience leading omnichannel growth across mass retail, specialty retail, e-commerce, marketplaces, and emerging channels preferred.
- International living and/or working experience preferred.
Skills & Capabilities
- Strong P&L management capability with deep understanding of growth, margin, inventory, and cash flow drivers.
- Deep expertise managing major retailers, distributors, and omnichannel customer relationships.
- Strong understanding of customer development, revenue growth management, and strategic account leadership.
- Deep knowledge of North American and Latin American retail and distribution landscapes.
- Strong understanding of retailer economics, trade investment, assortment strategy, and promotional effectiveness.
- Ability to translate enterprise growth strategies into winning regional execution plans.
- Strong financial literacy with ability to balance growth and profitability objectives.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and influencing skills across functions and geographies.
- Strong cross-cultural leadership skills and ability to effectively partner with Japan-based stakeholders and global cross-functional partners.
- Consumer-first mindset supported by data, insights, and strong business judgment.
- Strong understanding of shopper marketing, trade marketing, retail activation, and commercialization.
- Ability to connect brand strategy with customer, channel, and consumer execution.
- Deep understanding of omnichannel marketing, customer engagement programs, and go-to-market execution.
Success Measures
- Net Sales Growth
- Operating Profit Growth
- Contribution Margin Improvement
- Cash Flow Performance
- Market Share Gains
- Distribution Expansion
- Customer Profitability
- Customer Relationship Strength
- E-commerce Growth
- Social Commerce Growth
- Forecast Accuracy
- Inventory & Working Capital Performance
- Successful Launch Execution
- Organizational Capability Development
Leadership Profile
The ideal candidate is a highly strategic and commercially minded business leader who can lead diverse markets, align teams across a matrix organization, and consistently convert strategy into profitable growth. They build strong customer partnerships, develop high-performing organizations, and successfully translate enterprise priorities into marketplace results. They balance growth, profitability, operational excellence, and talent development while representing the voice of the market within the broader global organization. They are equal parts business leader, customer advocate, commercial operator, and team builder.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have experience in the toy industry?
- Do you have experience CPG?
Experience:
- Progressive commercial: 10 years (Required)
- General Management: 10 years (Required)
- Business Leadership: 10 years (Required)
Location:
- Oak Brook, IL 60523 (Required)
Work Location: In person
