Key Account Manager Off-Trade
About the job
- Around 3 to 5 years of experience in sales or key account management, preferably in fast-moving consumer goods; spirits or beverages experience is welcome.
- Sound commercial understanding, including customer planning, account performance and trade investment.
- Ability to build relationships, negotiate and bring different teams together around a customer plan.
- Confidence with data and a practical approach to solving problems and delivering results.
- Proactive, organised way of working and fluency in German and English.
- Business or economics degree, or equivalent experience.
- Own the customer strategy and build joint business plans that support sustainable growth and agreed sales targets.
- Develop trusted relationships with customer decision makers and lead constructive commercial negotiations.
- Spot opportunities using customer, consumer, shopper and competitor insights, then turn them into action with cross-functional teams.
- Plan and assess trade investment, monitor account performance and adapt activity based on results.
- Keep forecasts, customer information and post-activity reviews accurate and useful for decisions.
- Spirits or beverages experience.
About the company
Diageo is a global leader in premium drinks, with a portfolio of more than 200 brands across spirits and beer that are sold in about 180 countries. Its products are alcoholic beverages from centuries-old names to new brands, distributed worldwide to reach a diverse consumer base. The company manages a wide range of brands rather than focusing on a single product, and it uses its scale, global presence, and portfolio breadth to reach customers wherever they are. Diageo differentiates itself through its large, diverse brand mix, its international reach, and its ongoing focus on shaping the future of the business while considering its social and environmental impact. The company's goal is to raise the bar for people and the planet by investing in the future and acting with responsibility toward communities and the environment.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Founded
1997
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Europe, LAC, and Africa grew in fiscal 2026, offsetting U.S. weakness.
- Diageo expects c.$1 billion annual savings from its 2026 restructuring.
- Guinness demand stays strong; fiscal 2026 Europe sales rose 3.4%.
What critics are saying
- North America organic sales fell 8.4% in FY2026; recovery runs through 2028.
- Greater China sales dropped 34.9% in FY2026, crushing Diageo's Asia Pacific growth.
- The August 2026 restructuring cuts staff and costs; execution misses threaten leverage.
What makes Diageo unique
- Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Tanqueray give Diageo unmatched global premium brand breadth.
- Dave Lewis launched an August 2026 restructuring to reset North America competitiveness.
- Ritual Zero Proof and RTD launches extend Diageo beyond classic spirits.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 7%1 year growth
↑ 7%2 year growth
↑ 7%Jim Cramer has shifted his stance on the alcoholic beverage sector, showing cautious optimism for Constellation Brands whilst remaining bearish on Diageo. He highlighted Constellation's new CEO, Ned Fink, as a potential catalyst for growth, noting Fink's successful track record at Jim Beam. Diageo faces multiple headwinds, including a 34.9% sales decline in China and an 8.4% drop in North American net sales. The stock has fallen 52% over five years. Constellation grew beer sales 2% to $2.28 billion in fiscal Q1, beating earnings expectations. However, beer depletion fell 0.3%, whilst wine and spirit sales dropped 10%. Hedge funds appear to favour Constellation, with 56 funds holding stakes versus 35 for Diageo. However, Diageo trades at a higher forward P/E ratio of 14.41 compared to Constellation's 11.36.
Diageo and Brown-Forman represent contrasting strategies in the spirits industry, with Diageo offering global diversification and Brown-Forman focusing on American whiskey brands. Diageo operates over 200 brands including Johnnie Walker and Guinness across 180 countries. In FY 2025, revenue reached $20.2 billion with net income of $2.4 billion, though net margin declined to 11.6% from 19.1% the prior year. The company maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.2x and free cash flow of $2.7 billion. Brown-Forman, producing Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve across 170 markets, generated $4.0 billion revenue in FY 2025, down 4.9% year-over-year. Net income was $869 million with a 21.9% net margin. The company shows stronger financial metrics with a 0.7x debt-to-equity ratio, 3.9x current ratio and free cash flow of $431 million.
Diageo's increased investment in Sober highlights the growing demand for premium non-alcoholic beverages in India's evolving market.
Major spirits companies are grappling with a $22 billion inventory glut, the largest in a decade, according to the Financial Times. Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Campari, Brown-Forman and Remy Cointreau are sitting on unprecedented amounts of unsold aged spirits, including whisky, Cognac, tequila and rum. The surplus stems from pandemic-era over-production when home consumption surged. However, consumer demand has since declined due to health concerns and shifts towards THC beverages. Companies have responded by pausing production at distilleries, reducing workforces and closing facilities. Cognac faces particularly severe challenges, with slowing exports and trade issues with China forcing price cuts. Even tequila, which recently outsold American whiskey in the US, is experiencing slowdown. Industry analysts warn that production cuts risk future shortages if demand rebounds unexpectedly.
Diageo North America has acquired Ritual Zero Proof Non-Alcoholic Spirits, the leading non-alc spirit brand in the U.S. since its 2019 launch. This move aligns with Diageo’s Growth Ambition for sustainable growth. Ritual offers non-alc alternatives to whiskey, tequila, gin, rum, and aperitif. The U.S. non-alc category has grown +31% CAGR over five years, with non-alc spirits as the fastest-growing segment. Diageo is the top non-alc spirits player globally, holding leading market shares in major markets.