Associate Director/Director of Brand and Marketing

Kendo Holdings, Inc. is a San Francisco-based beauty brand developer and wholesaler owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury group. A play on the words “can do”, Kendo has become the hub of creativity and next generation beauty product development for global Sephora channels and selective retailers outside of Sephora.

Through original development and acquisitions, Kendo brands will always be creative, inspiring and innovative. A dynamic engine of speed, expertise and market-savvy, the Kendo team continues to redefine the beauty industry through great product, storytelling, retail and direct-to-consumer partnerships. This shows up in everything we do and in what we stand for:

• ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT: We seek creative ways to get things done
• PERSEVERANCE: We are moved by Winston Churchill’s words, ‘never, never, never give up’
• GENEROSITY: The power of giving
• STORYTELLING: Creating authentic stories to inspire
• QUALITY OBSESSION: Our product quality is a reflection of ourselves
• FUN: Work, life, and fun are woven of a single fabric

The Kendo house of brands in SEA includes: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Fenty Skin, KVD Beauty
Regional Omni Channel Distribution: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines (.com only), India

POSITION SUMMARY
The Associate Director/Director of Brand and Marketing will be responsible for developing regional brand and marketing strategies that deliver both retail and wholesale targets for all Kendo brands and markets. S/he will lead a team of brand marketing professionals to develop and execute 360 marketing plans and deliver day-to-day business management responsibilities, including merchandising and retail operations.
The Associate Director/Director should be a natural leader and collaborator that will develop teams and partnerships with Sephora, Kendo International team and Kendo cross-functional teams in order to align brand plans and objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with Sr. Director to establish and achieve retail and wholesale budget for the region in both retail stores and digital channels.
• Understand regional nuances and insights, seek out opportunities and develop country-specific strategies
• Develop marketing strategies for the region, understanding global brand strategy with clear insight into regional nuances and category opportunities to develop locally relevant brand strategies
• Deliver reporting requirements for the region: share industry analysis, trends and competitive information and best practices, sales and ranking by brand and by category at retail and online
• Manage retailer joint business planning meetings and align on vision. Lead marketing presentations and negotiations to secure the best marketing support for Kendo Brands.
• Partner with Kendo Planning Team, both SEA Planning Manager and Global/APAC Planning Team, and Sephora to manage product forecasts, inventory and obsolescence. Implement processes and procedures to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with Education to ensure brand message is cascaded via BAs to consumers

Marketing

• The Associate Director/ Director will have a creative and strategic mindset in developing innovative marketing activations to drive core brand marketing strategies
• Oversee the management of PR and advertising agencies and ensure we are working collaboratively to clear guidelines/ briefs and strategies and within budget consistently reviewing results
• Manage the marketing budget allocating resources strategically across key levers to deliver marketing objectives and ROI

Visual Merchandising

• Protect & build image of the brand via perfect implementation of the Visual Merchandising guidelines.
• Manage space and location in stores and execution and updates of all fixtures and stock requirements. Plan for all new store openings.
• Work closely with global brand partners and APAC merchandising team to champion the needs for the region

Team Management

• Develop a high caliber team to support and drive the business, developing and executing brand activation marketing plans (media, social, digital visual merchandising, in-store animation, CRM, sampling), taking budget and brands’ strategy into account.
• Motivate and inspire teams by leading by example. Partner with GM to develop Kendo core values and culture in the region

REQUIREMENTS

• 8 to 10 years’ experience in a Commercial or Marketing role. Beauty Industry a plus.
• University degree; Business School or equivalent a plus
• Strategic thinker and brand builder
• Natural leader that inspires teams and collaborates cross functionally
• The ability to work in a fast paced environment and juggle multiple priorities
• Strong business acumen and analytical skills, Results-oriented.
• Stock an inventory management
• Good interpersonal skills high level of integrity
• Can do attitude, flexible with a ability to work with a level of ambiguity
• Ability to deploy ideas effectively and present to Senior Management
• The ability to contribute to building the core values and culture of Kendo Brands
• Travel 40% of time as required