Director, Retail - Singapore & Malaysia

Overview

The Director, Retail – Singapore and Malaysia is responsible for leading the retail business across both markets, driving commercial performance, operational excellence, and exceptional consumer experiences across all company-owned stores. This role provides strategic leadership for retail growth, ensuring the successful execution of business, brand, and operational priorities while delivering sustainable financial results.

As a commercially driven and people-focused leader, the Director will develop and execute market growth strategies, optimize retail operations, and build a high-performing organization. Working closely with cross-functional partners, the incumbent will champion innovation, drive change, and strengthen organizational capability to support the long-term success and profitability of the Singapore and Malaysia retail business.

The role can be based either in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia or Singapore.

What You'll Do

• Lead Singapore and Malaysia Retail Strategy: Develop and execute the long-term retail strategy for Singapore and Malaysia, driving sustainable revenue growth, market expansion, brand equity, consumer engagement, and operational excellence while ensuring alignment with regional and global business priorities.
• Own P&L and Business Performance: Assume full accountability for retail sales, profitability, productivity, and key performance indicators. Leverage data-driven insights to identify growth opportunities, mitigate risks, and implement strategic actions that deliver consistent business results.
• Drive Retail Excellence and Consumer Experience: Lead the delivery of best-in-class consumer experiences and operational standards across all retail locations. Partner with Area Managers, Retail Operations, Training, and Visual Merchandising teams to ensure execution excellence, brand consistency, and customer satisfaction.
• Shape Merchandise and Inventory Strategies: Collaborate closely with Merchandising and Planning teams to optimize assortment, inventory productivity, allocation strategies, and product availability, maximizing sell-through, profitability, and consumer demand fulfillment.
• Lead Commercial Activation: Partner cross-functionally to develop and execute in-store marketing, promotional, and brand activation initiatives that drive traffic, conversion, and revenue growth.
• Drive Store Portfolio and Expansion Strategy: Identify and execute retail expansion opportunities, including new store openings, relocations, remodels, pop-up concepts, and portfolio optimization initiatives to strengthen market presence, enhance consumer accessibility, and improve financial returns.
• Build Organizational Capability: Lead, coach, and develop retail talent across stores and the support organization, fostering leadership capability, succession strength, and a high-performance culture.
• Champion Operational Governance and Compliance Ensure adherence to company policies, operational controls, compliance requirements, and risk management practices, safeguarding the business while maintaining a productive and engaging store environment.

What You'll Bring to the Table

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, Marketing, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive retail leadership experience, including multi-store, district, or national retail responsibility within a consumer-facing brand.
• Proven track record of leading large, geographically dispersed retail teams and delivering sustainable sales, profit, and operational KPI improvements.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience managing retail P&L performance, productivity, inventory, and store portfolio optimization.
• Demonstrated ability to develop high-performing teams, build leadership capability, and drive succession planning within a retail organization.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate market insights and business priorities into executable retail growth strategies.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with a proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally across Merchandising, Planning, Marketing, Finance, HR, and Operations.
• Strong communication, change leadership, and decision-making capabilities.