Sam O'Brien

Managing Director, EMENA and Away from Home at Costa Coffee

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

About

17 years of international experience living and working in the U.K., Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe with a remit covering all regions globally. A range of experience from front line sales to General and Regional Management in CPG, Retail and B2B channels at 4 large, successful FMCG companies Track record of change and results delivery, including in volatile or ambiguous environments as well as development and delivery of disruptive Growth Drivers.

Experience

  • Managing Director EMENA and Away from Home at Costa Coffee
    Feb 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 5 mos

  • Jacobs Douwe Egberts Professional (6 yrs 10 mos)
    • Global Sales Director
      Apr 2020 - Feb 2024 · 3 yrs 11 mos

      Commercial lead for the JDE Professional business. Support our W European markets in delivering financial and strategic ambitions including long term Value Creation Plans, COVID recovery and short term performance delivery Lead Revenue Growth plans - key to GM% management in a market with unique coffee and non-coffee COGs inflation Develop a clear long term eCommerce strategy combining Clicks and Mortar, Pure Players and owned Webshops Long term roadmap for Sales Excellence - Sales Competency Framework for our sales people across Europe P&L Management for 35+ markets outside W Europe

    • General Manager, Global Business Development and International Key Accounts
      May 2017 - Feb 2024 · 6 yrs 10 mos

      Responsible for International markets for JDE Professional with responsibility for c 40 countries across 5 continents Focus on RTM optimisation across key regions in order to unlock accelerated growth and develop geographic footprint to support JDEP Strategic Key Account access Key Achievements include - NOS CAGR 12% - Key Growth Driver Development: On the Go multi category solution, Captive Segment revenue diversification (0-15% total NOS in 18mths), Cold Coffee development

    • General Manager, Australia
      Nov 2019 - Jun 2020 · 8 mos

  • International Strategy Lead and President of the Board, 12oz Coffee (ITA) at 12oz Coffee Joint
    Jan 2020 - Feb 2024 · 4 yrs 2 mos

    Strategy support for 12oz Coffee chain - Development of domestic ITA marketing strategy - International Expansion strategy - Long term Strategy Development

  • Sales Director, South East Asia and Asia Distributor Markets at General Mills
    Jan 2016 - May 2017 · 1 yr 5 mos

  • Diageo (11 yrs 11 mos)
    • Route to Consumer Director, South East Asia
      Jul 2014 - Dec 2015 · 1 yr 6 mos

    • Key Account Director - Asia Pac
      Sep 2013 - Jun 2014 · 10 mos

      Responsible for building our long term strategy to win in key Regional Strategic Accounts, whilst delivering great service to those accounts that we already have contractual partnerships with • Build a clear commercial rationale to define the resource and focus that we apply to the HORECA channel • Define the structures and ways of working that will allow us to win key strategic accounts (eg Hilton) at both Regional and local level • Drive mutual value through long term partnerships, develop appropriate growth drivers for the channel • Play a key role within the Asia Pac SLT

    • Retail Operations Controller
      Jan 2012 - Sep 2013 · 1 yr 9 mos

      Led a team of 34, including 29 frontline Business Development Managers who call on ~1,700 of the Top 4 Grocer stores monthly. Own the strategy to deliver success via ~400 3rd party sales reps, used as a surrogate sales force for our business. • Deliver 32k calls per year, leading Christmas activity and adding ~£10m incremental RSV to the Channel • 30% yoy increase in RSV delivered, ROI increased by over 25% • Built THE talent pool for Diageo GB, fundamentally changed our recruitment principles and culture • Deliver Best in Class compliance, availability and execution – worth an additional £25m RSV • Roll out iPad technology via SalesForce.com to become the best equipped Sales Force in the industry