Regional Head of Direct Retail

Company Description

Cathay is a leading premium travel lifestyle brand based in Hong Kong, offering products and services across four lines of business – Premium Travel, Cargo, Low-Cost Travel and Lifestyle. The Cathay Group comprises premium full-service airline Cathay Pacific, cargo business Cathay Cargo, low-cost airline HK Express, express all-cargo carrier Air Hong Kong, and various other subsidiaries.

Cathay Pacific was founded in Hong Kong in 1946. The Group has been deeply committed to its home base, extending to the rest of Greater Bay Area, and making substantial investments to develop Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading international aviation centres.

Role Introduction

The Regional Head of Direct Retail is accountable for driving direct retail revenue within the region, ensuring achievement of assigned targets while positioning Cathay-owned channels - including digital platforms, customer care centers, and airport touchpoints - as the preferred purchase channels for target customer. The role plays a key part in shaping and executing the regional direct retail strategy, encompassing the design and leadership of all direct sales initiatives and campaigns. 

Through close collaboration with cross-functional teams, the incumbent will enhance the appeal and competitiveness of owned sales channels and elevate the customer experience across all interaction points. Additionally, the role will engage with external partners to deliver strategic and commercial value, reinforcing Cathay's position as a premium travel lifestyle brand. 

Key Responsibilities

Revenue Generation

• Formulate regional direct retail strategy and execute said strategy in respective markets
• Support headquarters' initiatives to develop and implement new digital capability, and products (such as but not limited to fare or ancillaries) to leverage emerge market opportunities and drive incremental revenue
• Lead direct sales activities/campaigns - from planning, design, execution to review.
• Participate in global projects/initiatives that enhance direct sales
• Actively source new partnerships and continue to drive commercial value from our existing partnerships
• Instill best practice in campaign formulation and share with global teams
• Accountable for revenue target achievement from all direct retail channels

Insights

• Develop regional market intelligence in association with competition analysis and consumer trend monitoring in direct retail with a focus on digital channels
• Conduct regular reviews of owned channels and funnel performance of the regional locales and customer care hubs.
• Work with other teams in the regional commercial office as well as business units in headquarter to identify opportunities that will improve the travel shopping experience along our direct retail channels
• Conduct regular reviews of channel performance with the Regional Head of Business Insights and Analytics on the ongoing performance of overall digital retail, direct sales campaigns and external partnerships
• Any other reasonable task as requested

People Development and Leadership

• Lead, support, coach and inspire the team to achieve commercial and strategic success.
• Build a high-performing and motivated team by ensuring the right organizational structure and talent are in place to foster collaboration and team spirit.
• Supervise and mentor direct reports, promoting a culture of effective cross-functional collaboration and shared accountability.
• Demonstrate leadership by example, consistently upholding Cathay's core values and modeling excellence in execution and behaviour.
• Identify and develop high-potential employees, ensuring access to relevant learning opportunities and career development pathways.
• Maintain active and ongoing dialogue with team members regarding individual goals, performance expectations, and growth plans.
• Engage employees meaningfully to enhance communication, alignment with departmental objectives, and understanding of strategic priorities.
• Champion initiatives that enhance the employee experience in line with role level and Cathay's internal brand promise.
• Perform any other reasonable tasks as required to support team development and leadership excellence.

Others

• Ability to communicate effectively in French (Quebecois), both written and spoken, is highly desirable.
• Emergency and accident, and crisis response responsibilities as required

Requirements

Academic Qualifications 

• A tertiary qualifications in Business, Marketing, Economics, Communications or related discipline

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience 

• Minimum 8 years of recent experience in sales, with a strong emphasis on digital distribution, commercial partnerships, and eCommerce.
• Proven leadership capabilities with a track record of inspiring and positively influencing regional teams to achieve commercial success. 
• Demonstrable success in meeting and exceeding sales targets and KPIs, including experience in leading target-driven teams. 
• Experience in developing and managing large-scale marketing campaigns, agency relationships, and strategic partner portfolios. 
• Strong commercial acumen with deep understanding of consumer behaviour, industry trends, and market dynamics across distribution channels. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with fluency in English and local language. Proficiency in Cantonese, Putonghua (Mandarin) or other priority languages designated by Cathay is a distinct advantage. 
• Strong interpersonal skills with a collaborative mindset; creative, dynamic and innovative in approach. 
• Highly adaptive to change, resilient, detail-oriented and capable of performing under pressure in a fast-paced environment. 

Additional Requirements

• Must have the right to live and work in Canada
• Must successfully pass reference checks
• Must be willing and able to sit for long periods of time
• Must be willing to attend calls with Hong Kong colleagues after normal business hours, as required
• Must be willing and able to travel within North America and overseas, if required
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned and necessary

Benefits

Cathay Pacific Airways is proud to offer eligible employees competitive Compensation & Benefits package, as varied by location, regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment and employment status as highlighted below.

• Travel Privileges on Cathay Pacific Airways Global Network
• Extensive well-being programs including health, dental, vision and employee assistance program benefits to help you stay well.
• Paid Holiday & Vacation
• To learn more about Cathay Pacific as a Certified Great Place Employer – Please Click Here’

Personal & Application Information

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited is committed to employment equity, supports diversity in the workplace and encourages application from all qualified individuals including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities. Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with our personal data policy and for recruitment purposes only. A copy of our Personal Information Collection Statement will be provided upon request by contacting our Data Protection Officer.

If you require assistance or an accommodation in completing any aspect of the application process, please contact the Cathay Americas Recruiting team at: jobs@cathaypacific.com.