Agropur

Vice President, Sales – USA & International Markets

Agropur  •  Eden Prairie, MN (Onsite)  •  5 hours ago
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Job Description

Job Type:

Regular

People are at the heart of our success. Our culture encourages collaboration, transparency, and accountability in order to generate value and achieve sustainable results. Being part of the team means committing to an environment where everyone’s impact truly matters.

At Agropur, each role aims to generate value and have a tangible impact on collective performance.

The Vice President, Sales – USA & International Markets is accountable for developing and executing the commercial sales strategy for Agropur Ingredients outside of Canada, with full responsibility for regional sales performance, customer development, portfolio valorization, and customer experience.

This role has a dual strategic commercial mandate:

  • Accelerate the integration and growth of a new portfolio of value‑added whey and milk proteins, through region‑specific commercial strategies aligned with customer needs, application requirements, and market maturity.
  • Ensure continued, disciplined valorization of Agropur’s commodity portfolio, including whey, permeate, and lactose, while managing market volatility and optimizing customer and channel mix.

A critical expectation of this role is the development of new customer bases globally, expanding Agropur’s commercial footprint beyond existing relationships and systematically opening new end‑use segments, customers, and strategic partnerships.

The role leads all sales organizations outside Canada, including the United States, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, and owns the deployment of a Key Strategic Account (KSA) methodology, ensuring consistent, value‑driven account management across all regions.

In addition, the role oversees the Customer Experience (CX) organization, embedding a customer‑centric mindset and ensuring service excellence supports commercial growth objectives.

As a member of the Ingredients Management Committee, this role contributes to enterprise‑level decisions related to portfolio strategy, growth prioritization, commercial investment, and long‑term value creation.

Where you will drive value:

Global Commercial Sales Strategy (Outside Canada)

  • Define and execute regional commercial sales strategies for the USA and international markets.
  • Develop integrated regional sales plans by geography, balancing:
    • Value‑added whey and milk proteins
    • Commodity products (whey, permeate, lactose)
  • Establish clear volume, revenue, margin, and contribution targets by region and portfolio.
  • Ensure alignment between global portfolio priorities and regional market realities.

Value‑Added Portfolio Growth (Whey & Milk Proteins)

  • Lead the commercial integration and scale‑up of value‑added whey and milk protein portfolios across all international regions.
  • Define regional positioning, segmentation, pricing strategy, and channel approach.
  • Partner with Marketing, Innovation, and R&D to translate technical capabilities into compelling customer value propositions.
  • Drive portfolio mix evolution toward higher‑margin, more strategic applications.

Commodity Portfolio Valorization

  • Ensure continued, profitable valorization of whey, permeate, and lactose globally.
  • Define region‑specific commodity strategies that balance:
    • Volume placement
    • Market exposure
    • Margin protection
  • Actively manage customer and channel mix to mitigate volatility and structural risk.

New Customer Development & Market Expansion

  • Own the development of new customer bases across all international regions.
  • Identify, prioritize, and pursue:
    • New customers
    • New applications
    • New industry segments
  • Establish clear prospecting, qualification, and conversion disciplines across the global sales organization.
  • Ensure growth is driven not only by existing accounts, but by structured, sustainable customer acquisition.

Key Strategic Account Methodology & Sales Process Improvement

  • Design, deploy, and institutionalize a Key Strategic Account (KSA) methodology across global sales teams.
  • Define criteria for strategic account designation and management.
  • Ensure consistent application of:
    • Account planning
    • Value‑creation roadmaps
    • Executive engagement models
  • Elevate sales execution from transactional to long‑term strategic partnership management.
  • Implement continuous process sales improvement

Regional Sales Leadership & Execution

  • Lead and develop regional sales organizations across the USA, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
  • Provide strategic direction while empowering regional leaders to adapt execution to local market conditions.
  • Ensure rigorous sales discipline, forecasting accuracy, pricing governance, and deal approval processes.
  • Personally engage in key global and regional customer relationships and strategic negotiations.

Customer Experience Leadership

  • Oversee the Customer Experience (CX) organization supporting USA and international markets.
  • Ensure a customer‑centric operating model delivering:
    • High service levels
    • Responsiveness and reliability
    • Consistent and professional customer interactions
  • Align CX priorities with commercial strategy and growth objectives.
  • Leverage customer insights to drive continuous improvement across commercial processes.

Cross‑Functional & Executive Collaboration

  • Act as the senior commercial counterpart to Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and Innovation for international markets.
  • Ensure alignment between:
    • Production availability
    • Customer commitments
    • Regional logistics and inventory models
  • Represent international markets and customer perspectives on the Ingredients Management Committee.
  • Provide market intelligence, risk assessments, and growth recommendations to executive leadership.

What will enable you to have an impact:

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Science, or related field required.
  • MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred.

Experience

  • 12–15+ years of senior sales and commercial leadership experience in dairy ingredients, food ingredients, nutrition, feed, or commodity‑based industries.
  • Proven success leading multi‑region or global sales organizations.
  • Demonstrated ability to grow both existing accounts and new customer bases.
  • Experience implementing disciplined key account or strategic account frameworks.
  • Strong understanding of international trade, customer structures, and regional market dynamics.

Leadership & Capabilities

  • Enterprise‑level sales leader with strong strategic and execution discipline.
  • High commercial judgment in pricing, contracts, and risk management.
  • Ability to lead change, standardize commercial practices, and elevate sales capabilities globally.
  • Strong executive presence and credibility with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.

A role aligned with what creates the greatest collective impact.

Agropur welcomes people from all backgrounds and origins. We are proud to be an employer with a diverse community and are committed to providing a respectful and inclusive experience for all employees and applicants. We will work with candidates who request accommodation. Please note that an adequate knowledge of French is required for positions in Quebec. Agropur uses artificial intelligence technology to assist our recruiters in screening, assessing, or selecting applicants for this position.

In this text, the use of the masculine gender to designate persons is intended only to lighten the text.

Agropur

About Agropur

À propos d’Agropur

Agropur est la plus importante coopérative laitière canadienne et l’un des principaux fournisseurs de produits laitiers dans le secteur du détail, des services alimentaires et industriels en Amérique du Nord.

Fondée en 1938, la Coopérative constitue une source de fierté pour ses près de 2 700 membres basés au Québec, en Ontario et dans les provinces de l’Atlantique, et nos 7 000 employés. Opérant 29 usines au Canada et aux États-Unis, Agropur a généré un chiffre d’affaires de 8,8 milliards de dollars canadiens en 2024 et transformé plus de 6,8 milliards de litres de lait.

Les membres et employés de la Coopérative concrétisent au quotidien la vision « Meilleur lait. Meilleur monde. » visant le développement économique et social de leurs communautés et le respect de l’environnement et du bien-être animal.

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About Agropur

Agropur is the largest dairy cooperative in Canada and one of the leading suppliers of dairy products in the retail, food service, and industrial sectors in North America.

Founded in 1938, the Cooperative is a source of pride for its nearly 2,700 members based in Quebec, Ontario, and the Atlantic provinces, and its 7,000 employees. Operating 29 plants in Canada and the United States, Agropur generated revenues of $8.8 billion CAD in 2024 and processed more than 6.8 billion liters of milk.

The Cooperative’s members and employees work every day to achieve a shared vision, “Better Dairy. Better World.”, aimed at developing their communities economically and socially while respecting the environment and animal welfare.

Industry
Food & Beverage
Company Size
1,001-5,000 employees
Headquarters
Longueuil, CA
Year Founded
1938
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