Managing Director, Asia

Managing Director, Asia

Paula’s Choice is Your Right Choice!

Paula's Choice is a leading multinational skin care brand with over 29 years in the industry! Founded in the US in 1995, our mission is to empower people around the world with the knowledge and products they need to achieve their own definition of beauty. We question ingredients, follow the facts and stand up for our customer, because we believe that Beauty Begins with Truth.

The Managing Director of Asia will resonate with Paula’s Choice Core Values:

• Be Bold: We lead through innovation & disrupting the status quo.
• Build Trust: We set the standard for skincare, transparency & shared knowledge.
• Act With Kindness: We operate out of respect & care for our customers, our colleagues, and the planet.
• Create Community: We build a welcoming & inclusive community with a culture of growth and empowerment.

How you’ll have an impact at Paula’s Choice:

The Managing Director of Asia is responsible for driving business growth, market share, revenue, and profitability across the region through strategic leadership, market and channel development, P&L management, and fostering strong collaboration with global teams. Additionally, the role focuses on creating synergies and providing exceptional leadership to build and develop high-performing teams. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience of delivering strong business results and rich general management experience in the region, preferably in skincare or broader beauty, health, or wellbeing.

As Managing Director of Asia, a typical day might include a mix of the following:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop long term vision for Paula’s Choice in Asia
• Develop regional strategy & targets aligned with global goals, considering market trends, consumer insights, and competitive landscape
• Identify and prioritize key growth opportunities within the region, including new market penetration
• Maximize market share, revenue and profitability within the strategic direction
• Involve Market GMs in the process and support them on penetrating new channels to drive market share, awareness, and profit growth within their markets

Market and Channel Development

• Collaborate with Market GMs in achieving market and channel targets, leveraging HQ/regional resources
• Identify and develop regional partnership opportunities, with regional retail partners, marketplaces, and international media groups
• Leverage Unilever Prestige partnerships within Asia for local countries/regions to tap into, e.g. Google and META partnerships
• Develop new markets

P&L Management

• Own the roll up of Market P&Ls
• Analyze business performance, identify areas for improvement, identify synergies, define corrective actions together with Finance Business Partner and Market GMs
• Seek optimization opportunities with Unilever and other Prestige partners (e.g. 3PL cost savings)

Collaboration with Global Disciplines

• Establish effective ways of working with Global Disciplines: Research & Product Development, Brand, Supply Chain, IT, Finance; HR
• Determine additional support required from Global disciplines to drive success in Markets and Channels
• Effectively communicate Paula's Choice Asia strategy, consumer needs, trade dynamics, and local requirements to global partners

Drive Synergies

• Leverage commercial synergies within the region in collaboration with Market GMs
• Drive operational synergies in the region in collaboration with Global disciplines and Market GMs
• Identify potential synergies with sister brands (Unilever Prestige) where possible and desirable
• Share Global best practices and learnings with Asian markets such as NPD launches, activation ideas, CRM; Digital initiatives

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage and coach a high-performing team of Market GMs
• Foster a culture of collaboration and accountability across Asia
• Provide coaching, mentorship and development opportunities for Market GMs and their teams
• Team up with Chief People & Culture to further roll out relevant initiatives in the region

The Details:

• Location: The Managing Director will lead Asia GMs, who are in different cities, and therefore this role could be located out of Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Taipei, or Seoul
• Hours: Typical Business Hours, with flexibility to global time zones/counterparts
• Physical requirements: Ability to handle both sitting and screen time for long periods of time
• Travel requirements: TBD – to be adjusted per candidate location

What you’ll bring to the table:

• Proven track record of successfully leading and driving business results while growing a (premium) skincare (or broader beauty, health, wellbeing) brand within Asia
• Deep understanding of the Asia market dynamics, consumer behavior, and distribution channels in (premium) skincare (or broader beauty, health, wellbeing)
• Strategic thinking and analytical capabilities to develop and execute effective business plans
• Proficiency in financial management and P&L analysis
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire market teams across diverse cultures
• Empathetic, inspiring manager and coach of experienced Market GMs
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships with key stakeholders
• Agile mindset and quick decision making

What can help you really stand out:

• Entrepreneurial and innovative mindset - seeing new business opportunities within strategic direction
• Experience leading an omni-channel approach - our channels include not only our own DTC platform, but also marketplaces such as Lazada, Shopee, Amazon; Zalora
• Relevant experience in (premium) skincare or (premium) beauty or related category - experience with strategic beauty retailers
• Proven experience working within a parent company / subsidiary environment
• Experience bridging Global strategies and partners with local teams and needs
• High emotional intelligence
• Ability to work across different cultures

Note: At any time, with or without notice, Paula’s Choice reserves the right to add/delete/change the position’s requirements.