Head of trade africa - aspac

The group operates in the Overseas sector and coordinates the transport of goods by sea, air, and land on behalf of its customers. The company differentiates itself through its hybrid positioning, offering the proximity of committed local teams combined with the expertise of a global network and the power of its technological development: People & Technology at the heart of our strategy. Constantly growing, through our various offices in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa, we are constantly looking for the architects of tomorrow who will chart new roads to the future, in harmony with our environmental commitment and our strong corporate culture.

Joining Clasquin: Join a stimulating and caring environment, in which you will be able to flourish and develop your skills by taking on challenges on a daily basis. Evolve autonomously within a team and focused on excellence. Adhere to our values: enthusiasm, professionalism, and integrity.

Geographical scope:

Asia Pacific

Direct reports to:

COO Asia Pacific

Missions

Note: This description is standard and only mentions the main elements, competences and missions of the job position. It is not all-comprehensive and may evolve depending on the company’s needs.

Role Purpose

The Head of Africa Trade ASPAC is responsible for driving commercial development, in terms of volumes and profitability, as well as our strategic growth of the Asia-Africa trade lane. The role acts as the primary bridge between Asia and Africa, ensuring alignment between commercial teams, operations, network partners and Africa Global Logistics (AGL). The position is responsible for developing business opportunities, supporting customer acquisition and implementation, strengthening cooperation with AGL, and ensuring sustainable and profitable growth of the trade. This role combines commercial leadership, trade governance, stakeholder management and business implementation responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Trade Leadership and Performance Management
   • Own the overall performance and development of the Asia-Africa trade lane
   • Define and execute the trade growth strategy across the different products
   • Build and manage the annual trade budget
   • Monitor and Report: Volume Development Unit profitability
   • Escalate/Drive corrective actions where required
2. Commercial Development
   • Lead the commercial development of Asia-Africa Trade
   • Recruit / Manage / Support dedicated sales teams across ASPAC
   • Identify strategic target customers and opportunities
   • Coordinate trade development initiatives across countries
   • Support strategic bids and tenders
   • Promote Asia-Africa towards AGL as well as cross-trade business opportunities
3. Relationship Management with AGL
   • Act as the primary interface between CLQ ASPAC and AGL
   • Develop strong relationship with AGL commercial and operational teams, both at HQ and country levels
   • Support local development of Asia customers to Africa
   • Promote AGL capabilities within ASPAC
   • Identify and develop joint business opportunities
   • Ensure alignment between both organizations
4. Sales Enablement, Training & Development
   • Train ASPAC business development teams on: African markets, Customer opportunities, Trade Dynamics, AGL Capabilities
   • Develop commercial tools and sales materials
   • Conduct workshops and trade promotion sessions
   • Increase market knowledge and Africa trade penetration across ASPAC
5. Business Implementation & Trade Deployment
   • Support onboarding and implementation of new strategic customers
   • Coordinate implementation between: Origin offices, Destination offices, AGL Teams, Other stakeholders (IT, FIN, Legal a.e.)
   • Ensure successful launch of new business
   • Monitor implementation quality and customer satisfaction
6. Trade Governance & Animation
   • Organize regular trade reviews
   • Maintain trade reporting and performance visibility
   • Coordinate business reviews with key stakeholders
   • Facilitate trade events and customer engagement initiatives
   • Share market intelligence and trade update
7. Escalation Management
   • Act as the first level of escalation on the Asia-Africa trade
   • Support resolution of: Commercial issues, Operational Disruptions, Customer concerns, Network alignment challenges
   • Ensure rapid resolution and stakeholder communication

Key KPIs

You will measure performance on quality of growth, not volume only: GP Growth, Trade budget achievement, New business development, Strategic account penetration, Number of joint opportunities developed with AGL, Trade volume growth, Training and engagement of ASPAC sales teams, Escalation resolution effectiveness.

Preferred experience

8–15 years in Freight forwarding and international logistics. Strong experience in: Africa Trade, Ocean freight, Regional network management, Proven commercial development expertise, Experience working across multiple countries and cultures, Strong understanding of Africa Logistics markets and supply chains.

Key competencies

Strong commercial mindset, Strategic thinking and business development capability, Excellent stakeholder management skills, Strong communication and influencing skills, Financial and Analytical acumen, Cross cultural leadership, Ability to operate in matrix organizations, Strong execution and project management capabilities.

Success Factors

You will succeed in this role if you: Become the recognized bridge between Asia and Africa, Create sustainable and profitable trade growth.