Director of Cargo - South East Asia

Job Summary The successful candidate will lead the commercial, operational, and financial coordination of the South East Asia (SEA) cargo organization, driving revenue growth, sales performance, customer development, and regional strategy in collaboration with Top Management and regional teams. Responsibilities • Lead the development and execution of the regional cargo sales strategy to achieve revenue, volume, and profitability targets across South East Asia • Collaborate with Top Management and Head Office to set sales strategies, targets, budgets, and key commercial initiatives • Identify and pursue new business opportunities, trade lanes, markets, customers, and strategic partnerships • Build and maintain strong relationships with key accounts, freight forwarders, agents, GSA partners, and strategic customers • Monitor market trends, competitor activities, capacity developments, and pricing to optimize yield and revenue regionally • Review station performance regularly and implement corrective action plans to improve results • Develop and implement regional marketing strategies to enhance the company’s cargo presence and market position • Coordinate promotional activities, customer events, trade fairs, and industry engagements to increase market share • Ensure consistent branding, communication, and commercial messaging with country teams • Represent the company at major industry and customer events to strengthen market presence • Provide regional oversight of cargo operations, ensuring compliance with company standards and procedures • Collaborate with country and station management to resolve operational challenges and improve service quality • Monitor capacity utilization, shipment performance, and operational KPIs to drive efficiency and customer satisfaction • Support the launch of new routes, products, services, and operational initiatives across the region • Oversee regional cargo financial performance, monitoring revenue, costs, receivables, profitability, and budget adherence • Analyze financial reports and provide clear business insights to management • Ensure financial controls and compliance with company policies are maintained • Work with country teams to improve collection performance and manage outstanding accounts • Prepare business forecasts, budgets, and financial projections for the SEA region • Lead, coordinate, and support cargo teams across South East Asia by setting clear objectives, KPIs, and performance expectations • Coach and develop managers and commercial teams through regular performance reviews and follow-up action plans • Foster collaboration between Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance to build a high-performance regional organization • Prepare regular regional performance reports and management presentations with analysis, forecasts, risks, and recommendations • Translate market intelligence and station feedback into actionable regional strategies • Participate in regional and global management meetings and ensure timely implementation of strategic initiatives from Top Management and Head Office Required competencies and certifications • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Aviation, Logistics, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, or related field • Minimum 8–10 years of relevant experience in aviation, air cargo, freight forwarding, logistics, or transportation industries • Proven senior leadership experience managing teams across multiple countries or markets • Strong expertise in air cargo sales, operations, commercial strategy, and financial management • Demonstrated ability to develop and achieve sales targets, revenue growth, and commercial KPIs • Experience collaborating with senior management and C-level/Top Management stakeholders • Excellent negotiation, communication, and presentation skills • Fluent in Turkish, both written and spoken, to communicate effectively with Turkish-speaking Head Office and senior management • Excellent command of English, both written and spoken • Strong analytical and financial skills to interpret business performance data and financial reports • Willingness and ability to travel frequently within South East Asia and internationally Preferred competencies and qualifications • Previous experience managing a regional or multi-country cargo organization • Experience in airline cargo with exposure to international airline networks • Established relationships with major freight forwarders, logistics companies, agents, and key cargo customers in SEA • Experience in revenue management, pricing, capacity planning, or cargo network development • Experience managing budgets and P&L responsibilities • Experience working with Turkish companies, airlines, or international headquarters • Strong knowledge of SEA air cargo markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand