Head of Operations – Fashion & Lifestyle

About the Organization

Our client is one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent and diversified conglomerates, with a legacy of market leadership across retail, consumer electronics, and real estate. The group is currently consolidating its Fashion & Lifestyle portfolio into a specialized business cluster. This division is poised to transition into a standalone entity, requiring a visionary leader to architect its independent operational and commercial future.

About the Role

High-stakes leadership mandate with full P&L responsibility. This role is designed for a "Business Builder" who can transition a legacy segment into a high-growth, agile company. You will lead the entire cluster, where both brand and sales will be reporting to you & supported by the shared services. The primary objective is to drive long-term wealth creation, optimize the cash conversion cycle, and expand the brand portfolio in alignment with global fashion trends.

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Business Transformation

Lead the potential transition of the lifestyle cluster into a separate company, establishing specialized processes tailored to fashion retail.
Oversee the implementation of industry-specific infrastructure, including ERP systems and logistics frameworks optimized for high-velocity fashion operations.
Define the long-term roadmap for market dominance, focusing on both organic growth of existing brands and strategic acquisition of new international labels.

2. Commercial & Operational Excellence

Own the P&L with a critical focus on achieving a healthy inventory turnover and a superior cash conversion cycle. Getting to a healthy inventory and cash conversion cycle.
Lead high-level supplier negotiations, specifically optimizing ordering cycles, payment terms, and delivery schedules to suit the Sri Lankan retail landscape.
Curate and expand the brand portfolio, ensuring a balanced mix of luxury, premium, and fast-fashion segments.

3. Brand & Sales Governance

Direct the brand and sales teams to ensure a seamless customer experience across physical retail, e-commerce, and wholesale channels.
Set the tone for brand positioning and marketing spend, ensuring high ROI and strong brand equity for the lifestyle cluster.

4. People & Culture

Build a high-performance leadership team; take personal accountability for succession planning and the professional growth of functional heads.
Foster a culture of agility, aesthetic excellence, and data-driven decision-making within the cluster.

Candidate Profile

Experience & Qualifications

Strong experience in the Fashion/Apparel & Lifestyle retail sector, with C-suite or Business Head capacity level experience.
Proven track record across Marketing, Buying/Merchandising, and Sales. Deep exposure to the Apparel Supply Chain is preferred.

Technical & Leadership Competencies

Deep understanding of retail mathematics, inventory management, and working capital optimization.
Experience in leading ERP migrations or digital transformation projects within a retail context.
Exceptional ability to negotiate with international principals and global suppliers.
Ability to look beyond immediate sales to build a sustainable, wealth-creating enterprise.

Head of Operations - Fashion & Lifestyle