Position SummaryAmerican Welding & Gas (AWG) is seeking an experienced, results-driven Regional Vice President of Sales to lead our Southwest Region. This is a key executive leadership position responsible for accelerating profitable organic growth, expanding market share, and building a high-performing regional sales organization.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of leading multi-location sales teams, developing strong sales leaders, and consistently delivering revenue and gross margin growth. This individual must combine strategic thinking with hands-on leadership and possess the ability to translate business objectives into measurable sales results.
Working closely with Regional Operations leadership, the Regional Vice President of Sales will share accountability for the region's financial performance, with primary responsibility for sales execution, new business development, customer retention, pricing discipline, and sales team effectiveness.
We are looking for a leader who sets high expectations, develops talent, embraces data-driven decision-making, and creates a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will bring significant experience in industrial distribution and a passion for developing people while delivering sustainable business growth.
Key Responsibilities: Sales Growth & Market Development - Develop and execute regional sales strategies focused on profitable organic growth, new customer acquisition, and increased market share.
- Identify opportunities to expand existing customer relationships, increase wallet share, and improve customer retention.
- Drive pricing discipline and sales strategies that deliver sustainable gross margin improvement.
- Evaluate market trends, competitive activity, and customer needs to identify opportunities for growth and market expansion.
- Build and maintain relationships with strategic customers, supporting major sales opportunities and long-term partnerships.
- Establish clear regional sales objectives and ensure consistent execution of growth initiatives.
Sales Leadership & Talent Development - Provide executive leadership to Area Sales Directors and their teams of Territory Managers across the region.
- Recruit, coach, and develop high-performing sales leaders capable of consistently delivering results.
- Establish clear performance expectations, measurable objectives, and accountability throughout the sales organization.
- Build a culture focused on prospecting, customer relationships, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement.
- Maintain an active presence in the field, coaching sales leaders and supporting strategic customer opportunities.
- Identify and develop future leaders through succession planning, mentoring, and professional development.
- Ensure effective onboarding and ongoing training of sales personnel.
Sales Execution & Performance Management - Drive consistent adoption and effective utilization of Salesforce CRM throughout the regional sales organization.
- Establish disciplined pipeline management, opportunity tracking, sales forecasting, and performance reviews.
- Utilize sales performance data to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, and proactively address performance gaps.
- Monitor key performance indicators, including organic sales growth, gross margin performance, new business development, customer retention, sales activity, and pipeline conversion.
- Implement corrective actions and improvement plans to increase sales productivity and overall team performance.
- Promote consistent sales processes and best practices across all markets within the region.
Financial & Business Accountability - Share accountability for regional financial performance, with primary responsibility for revenue growth, gross margin improvement, pricing execution, and sales expense management.
- Develop and manage regional sales budgets and forecasts aligned with AWG's financial objectives.
- Analyze customer and market profitability to identify opportunities for improved financial performance.
- Partner with Finance and Operations leadership to support regional business planning and capital allocation decisions.
- Balance short-term sales objectives with long-term customer relationships and sustainable profitability.
Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner closely with Regional Operations leadership to align sales strategies with operational capabilities and customer service expectations.
- Collaborate with Operations, Finance, and other functional leaders to improve customer experience, profitability, and overall business performance.
- Support the successful commercial integration of acquired businesses and implementation of company-wide strategic initiatives.
- Promote proactive communication and effective problem-solving across the organization.
- Foster a collaborative, team-oriented culture that reinforces shared accountability for regional success.
Safety & Compliance - Champion AWG's commitment to safety and ensure the sales organization consistently follows established safety policies and procedures.
- Promote a culture where safety is a fundamental responsibility of every team member.
- Partner with Operations and Safety leadership to support continuous improvement in safety performance.
- Ensure sales commitments and customer expectations align with safe and compliant operating practices.
Qualifications: Required Experience - 12+ years of progressive sales and commercial leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior regional or multi-location sales leadership role.
- Proven track record of delivering sustained organic revenue growth, gross margin improvement, and market share expansion.
- Significant experience in industrial distribution, including industrial gases, welding supplies, MRO, industrial equipment, or other technically oriented distribution businesses.
- Demonstrated success leading geographically dispersed sales teams and developing high-performing sales managers.
- Experience implementing structured sales processes, CRM adoption, and performance management systems.
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing sales budgets, pricing strategies, gross margins, and customer profitability.
Leadership & Business Acumen - Strong leadership presence with the ability to set clear expectations, develop talent, and hold teams accountable for results.
- Demonstrated ability to build and execute regional sales strategies that produce measurable financial improvements.
- Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on involvement in sales execution, customer relationships, and team development.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
- Strong analytical and decision-making capabilities with a data-driven approach to business management.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with Operations and other functional leaders to achieve shared business objectives.
- High level of integrity, personal accountability, and commitment to developing others.
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout the Southwest Region.
Preferred Qualifications - Direct experience in industrial gases, welding supply, or closely related industrial distribution.
- Experience leading sales transformation initiatives, including CRM implementation, sales process standardization, or sales compensation changes.
- Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing sales leaders.
- Experience integrating acquired businesses and identifying commercial growth opportunities.
- Proficiency with Salesforce or comparable CRM platforms.
- Familiarity with the operational and service requirements of multi-location industrial distribution businesses.
Compensation & Benefits AWG offers a competitive executive compensation package designed to reward performance and long-term success, along with comprehensive benefits including:
- Competitive base salary and performance-based incentive opportunities.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage beginning on day one.
- Life and disability insurance.
- Generous paid time off and paid holidays.
- Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.
- The opportunity to play a meaningful leadership role in the continued growth and development of AWG.
As Regional Vice President of Sales, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the performance and future growth of our Southwest Region. We are looking for a leader who is energized by developing people, building successful teams, and delivering measurable business results.
