Chief Commercial Officer/Commercial Director

£6-fig plus Executive Package & Wealth Creation
Pharmaceutical CDMO

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a market leading Pharmaceutical CDMO & devices group of companies . Recently enlarged through merger and significant investment, they possess an enviable reputation within their market with a client list to match, but are poised to climb to even greater heights with a $20m EBITDA their prime aspiration.

This recently expanded business has a clear focus on technical input and product innovation to develop all markets they exist within. Quality of product and service is at the core of the business.

Recent corporate developments and investment have left this group with outstanding capability and even greater opportunities as they face a 2-5 year phase of significant growth, with further investment and potential M&A activity, before building towards a potential IPO later this decade.

With headcount approaching 150, a third of which sit within scientific functions, they remain small and lithe enough to steal a commercial advantage against larger competitors but still retain a huge technical advantage in product development.

Technical strength and capability has long been the strength of the business. They have developed a highly enviable client list with class-leading service-delivery, but their potential is so much greater.

The business is performing well, especially during the Covid pandemic, but they are focused on further cementing their commercial performance market position and increasing their market share whilst re-investing in risk sharing partnerships to continue and accelerate their growth and financial position.

This desire to seize the opportunities presenting themselves and carve out new opportunities, new products new markets and new routes to markets saw them appoint a new CEO last year. Already making their presence felt, the business is about to make two European acquisitions and bring new products to market as well as significantly entering the B2C/DTC market, selling directly to consumers, particularly with their new products ranges

The opportunities these options brings, has led to the desire to recruit a strong, highly influential commercial leader, bringing about even greater strategic leadership and commercial skills as they further penetrate into their existing, and drive into new markets.

The appointee will take a position of significant responsibility in this highly respected business, working very closely with, and complementing the skillsets of the new CEO. They will be granted a high degree of autonomy in the commercial and strategic leadership (and delivery) of this business as it continues to make ever greater waves across the market.

They will play an active part on the Senior Leadership Team and will oversee multiple business segments by the group. They will have a team of direct reports, including Business Development, Account Management and Customer Service. 

The Chief Commercial Officer/Commercial Director will be accountable for divisional P&L, sales and services to achieve forecast objectives and ensure sales targets and profits are met at high level. In addition, they will focus on business growth with execution against targets for seeding and overall projects conversions to the benefit of the company while improving business and sales performance as well as contribution to the group strategy and long term plans.

Of particular note and interest, alongside their traditional CDMO B2B focus, the appointee will also assume responsibility for delivery on their new B2C/DTC offering, optimising Customer Experience to customers, including building and maintaining relationships for the long term. 

The role will require strong focus on developing teams to deliver high performance results as well as developing a broad marketing strategy, including key success factors and areas for differentiation and deliver on execution against the plan. 

The appointee will successfully manage complexity in a pressured environment, possess the ability to think creatively and optimize solutions to deliver on exceeding results and develop strong leadership capabilities.

This role requires broad scope analysis and understanding of the pharmaceutical market, including its players, products and competitors, mainly in the CDMO area. Additionally, the ability to negotiate win-win results and to see the complete picture, identify opportunities and execute on them in a timely manner. Through strategic thinking and awareness, the person will lead the  team to execute on valuable opportunities to the Pharma Division, while providing valuable insights and recommendations to management. The ideal person possesses strong leadership skills, multi-tasking, networking base and skills, is energetic and motivated.

The successful candidate will take a key commercial strategic responsibility for the business, all with the design, develop and implementation of a clear strategy to further grow and develop the business, design and ensure the success of new and existing routes to market and mold what future success looks like. 

With an effective commercial, sales and marketing function, ripe for development, a key focus will be on profitably expanding the value and volume of sales, this role will be critical to ensure the organisation has the firmest of foundations from which to drive future growth and ultimately, enterprise value.

Key Deliverables

Key responsibilities and objectives:

• Business Development Strategy covering Account Management, Distributors and direct Customer Service 
• Expand the Company’s network and identify new business opportunities
• Attend yearly conferences, in order to better network within this industry.
• Meet all customers’ needs based on identification, presentation and sale of products and/or services.
• Develop in-depth knowledge of the CDMO segment, understanding the needs of customers, the competitive landscape and knowing how to sell products/services based on their requirements.
• Provide strategic insight to the internal management team and suggest ideas for enhancement of operations or improvement.

Key Attributes

• Commercial business leader, likely to be a proven business development/commercial leader, with dominant experience in the Pharmaceutical/CDMO sector but likely underpinned with complimentary sector knowledge.
• Exposure to a DTC/B2C market place where they have taken responsibility for the routes to market and direct customer experience.
• Able to manage a business in a complex international market.
• Organisation restructuring exposure, combining strategic visions & objectives, especially post acquisition, bringing complimentary, but different businesses together.
• Ability to design and take ownership of all aspects of the strategic vision for this complex CDMO business, as well as communicating, orchestrating and leading its delivery.
• A charismatic leader and coach who clearly demonstrates an ability to empower and motivate a team.
• Exceptional skills in communication, motivation, and interpersonal relations; able to convey a message that is understandable and relevant, linking business issues and strategy
• Experience of operating at the highest level of professionalism and personal integrity
• The successful candidate will have a passion for continuous improvement, commercial and operational performance and a strong sense of accountability.
• Critical analysis of data with the comfort to challenge.

Person Specification

Core Capabilities

• Negotiation skills –understanding all parties agendas and finding a solution to address all needs, while driving successful and profitable business deals.
• Decision making capabilities  – Ability to make decisions when customer facing taking into account implications on the company; ability to make internal recommendations to drive success.
• Managing complexity – comfortable with complexity, examines problems carefully, is inquisitive, and makes fresh connections between different concepts.  Comfortable with complexity and ambiguity; Looks for the new opportunities; shifts easily; tries many tactics
• Business acumen Displays clear understanding of customer’s business situation, including revenue growth and other business strategies, financial goals, processes, marketplace, and competitive conditions; talks knowledgeably about the CDMO industry; clearly describes the business impact of decisions on customer.
• High strategic thinking skills  Ability to develop the marketing strategy; ability to understand product and/or services strategy; ability to develop value proposition to customers; identifying trends in the market and capitalizing on opportunities as a result of the trends.
• People development Creates an environment where leadership and people development is top priority. Takes ownership for talent acquisition, performance and development of self and others; Maximizes the power of diversity and inclusion; Engages in transparent and constructive conversations
• Communication:  Delivering a clear and compelling message while adapting the style appropriately to the audience.
• Drives for results:  Deliver results by inspiring people and teams; Empowers people to act with speed, agility, and accountability; Demonstrates a global wide mindset; Balances short and long-term strategic choices.
  

Qualifications & Experience Sought

• Ability to identify opportunities and execute on them in an expeditious manner.
• Works effectively in a multi-task environment. Modifies plans as situations warrant; establishes and uses alternative plans. Strategically manages time to balance associate needs, business opportunities, and administrative responsibilities.
• Possesses knowledge, understanding and experience with international competition, business requirements, dynamics and trade regulations pertaining to own business operations. 
• Is skilled in discussing, conferring, etc in ways that resolve issues and satisfy all parties. Uses tact, diplomacy and unique persuasion to reach amicable agreements or resolve problems.
• Has up to date knowledge of current and emerging technology within the industry and understands its implications from a competitive standpoint. Reads key publications keeping current on new technological innovations. Understands strategic implications of such change, and responds appropriately.
• Identifies issues and opportunities, prioritizes them, and successfully implements them. Uses a variety of cognitive skills and processes to arrive at sound decisions and solutions. Able to continually focus on achievement of objectives.