Head of Commercial Finance – Global Retailer

Overview

• Company: International retail finance leader with multi-site P&L ownership secured
• Challenge: Commercial finance function redesign to support global expansion
• Time to Hire: 4-week brief-to-offer
• Results: Immediate uplift in pricing, margin and store-level visibility and strengthened board-level decision support during rapid expansion
• Service model used: Elevate

Client Context

Our client is a rapidly expanding global retailer, recognised as one of the healthiest and fastest-growing food brands in its category.

The business was entering a critical scale phase:

• Accelerating international footprint
• Increased investor focus on profitability, not just growth
• Expanding store portfolio across multiple markets
• Margin pressure driven by supply chain volatility and operational complexity

This was a growth-positive but margin-sensitive moment. Expansion without commercial discipline would dilute profitability and strain operational control.

The Business Problem

Growth was outpacing financial visibility. The board required clearer commercial insight to support pricing decisions, margin optimisation and store-level performance management across global operations.

The structural challenges included:

• Inconsistent forecasting across regions
• Limited real-time visibility of store performance drivers
• Pricing and promotional decisions not fully anchored in margin analysis
• Commercial finance capability not yet built for international scale

Risk if unresolved:
International expansion could erode margin, slow decision-making, and create operational misalignment between finance, marketing and supply chain.

Why the Market Was Difficult

• Multi-site retail leaders with true P&L ownership are highly competed
• International retail exposure combined with hands-on delivery is rare
• Fast-growth environments demand agility, not corporate rigidity
• The hire required influence across board, operations and supply chain simultaneously

The Capability Required

✔ ACA / ACCA / CIMA-qualified senior finance leader
✔ Multi-site retail or FMCG experience with international exposure
✔ Demonstrated revenue and margin growth impact
✔ Deep expertise in budgeting, forecasting and KPI reporting
✔ Commercial gravitas to influence board-level decisions
✔ Operational credibility to partner with store, marketing and supply chain leaders
✔ Builder mentality, capable of scaling a function from the ground up

Our Strategic Approach

1. Growth-Aligned Mandate Definition (Elevate Model)

We reframed the brief beyond “Head of Commercial Finance” to define the structural outcome required:

• Faster decision cycles at board level
• Improved margin transparency by region and store
• Commercial discipline embedded across non-finance teams
• Scalable forecasting infrastructure

This ensured we targeted leaders who had built systems, as opposed to simply operating within them.

2. Dual-Track International Market Mapping

We executed a targeted global search strategy:

• Leveraging our established network of proven retail finance leaders
• Proactive headhunting across competitor and adjacent high-growth consumer brands

Shortlisting focused exclusively on candidates with measurable P&L impact in fast-scaling environments.

3. Board-Level Fit Assessment

Candidates were evaluated on:

• Margin transformation examples
• Store-level profitability optimisation
• Cross-functional influence capability
• Experience operating in international matrix structures

We prioritised evidence of change leadership, not stewardship.

The Impact

Immediate (0–3 Months)

• Strengthened board-level commercial reporting
• Improved clarity on pricing and margin levers
• Enhanced forecasting accuracy across markets
• Faster decision-making between finance and operations

Strategic (6–18 Months)

• Scalable commercial finance function supporting international expansion
• Improved store-level profitability and performance visibility
• Embedded financial accountability across marketing and supply chain
• Stronger investor confidence driven by margin discipline

The hire laid the financial foundations for sustainable global growth.

Why This Matters

Retail expansion without commercial finance maturity creates silent margin erosion. When store growth accelerates faster than forecasting accuracy and pricing discipline, profitability becomes reactive rather than engineered.

If your retail business is scaling internationally, it’s worth asking the question: Is your commercial finance function protecting margin as fast as you are opening stores?

For this hire, our client chose our Elevate model which is designed to give certainty, depth and powerful insights. This level of engagement unlocks the full breadth of our intelligence, market reach and structured search methodology. It’s a fully managed, end-to-end process with accountability and milestone linked delivery. Find out more about our permanent recruitment services here.

‍