Chief Commercial Officer

Chief Commercial Officer

Pretoria, South Africa | Full-time | Executive | On-site

About the Role

Lead commercial growth across Africa. Shape market strategy. Build lasting client value.

We are seeking a visionary Chief Commercial Officer to lead the commercial agenda of a pan-African research and insights business. This is a high-accountability executive role combining P&L ownership, revenue growth, product commercialization, go-to-market strategy, strategic client relationships, and premium brand stewardship.

You will play a central role in shaping the next phase of commercial growth across the continent, translating market opportunities and research-driven insights into clear commercial strategies, stronger client relationships, and sustainable revenue.

The ideal candidate is commercially astute, intellectually rigorous, passionate about Africa, and confident operating at executive level. You will lead across sales, marketing, product commercialization, partnerships, client growth, and commercial operations while building the capability required to deliver ambitious business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy & Revenue Growth

• Own and accelerate the commercial growth engine across the business.
• Develop and execute bold go-to-market strategies across products, markets, segments, channels, and partnerships.
• Deliver ambitious revenue growth across the full product portfolio and target markets.
• Own the commercial and go-to-market strategy for the Apex Product, with a target of 45% revenue growth.
• Set and manage quarterly new-business revenue, margin, and conversion targets.
• Establish FY28 commercial targets and continuously monitor performance.
• Reallocate commercial resources toward the highest-impact opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen market share, revenue, profitability, and client value.
• Use industry insights, competitive analysis, and market trends to inform commercial strategy.

Sales & Business Development

• Lead sales performance across the commercial portfolio.
• Drive the conversion of high-value opportunities through strategic selling and effective commercial leadership.
• Lead and oversee contract negotiations while protecting commercial terms and margins.
• Coach and develop the sales team to achieve conversion and revenue targets.
• Identify opportunities for cross-selling, up-selling, and increased lifecycle value.
• Develop strategic partnerships that support market expansion and product adoption.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and industry influencers.

Client Growth & Strategic Relationships

• Own strategic premium client relationships and account stewardship.
• Drive high-value renewals, client retention, referrals, advocacy, and expansion.
• Develop relationships that strengthen long-term client value and the premium market position.
• Identify opportunities to increase client lifetime value and reduce churn.
• Represent the business at senior-level client engagements, industry forums, boards, and events.
• Build relationships across target markets throughout Africa.

Product Commercialization

• Lead the commercialization of portfolio revenue opportunities.
• Translate market and industry insights into commercially relevant product strategies.
• Prioritizes segments, channels, and partnerships that accelerate product adoption.
• Maximize commercial return on investment across product and market initiatives.
• Support the strategic development of market-leading products through industry insights and commercial intelligence.

Marketing, Brand & Digital Enablement

• Provide complete commercial oversight of the Marketing and Brand Experience function.
• Ensure marketing, communications, and demand-generation activities support product adoption, retention, and revenue growth.
• Guide marketing priorities against the 45% growth target and premium market positioning.
• Oversee digital enablement projects according to business needs.
• Ensure consistent and effective use of the corporate identity across the business.
• Strengthen the brand through industry engagement, client relationships, communications, events, and public representation.
• Represent the business accurately and professionally across relevant forums, boards, and industry events.

Commercial Operations & Performance

• Lead operational excellence across the commercial team.
• Establish clear departmental objectives and drive consistent execution.
• Build predictable revenue performance and improve client retention and experience.
• Ensure rigorous documentation governance and CRM-driven account management.
• Strengthen operational efficiency while protecting margins and recurring revenue.
• Monitor commercial performance and take corrective action where required.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, develop, and retain high-performing commercial talent.
• Provide clear direction, coaching, training, and recognition to commercial teams.
• Develop the scalable commercial capability required to achieve ambitious revenue and client objectives.
• Lead teams with clear accountability for performance and delivery.
• Foster effective collaboration across commercial and wider business functions.

Financial Management

• Work with Finance to compile accurate commercial budgets aligned with strategic objectives.
• Manage allocated budgets and monitor expenditure.
• Mitigate financial risk and minimize overspend.
• Evaluate commercial expenditure and maximize return on investment.
• Maintain strong financial discipline across commercial activities.

Required Skills & Experience

• Extensive senior-level commercial leadership experience.
• Strong commercial acumen and financial understanding, including P&L and budget management.
• Proven ability to develop and execute commercial and go-to-market strategies.
• Strong strategic selling and revenue-growth capability.
• Experience leading high-value sales, negotiations, and commercial agreements.
• Strong relationship management and strategic account development skills.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with senior clients, partners, and industry stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of competitive analysis, industry trends, and market opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to translate market intelligence and business insights into commercial strategies.
• Strong product commercialization and portfolio-growth capabilities.
• Experience driving cross-selling, up-selling, retention, renewals, and client lifetime value.
• Strong leadership, performance management, and team-development capabilities.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, persuasion, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical, conceptual, and strategic thinking.
• Excellent decision-making and problem-solving capability.
• Strong planning, organization, and execution skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on innovation and commercial opportunity.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to represent a premium brand professionally across senior forums and industry engagements.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and business communication tools.

Preferred Skills

• Adaptability
• Change management

Qualifications & Education

• Degree in Marketing & Sales or Business Management — required
• MBA — preferred

Role Details

Location: Pretoria, South Africa

Work Arrangement: On-site

Employment Type: Full-time

Level: Executive

Department: Commercial