Fractional Commercial
Director for ambitious
UK SMEs

A Fractional Commercial Director is an experienced commercial leader who works with your business on a part-time or project basis, giving you senior-level expertise without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. You get the same strategic thinking and hands-on execution, typically at a fraction of the cost.

It varies entirely depending on your needs. Engagements typically range from one to three days per week, with some clients needing more intensive support at the start and a lighter touch as the foundations are built. We agree the right structure for your business before we begin.

Typically within one to two weeks of agreeing scope. One of the key advantages of the fractional model is speed: there is no lengthy recruitment process, no notice period, and no onboarding lag. I can be embedded into your business and delivering value quickly.

I work predominantly with ambitious SMEs, founder-led businesses and scale-ups, typically those with a turnover between £1m and £20m who are ready to invest in their commercial growth but aren't yet at the stage of hiring a full-time Commercial Director.

I typically work on an initial 3-month engagement to allow enough time to make a meaningful commercial impact. After that, we review together and agree how to continue: whether that's ongoing fractional support, a reduced retainer, or a natural conclusion.

Fees depend on the scope of the engagement, the amount of time required and the stage of your business. A typical fractional commercial director engagement in the UK runs on a monthly retainer that reflects an agreed number of days per month, usually one to three days a week. The model is designed to give you senior commercial leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire, so you only pay for what you genuinely need. I'm always happy to discuss budget openly on a discovery call before any commitment is made.

An interim commercial director usually works full-time for a defined period, often to cover a gap or lead a specific transformation. A fractional commercial director works with your business on a part-time, ongoing basis, typically one to three days a week, so you get senior commercial leadership embedded in the business without the cost of a full-time role. Fractional tends to be the better fit for SMEs who need that leadership permanently, just not at full-time scale.

Consultants tend to advise and deliver recommendations. A fractional commercial director becomes part of your leadership team, accountable for outcomes, not just advice. I get embedded in the business, work alongside your team, sit in the meetings that matter and own commercial delivery. You get strategic thinking and hands-on execution from the same person, with skin in the game.

It's one of the most common mistakes I see founders make. Hiring a salesperson before the commercial foundations are in place rarely works. Without a clear strategy, a defined Ideal Customer Profile, a sales process, the right tools and accountability, even an excellent salesperson will struggle. A fractional commercial director builds the platform that gives any future sales hire the best possible chance of succeeding, and often improves results immediately along the way.

My experience spans design and build, construction and property, manufacturing, professional services, marketing and creative agencies, corporate training and education, business services, interiors, and pharmaceutical and life sciences. Most commercial challenges, the foundations, the leadership, the discipline, the pipeline, look remarkably similar across sectors. What changes is the language, the buying cycle and the relationships.

Yes. Having lived and worked across Asia Pacific for over eight years and led commercial activity across Europe, North America and APAC, international markets are a core part of what I do. Whether you're entering new territories, building out partner channels, or trying to land enterprise accounts in unfamiliar cultures, I can bring the strategy, the structure and the on-the-ground experience to help you get it right.