Being Commercial isn't a department
Updated: Sep 8
Being Commercial isn’t a Department….. it’s a way of seeing the Business
A conversation with Joseph Wadie, Commercial Leader and Retail Travel Head
When you speak with someone who genuinely lives (and loves) commercial leadership you sense it immediately in the confidence, the steadiness and a long(er) term mindset that exists in the stories, decisions and indeed the instinct.
These are a few of the things that struck me in my conversation with Joseph Wadie, a Commercial Leader who has run P&Ls across airports, borders, HORECA, modern trade and emerging categories in eight Middle Eastern markets.
Our conversation was grounded in the reality and experience of running multi million dollar businesses, negotiating long term contracts, building categories from scratch and influencing some of the biggest operators in global travel retail. What emerged for me was a powerful, practical picture of what being commercial really means, and why it matters far beyond the commercial team.
Here is a summary of the conversation and Joseph’s insights and top tips, which we both trust you will find of value.
Commercial: the long view rather than the quick win
I began by asking Joseph the question that sits at the heart of this whole topic….
“When you look across all those markets and categories, what does being commercial actually mean in real life?”
“Commercial is long term. Sales is immediate. Commercial is about the P&L, the margin, the investment, the future impact. Sales is the contract you win today. Commercial is the value you create over years.”
It’s a distinction many organisations miss. They celebrate the quick win, the short‑term bump and the immediate revenue. But Joseph’s point is simple really, that commercial thinking is about the sustainability of the business, not the adrenaline or immediacy of the deal.
He talked about the behaviours that underpin this longer view mindset:
Organisation… knowing your numbers, the levers and risks.
Not panicking… commercial leaders stay calm when markets shift.
Adaptability… the ability to adjust without losing sight of the bigger picture.
“People who are commercial,” he said, “can see the whole board. They understand how today’s decision affects next quarter, next year and even the next contract cycle.”
Commercial Behaviours: what you see in the best people
I asked Joseph what behaviours he sees in people who are seemingly more naturally commercial and what signs tell him someone isn’t there yet.
He smiled and responded “Curiosity… that’s the big one.”
Commercial people ask good questions, they want to understand the consumer, the operator, the numbers, constraints and the opportunity. They don’t just execute tasks they tend to interrogate them. He added:
Numbers fluency so not being afraid of the P&L.
Decision discipline eg knowing when to act and when to wait.
Instincts - the ability to sense value, risk and timing, which in part comes from experience.
But he also made an important point that commercial instincts can be developed, and that they are not reserved for a chosen few.
“Some people naturally see the bigger picture,” he said. “Others learn it over time. As you gain seniority, you start to understand that the task in front of you is only one part of the value story.”
This is encouraging and important as it shows commercial thinking can be taught, coached and embedded in organisations and people. It’s not a personality trait, it’s a capability.
Good vs Great commercial relationships
Joseph has managed some of the biggest operators in travel retail including DDF, Lagardère, Avolta and Heinemann, across eight markets. So I asked him:
“What separates a good commercial relationship from a great one?”
His answer was crisp and passionate. “Partnership. Real partnership. Not supplier mentality, not transactional. Partnership means reciprocity … support goes both ways.”
Great commercial relationships aren’t built in the negotiation room. They are built in the months and years after the contract is signed through presence, responsiveness, shared KPIs and joint business planning and successes. He described the difference simply:
Good relationships deliver what’s agreed.
Great relationships create new value together.
And he was candid about the challenges. Space allocation versus sales performance is a constant battle. “We might have 60% market share,” he said, “but only 20% of the space. Politics plays a role. Influence matters.”
This is where commercial judgement becomes commercial leadership, meaning the ability to navigate complexity without losing trust or momentum.
The Disciplines Organisations think they do… but don’t do as well as they think
I asked Joseph which commercial disciplines organisations often claim to do well, but rarely execute with real rigour.
He didn’t need long to share general examples from his many years experience …
S&OP discipline, “Everyone says they do it. Few actually do well, or as well as they should.”
Portfolio mix, “Too many businesses push everything instead of prioritising what drives margin.”
Pricing logic , “Pricing is often emotional, not strategic.”
Execution consistency , “The plan is good. The follow through is weaker.”
Data‑driven decision making , “People have data but then they don’t use it.”
These gaps, might seem small in some cases, but are the difference between commercial activity and commercial performance.
How to Help Non‑Commercial people think commercially
This was the part of the conversation I found most valuable, and one that interests my many clients I work with.
“How,” I asked, “do you help people who aren’t in commercial roles behave more commercially?”
Joseph’s answer was beautifully simple and compassionate. “I ask questions. Lots of questions. Questions that elevate and enable people to think beyond the immediate problem.”... Questions like:
What’s the impact on margin?
What’s the long‑term cost?
What’s the opportunity we’re not seeing?
What does this mean for the operator?
What does this mean for the consumer?
How do you feel about it?
He explained that commercial thinking isn’t about teaching finance in his view, its more about developing perspective.
Ops teams, marketing teams, brand ambassadors, supply chain all become more commercial when they learn to connect their daily decisions to the P&L, the consumer and the long‑term value story.
For me, in my work, it’s a blend of culture work, capability and leadership work.
The Provocative Question: why isn’t commercial thinking universal?
I ended with a provocative question for debate:
“You’ve run $50M P&Ls and built divisions from zero… why do some leaders still treat commercial thinking as a specialist skill rather than an organisational behaviour?”
Joseph paused on this one, and said… “Because it’s easier,” he said. “It’s easier to say commercial belongs to one team. But the truth is, commercial is part of almost everyone’s job. Every decision has a commercial impact.”
And this is perhaps the the heart of it.
Commercial isn’t a department, commercial is a way of seeing the business. Commercial is a way or being, behaviours, leadership and culture.
Final thought for you
If organisations want to be more resilient, more profitable and more adaptive then they need more people who think like Joseph. People who stay calm, curious and have that long‑term view. People who understand that commercial isn’t about contracts, it’s about value over an extended period.
And value is everyone’s responsibility.
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If you liked this article on Commercial Leadership, you might also like to read my interview with Charlie Gordon , Commercial Leadership in Complexity here
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