Thanks for joining, could you tell us a bit more about your role?
Commercial Management is about managing risk and reward. So, customer negotiations, protecting against contractual and legal risks, and understanding the defence market to maximise opportunities and value. I support the flow of business and solve problems between our functions, and ultimately, I make sure our opportunities get turned into contracts and ensure SEA is easy to do good business with from our customer's perspective.
Occasionally, you have to adapt quickly to real-world circumstances that aren’t in our control. Things like COVID and the war in Ukraine had a massive impact on our demand and supply chain, so our team manages that. We’re constantly reviewing our protections, looking back historically and applying lessons to future business.
What do you like about your role?
I’ve always been a problem solver, contracts often contain legal loopholes and risks. You have to find solutions that work for everyone, the best business comes from win/win outcomes. I love seeing direct impact on the business, and the stage SEA is at is perfect for me. We’re big enough to work with major companies and governments, but we’re also still agile enough to do what’s right, not just follow processes written 25 years ago. Keeping that pragmatic approach is something I strive to do.
What are some of the biggest challenges in a growing defence company?
Over the last few years, our industry has seen unprecedented growth, this is true for SEA too. Keeping up with the increasing demand and growing a team with enough experience in Defence to keep up with demand isn’t easy. Defence Commercial Management is a very specific skillset, and finding people externally with experience isn’t always possible. One of our solutions is to train and promote people internally, partly due to these limiting factors.
Are there any other big changes in the industry?
Flexible working has changed things. I can now sit at home and talk to someone from the other side of the world. Things that may have taken ten days in the past, can now be done over Teams in an instant. We work with a lot of international customers, and we couldn’t have had the same customer base without flexible working.
They understand the technologies they request more readily, and if they don’t, they can do their research online. If they want to challenge something, they’re generally better informed than ever. I expect this to continue over the next decade.
Do you have any advice for people interested in Commercial Management?
Commercial is quite niche, and few people leave school thinking ‘I want to be a Commercial Manager’, because they likely don’t know what it is. It’s very common for people from Bid Management, Project Management or from a legal background to fall into Commercial, it’s often a profession that finds you.
It’s important to have a servant’s attitude, ask ‘what can I do for you?’ both internally and externally. Commercial, are here to fix problems and manage risk and reward, so never be afraid to make a decision. If you enjoy driving business forward, chances are you’ll enjoy Commercial Management.
Thank you, Tim.
