Client is one of the largest logistics players in the domestic 3PL space and is also a part of a very large, top 5 Indian business house. The logistics arm had done very well, taken on board marquee PEs as investment partners to fuel further growth and strengthened the management team to deliver the growth. One such role was to bring on board a Head – Commercial, who will help win, structure and monitor large, multi-year logistics contracts. Each contract was different in terms of SLAs, and upfront and on-going investments in infrastructure, and thus had to be carefully evaluated and structured, to protect and grow EBIT.

The Head – Commercial was expected to work closely with the CEO and the Heads of various BUs to review response to RFPs as well as client engagements, to ensure that the SLAs can be delivered and importantly, adequately priced into the commercials. As the part of the client engagement team, the Head – Commercial was expected to ensure that changes in SLAs and investment expectations arising from negotiations are adequately factored in. Post the win, the Head – Commercial was expected to monitor the ongoing profitability and ensure course corrections, including renegotiating where necessary. The client preferred someone with prior experience in negotiating large, multi-year services contracts (e.g., large deal teams from IT sector).

This mandate required us to combine our unique strengths in the two practices that we focus on – CEO Practice and CFO Practice, as the role had flavours from both.