The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
VP, Global Commercial Operations (from a large BPO firm)
5-10 years as VPSkills to master
- Managing multi-regional commercial teams, owning P&L for significant business units (£2M-£10M+), driving large-scale commercial transformations, and engaging with C-suite clients and internal stakeholders.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistent over-achievement of revenue and margin targets across multiple years.
- Proven ability to build and scale high-performing commercial organisations.
- Strong track record of successful M&A integration from a commercial perspective.
- Regularly presenting to and influencing executive leadership and Board members.
- 2
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) (from a fast-growth tech/SaaS company)
3-7 years as CROSkills to master
- Scaling commercial engines rapidly, building robust sales operations and enablement functions, deep expertise in digital sales channels, and strong understanding of recurring revenue models. You'd need to quickly adapt this to the BPO context.
You're ready to move on when
- Demonstrated ability to drive exponential revenue growth in a dynamic market.
- Expertise in leveraging technology (CRM, AI) to optimise commercial performance.
- Proven success in building and leading large, high-velocity sales organisations.
- A clear understanding of how to translate tech-centric commercial models to a services-led BPO environment.
- 3
Senior Partner / Practice Leader (from a top-tier Consulting Firm)
8-12 years as PartnerSkills to master
- Strategic client advisory, deep industry expertise (especially BPO), complex problem-solving, and managing large-scale client engagements. You'd need to transition from an advisory role to an executive operational leadership role.
You're ready to move on when
- Extensive experience advising C-suite clients on commercial strategy and growth.
- A strong network within the BPO industry and a reputation as a thought leader.
- Proven ability to generate significant new business and manage large client portfolios.
- Demonstrated capacity to lead and develop high-performing consulting teams.