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
Trade Marketing Executive (L2)
2-3 years at this levelSkills to master
- Mastering end-to-end promotional execution, developing strong analytical skills for post-promo analysis, building initial relationships with sales teams and junior retail contacts.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering promotions on time and within budget with positive ROI.
- Proactively identifying issues and proposing solutions for routine problems.
- Being the go-to person for data analysis for your assigned accounts.
- Demonstrating strong collaboration with sales and brand teams.
- 2
Brand Marketing Executive/Manager
3-5 years in brand marketingSkills to master
- Transitioning from brand-centric thinking to a more commercial, retail-focused mindset. Understanding retailer priorities, trade spend mechanics, and the practicalities of in-store execution. Learning to 'sell the sell' internally.
You're ready to move on when
- A clear desire to move closer to the commercial side of the business.
- Demonstrated understanding of how brand strategy translates into retail execution.
- Strong analytical skills from market research or brand performance tracking.
- Proactive engagement with sales or trade marketing teams in previous roles.
- 3
Sales Analyst / Commercial Analyst
3-4 years in an analytical roleSkills to master
- Moving beyond pure data analysis to strategic recommendation and execution. Developing strong communication and influence skills to present insights to non-analytical audiences. Understanding the 'why' behind the numbers in a retail context.
You're ready to move on when
- Exceptional analytical and modelling skills (especially in Excel and BI tools).
- A keen interest in commercial strategy and driving sales outcomes.
- Experience presenting data-driven insights to sales or marketing leadership.
- A desire to move into a more outward-facing, commercially impactful role.