Role: Interim Commercial Director
Perceptor Lead: Melissa Kingham
When a Commercial Director previously placed by Perceptor fell unexpectedly ill, the client urgently required an Interim Commercial Director who could step in immediately. The organisation needed a highly capable commercial leader with the versatility to operate across B2B and B2C sales, engage diverse customer groups, and uplift the capability of an existing team—all within a fast moving, service driven environment.
The interim role required a senior commercial executive who could:
Rapidly build trust with customers across multiple market segments
Deliver both B2B and B2C sales leadership
Understand operational nuances quickly and adapt as the brief evolved
Strengthen team capability while ensuring commercial continuity
Commence immediately, under a structure where Perceptor would employ and payroll the interim executive
Given the urgency and commercial impact, the client needed a high calibre shortlist delivered within days, not weeks.
The client engaged Perceptor due to:
Our strong track record delivering interim executives at pace
A deep network of proven commercial, sales, and operational leaders
Melissa Kingham’s industry relationships and ability to rapidly match candidates to complex briefs
A trusted partnership developed through previous successful placements
This allowed us to respond quickly with confidence and precision.
Perceptor activated our existing candidate network immediately, focusing on:
Senior sales and commercial leaders with experience across multiple market channels
Executives who had demonstrated the ability to step into complex roles at speed
Leaders capable of balancing customer engagement with team development and performance management
Within a matter of days, Perceptor completed interviews, validated capability and cultural alignment, and presented a targeted shortlist.
The successful candidate had been referred to Melissa Kingham two months prior. Melissa had already met the candidate, understood their background and ambitions, and recognised their suitability for an interim role requiring agility, resilience, and commercial depth.
The appointment was made within one week, enabling the client to maintain commercial momentum during a critical period.
The interim leader delivered exceptional performance throughout the assignment, contributing to business stability and transformation. As a result of their impact, the candidate has since been appointed permanently as General Manager.
This assignment demonstrates Perceptor’s ability to:
Mobilise high quality interim executives rapidly
Leverage deep networks for fast, precise matches
Support organisations through unexpected leadership gaps
Provide end to end management, including payroll and ongoing engagement