Commercial Manager – Northern Europe

The organisation

Cordstrap is the global market leader in protection engineering, mitigating risks associated with the movement of goods, and the protection of products, people, and places. They work closely with customers to provide tailored advice and solutions for a variety of global shipping needs. They combine a wide product range of equipment, strapping, lashing, dunnage bags, moisture control and cargo monitoring services with application expertise and local regulatory knowledge to create customized load security solutions. From large project cargo and hazardous chemicals to fragile materials, Cordstrap ensures every kind of cargo is moved safely.

With headquarters in The Netherlands and a global presence of sales offices, factories, and distribution partners, Cordstrap has 500 employees present in twenty-two countries and serves customers in more than fifty countries.

Now Cordstrap is developing a fit-for-future sales approach, further enabling commercial teams to strike the right balance between customer acquisition, development, and retention. This sales-based model is focused on potential and high value opportunities in three main application segments; Container Protection (CP); Heavy Duty Securing (HDS); and Palletizing, Unitizing and Bundling (PUB). To maintain their momentum and leadership position among competitors, Cordstrap’s strategy is to focus on high value products and services, innovation, and cross-selling opportunities.

The position

Cordstrap’s solutions safely transport and protect the goods, people handling them, and industrial environments they pass through. The company is shifting to a solutions-centric approach, enhancing their value proposition. The Commercial Manager Northern Europe will lead the sales team, driving growth and increasing market share in Benelux, UK & Ireland, France, Nordics, Baltics, and Poland.

Tasks & responsibilities

Cordstrap has successfully started the transition from a small and mid-sized customer, product-oriented approach to a solutions (applications)-oriented marketing and sales approach focused on larger customers in key industries. To continue building their global brand, expand their value proposition, and increase growth and profitably, the company’s account managers also need to adjust their sales approach and customer service standards accordingly. The Commercial Manager Northern Europe will lead the regional sales team through this transformation towards Protection Engineering, coaching them to proactively identify opportunities to negotiate and upsell, enabling new conversations with customers, and unlocking new sources of value and growth within Cordstrap’s existing customer base.

The organization’s Northern Region includes Benelux, UK & Ireland, France, the Nordics, the Baltics, and Poland and represents about one third of Cordstrap’s market in Europe with a revenue of 23 million Euros. Substantial growth is foreseen in this region in the coming years, especially within verticals benefiting from Cordstrap’s offering in the Container Protection and Heavy-Duty Securing segments. The Commercial Manager will take the commercial strategy of this region to the next level. Applying a customer-centric mindset, they will translate the technical knowledge and expertise of the regional sales team into attractive sales propositions, identify new opportunities, improve retention rates, and drive profitable margins.

The Commercial Manager will drive key account development to achieve outstanding results. They will coach the team on how to build deeper client relationships, effectively negotiate, strategically upsell, and efficiently close deals in line with Cordstrap’s Protection Engineering approach. Utilizing CRM and Power BI platforms, they will enhance the quality of data and insights, acquire market intelligence, and monitor commercial progress. The Commercial Manager also has a strong understanding of the relationship between sales and marketing and ensures alignment of growth strategies with the development of innovative campaigns which translate into sales.

Focused on stimulating teamwork and collaboration, they will ensure the smooth integration of new hires and guide, motivate, and coach the experienced sales team members, supporting them as their roles and responsibilities change. Bringing structure and energy to the team, they create buy-in and commitment in a down-to-earth manner across a range of personalities, cultures and functions and understand how to build and maintain collaborative relationships.

Reporting into the European VP Sales, the Commercial Manager can manage multiple stakeholders simultaneously and present insights, plans and strategies to leadership with ease. They will work closely with the Central & Southern Europe commercial managers, the European Strategic Account Director, the Small & Mid-sized Accounts Director, and the European Marketing Activation Manager. Additionally, they will collaborate with a variety of other departments, including Development Engineering, Business Intelligence, and Customer Service.

“Cordstrap is in the middle of a strategic transformation journey. As an excellent people coach, the Commercial Manager Northern Europe will implement growth strategies and enhance our value proposition, making an immediate impact on the success of our sales team and future growth of our business.” – Paul de Weert, VP Sales Europe

Cordstrap is a fast-growing organization where creative ideas and taking initiative are valued. The role will be based in Northern Europe (ideally Belgium or The Netherlands) and involves international travel. This position is perfect for an entrepreneurial team leader who is ready to hit the ground running and make a direct impact on this dynamic international organization’s future growth.

Candidate profile*

• 10+ years of experience
• Leading commercial teams
• In an international B2B solutions-based environment
• With value-selling experience
• Inspirational team leader with change management experience

* Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.

Interested?

Yu can apply for this position by using the link below. Cordstrap is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.