Chief Commercial Officer

Our client (the “Company”), based in greater St. Louis, MO, is a private equity-backed, global, industry-leading provider of gold standard flexographic and digital printing solutions comprised of equipment, maintenance services, and consumables used predominantly for printing labels for consumer and industrial applications. With over 75 years of experience, the Company is the overwhelming market leader in flexographic (“flexo”) printing technology in North America and a top player in the European market. The Company has also developed and invested heavily in best-in-class digital offerings that serve the full digital market segment. With a large, captive market, the Company sells its high margin parts, supplies, and services on a recurring basis with a global installed base of several thousands of machines.
As a “one-stop shop” provider of flexo and digital press equipment, aftermarket parts, and consumable supplies and service for growing end markets such as consumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical and food and beverage, the Company has leveraged decades of technological expertise and understanding of customers’ applications to deliver solutions that result in a deeply entrenched customer base and long-lasting partnerships.
In addition to its U.S. headquarters, manufacturing, and technology center, the Company operates facilities across North America (including Canada and Mexico), distribution and service operations in the United Kingdom, and a European technology center.
The Company was acquired in 2023 by a Midwest-based private equity firm focused on building leading middle-market industrial businesses. The firm brings a hands-on, partnership-oriented approach and deep experience working constructively with management teams to drive operational excellence and strategic growth. The sponsor is committed to providing the resources, tools, and support needed to enable long-term success and continued value creation across the organization.
The Opportunity.
The Chief Commercial Officer (“CCO”) is a newly-created position that will be responsible for leading the Company’s global commercial organization, including sales, marketing, channel management, strategic accounts, business development, commercial excellence, and customer growth initiatives across equipment, consumables, aftermarket parts, service, software, and related solutions. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the CCO will be a key member of the executive leadership team and will be responsible for driving sustained profitable growth while accelerating the Company's evolution toward a larger recurring revenue business model.
The primary mandate of this new position is to deliver sustained growth in both equipment sales and recurring revenue businesses by leveraging the Company’s industry-leading installed base, expanding customer lifetime value, increasing consumables penetration, and strengthening long-term customer relationships. The successful candidate will develop strategies that transform every equipment placement into a long-term recurring revenue opportunity through consumables, service, parts, software, training, financing, and other lifecycle offerings. The CCO will also play a significant role in supporting acquisition-driven growth through commercial due diligence, integration, and synergy realization.
Beyond the day-to-day commercial mandate, the CCO will be a significant voice in shaping broader corporate strategy and product direction, ensuring that go-to-market priorities and customer insights inform how the Company invests and grows. This includes oversight of commercial investment decisions to ensure resources are aligned with the highest-impact growth opportunities. The role carries leadership responsibility across multiple geographies and business units, requiring a leader who can build and align a cohesive global commercial organization while tailoring strategy to the needs of distinct markets and teams.
Essential Functions and Key Responsibilities.
Commercial Strategy, Channel Leadership, and Sales Growth:
Develop and execute a global commercial strategy across the Company’s global equipment, consumables, and aftermarket sales organizations that supports the organization’s long-term growth objectives.
Deliver sustained annual growth across both OEM equipment and recurring revenue businesses.
Drive market share gains, customer acquisition, customer retention, and profitability improvements across all commercial channels.
Serve as a key contributor to corporate strategy, strategic planning, and value creation initiatives.
Leverage the Company’s installed base to increase recurring revenue generated from consumables, parts, service, software, and other aftermarket solutions.
Establish commercial programs to increase recurring revenue generated from consumables, parts, service, software and other aftermarket solutions that increase customer lifetime value.
Increase share of wallet, customer retention, and recurring revenue contribution across strategic accounts.
Develop customer segmentation and account growth programs that maximize long-term profitability.
Manage distributor and channel partner strategies worldwide.
Improve sales productivity, forecasting accuracy, pipeline management, and commercial execution toward achieving a high-performing, customer-focused commercial culture.
Strengthen strategic account management and executive customer relationships.
Ensure alignment of compensation programs and incentives with Company growth objectives.
Marketing Leadership:
Lead all global marketing functions, including product marketing, demand generation, digital marketing, communications, branding, events, and customer engagement.
Develop integrated commercial campaigns that support both equipment sales and recurring revenue growth.
Strengthen the Company’s market position and customer value proposition across global markets.
Ensure marketing investments generate measurable commercial outcomes.
Financing and Commercial Innovation:
Develop equipment financing, leasing, subscription, and alternative commercial models that improve customer acquisition and market access.
Partner with financing providers and internal stakeholders to create solutions that increase placements and customer retention.
Evaluate and implement innovative commercial programs that improve recurring revenue and customer loyalty.
Acquisition Strategy and Integration:
Partner with the CEO to identify acquisition opportunities that strengthen recurring revenue, consumables penetration, market access, and customer relationships.
Participate in commercial due diligence, strategic evaluations, synergy assessments, and integration planning.
Support acquisition strategy and execution related to consumables distributors, aftermarket businesses, service organizations, and adjacent recurring revenue opportunities.
Lead commercial integration efforts following acquisitions and effectively integrate sales, marketing service, customer support, and channel organizations into a unified commercial structure.
Capture revenue synergies through cross-selling, customer penetration, and installed base expansion.
Leadership and Organizational Development:
Build and lead a high-performing global commercial organization.
Develop succession plans and talent development strategies across the commercial organization.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
Establish clear performance expectations, metrics, and operating rhythms across all commercial functions.
Candidate Requirements.
Education:
Bachelor's degree required.
MBA or advanced business degree preferred.
Required Experience:
Fifteen or more years of progressive commercial leadership experience.
Significant experience leading both direct and channel sales organizations.
Proven success managing businesses that combine capital equipment sales with recurring revenue streams.
Demonstrated success growing consumables, service, software, subscription, aftermarket, or lifecycle revenue businesses.
Experience leveraging installed bases to drive recurring revenue and customer lifetime value.
Experience with equipment financing, leasing programs, subscription models, or alternative commercial structures.
Proven ability to lead large, geographically distributed commercial organizations.
Experience supporting commercial due diligence and post-acquisition integration activities.
Strong executive communication, customer relationship, and negotiation skills.
Preferred Industry Experience:
Printing and converting
Packaging
Industrial equipment
Manufacturing technology
Automation
Coding and marking
Other capital equipment industries with recurring revenue business models

Work arrangement
Yes