1. Challenge:
As VidaCorp accelerated its European expansion, the leadership team recognized a critical gap: they needed a strategic architect who could translate an ambitious vision into an executable commercial reality. The company sought a Commercial Strategy & Planning Director to serve as both strategic planner and chief of staff to Chris Shaw, General Manager for International Markets. This newly created role would be instrumental in defining VidaCorp’s “where to play and how to win” strategy across European markets, starting with UK and Benelux operations and expanding pan-European over time.
As VidaCorp accelerated its European expansion, the leadership team recognized a critical gap: they needed a strategic architect who could translate an ambitious vision into an executable commercial reality. The company sought a Commercial Strategy & Planning Director to serve as both strategic planner and chief of staff to Chris Shaw, General Manager for International Markets. This newly created role would be instrumental in defining VidaCorp’s “where to play and how to win” strategy across European markets, starting with UK and Benelux operations and expanding pan-European over time.
The complexity of this role lay in its dual nature – it required someone who could operate at the highest strategic level while also driving day-to-day execution. VidaCorp needed a leader who could define performance rhythms, support organizational design, manage financial modeling for market expansion, and serve as a trusted strategic counsel to senior leadership.
2. Profile Needed:
This position required an exceptional balance of strategic thinking and execution capabilities – someone who could operate as a trusted advisor while driving tangible commercial results. The role would sit on the European leadership team alongside the Marketing Director, despite having no direct reports initially, requiring strong influence without authority.
Essential qualifications included:
- Proven experience developing and executing growth strategies across multiple European markets
- Deep understanding of European geography, brand positioning, and channel dynamics
- Strong commercial acumen with expertise in brand strategy, product marketing, and revenue growth management (RGM)
- Financial modeling capabilities and business case development experience to support expansion decisions
- Chief of staff skills, including the ability to support organizational design, define operating cadence, and facilitate cross-functional collaboration
- Experience managing integrated shopper and trade marketing programs
- Ability to partner effectively with retailers and distributors on new product introductions
- Track record of delivering scalable, insight-led solutions that win with both shoppers and retailers
The ideal candidate would need to thrive in VidaCorp’s fast-paced, entrepreneurial culture where autonomy and risk-taking are encouraged, and where the company can move from product concept to retail shelf in just six months.
3. The Search Process:
LS International approached this search by targeting professionals with a unique blend of strategic consulting experience and hands-on commercial execution in consumer goods. The team focused on identifying candidates who had successfully navigated complex, multi-market environments and demonstrated the ability to be both visionary and detail-oriented. Given the specialized nature of combining commercial strategy expertise with chief of staff capabilities, the search required careful market mapping across consumer brands with European expansion experience and retail/e-commerce companies with multi-market strategies.
LS International approached this search by targeting professionals with a unique blend of strategic consulting experience and hands-on commercial execution in consumer goods. The team focused on identifying candidates who had successfully navigated complex, multi-market environments and demonstrated the ability to be both visionary and detail-oriented. Given the specialized nature of combining commercial strategy expertise with chief of staff capabilities, the search required careful market mapping across consumer brands with European expansion experience and retail/e-commerce companies with multi-market strategies.
The assessment process emphasized not just technical capabilities but also the interpersonal skills required to serve as a strategic sounding board to senior leadership. Candidates were evaluated on their ability to balance multiple priorities – from leading strategic planning processes to supporting organizational model optimization – while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships across internal teams (finance, sales, marketing, supply chain) and external partners (retailers, distributors, consulting firms).
Chris Shaw reflected on the process: “LS was very thorough in terms of canvassing the market, very thorough in terms of providing a shortlist. Very organized…which, you know, in managing time zones is not an easy feat.”
He also noted the value of the candidate summaries: “I thought Vanessa’s detailed summaries on all of the candidates were very strong. I really liked how, when you summarize the shortlist, you gave your own ranking, which does help orient our thinking and decision making as well.”
4. The Outcome:
Following a comprehensive evaluation across multiple interview rounds, VidaCorp found itself in a unique position. While they had been considering an internal candidate for the role, they decided to go with the external candidates because their strategic capabilities, European market expertise, and cultural fit were more aligned.
Despite the presence of a viable internal option, the chosen candidate’s skillset was so compelling that VidaCorp leadership felt confident moving forward with an external hire. The candidate brought:
- Extensive experience developing commercial strategies across European markets
- Proven ability to translate vision into actionable plans with measurable outcomes
- Strong financial modeling and business case development capabilities
- Natural fit with VidaCorp’s entrepreneurial, fast-paced culture
- Demonstrated success in chief of staff-type roles requiring strategic counsel and operational execution
- Deep understanding of consumer goods channels and retail dynamics
The candidate’s ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, combined with their genuine enthusiasm for VidaCorp’s growth trajectory, made them the clear choice to help architect the company’s European expansion.
Key Learning:
This engagement reinforced several important insights about recruiting for hybrid strategic roles:
- The importance of assessing both strategic thinking and execution capabilities in tandem, rather than favoring one over the other
- Value of evaluating candidates’ ability to operate without direct reports while influencing across the organization through expertise and relationship-building
- Need for candidates who can serve multiple functions – strategic counsel, operational driver, and cross-functional facilitator
- Critical nature of cultural fit when the role requires close day-to-day partnership with senior leadership
- The benefit of presenting exceptional external talent even when internal candidates exist, as it provides a valuable market perspective and raises the bar for organizational capability
The search demonstrated that finding professionals who can bridge strategy and execution requires looking beyond traditional backgrounds to identify transferable skills and adaptable mindsets. The most successful candidates in this space often come from diverse experiences across consulting, brand management, and commercial leadership roles.
Looking Ahead:
This placement positions VidaCorp with a strategic partner who can drive the company’s ambitious European expansion plans while establishing the operating rhythms and performance management systems needed for sustainable growth.
The successful completion of this search enables VidaCorp to move forward with confidence in their strategic planning capabilities, supported by a leader who can help navigate the complexities of multi-market expansion while maintaining the fast-paced, entrepreneurial culture that defines the organization. With both the Marketing Director and Commercial Strategy Director roles successfully filled, VidaCorp now has the leadership team in place to execute on their vision of becoming an iconic multinational beauty and wellness business across Europe.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your executive search objectives.
