Commercial mandate
Channel & Partnerships Leader
The mandate that scales without scaling headcount: selling through distributors, integrators, resellers, and alliances that multiply commercial reach.
When is this mandate needed?
Companies look for this mandate when they decide they can't (or shouldn't) reach the whole market through direct sales, and need to build a partner network that sells or implements on their behalf.
The challenge isn't signing agreements: it's choosing the right partners, aligning incentives so they actually sell, and sustaining the relationship over time without losing control over the end-customer experience.
What we evaluate
Whether they built a channel network from scratch or managed one that already existed.
How they select partners: what criteria they use beyond willingness to sign an agreement.
How well they design incentive schemes that actually move a partner's sales.
How they measure each channel's real performance, not just the number of signed agreements.
What they did when a partner stopped performing: whether they cut ties on time or kept relationships that weren't working.
What real references can confirm the volume of business they actually generated through channel.
Risks of a bad fit
Hiring someone who signs many agreements but few generate real sales.
Confusing networking or public relations with the ability to build a channel that actually bills.
Not checking whether the candidate managed the conflict between direct sales and channel sales, nearly unavoidable in this role.
Underestimating how long a new channel takes to produce measurable results.
We evaluate this mandate with the same evidence-based process we use for every search: the résumé alone is never enough to confirm the fit.
Are you about to hire the person who needs to change your commercial operation?
Let's talk before defining the job title. A first conversation can help identify what kind of leader you need, what risks exist, and what the next step should be.