Commercial Director Subscription Services - South Africa

Overview

Build Growth. Shape Strategy. Lead Market Success.

Are you a commercially astute leader with a passion for driving sustainable growth, developing high-performing teams, and creating lasting customer value?

At International SOS, we are seeking an exceptional Commercial Director – Subscription Services to lead our commercial strategy and performance across South Africa. This is a rare opportunity for an accomplished commercial leader to directly influence business growth, customer retention, profitability, and long-term market success while working within a globally respected organisation.

As a member of both the South African and regional leadership teams, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our commercial future, driving customer-centric growth strategies, and leading the evolution of a scalable, high-performing subscription business.

This role is far more than sales leadership. It is an opportunity to build market leadership, influence strategic direction, and create measurable business impact.

About the role

The Commercial Director will be responsible for the overall commercial success of the South African – Subscription Services business, with accountability for revenue growth, customer retention, profitability, and long-term value creation.

You will lead the end-to-end customer lifecycle, from customer acquisition through to expansion and retention, while ensuring strong commercial governance, forecasting accuracy, and customer excellence.

You will oversee a talented commercial team and partner closely with senior leaders across operations, finance, marketing, and regional business units to drive sustainable business performance.

Success in this role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking, commercial discipline, customer focus, operational excellence, and inspirational leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy & Business Growth

• Develop and execute a market-leading commercial strategy aligned to regional and global business objectives.
• Drive sustainable Annual Recurring Revenue growth while maximising profitability and customer lifetime value.
• Identify new growth opportunities across sectors, industries, and strategic customer segments.
• Lead market expansion initiatives and support cross-border commercial opportunities.

Customer Acquisition, Retention & Expansion

• Own and optimise the full customer lifecycle.
• Drive customer acquisition strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Increase customer retention, renewals, account growth, and long-term engagement.
• Develop innovative cross-sell and upsell initiatives to maximise portfolio value.
• Build strong executive-level relationships with key clients and stakeholders.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing commercial function.
• Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and customer focus.
• Build future commercial leadership capability and succession pipelines.
• Inspire teams to consistently exceed performance expectations.

Commercial Governance & Financial Performance

• Drive disciplined pipeline management and forecasting excellence.
• Leverage commercial data and customer insights to improve business performance.
• Maintain strong pricing governance and margin optimisation.
• Partner closely with Finance and executive leadership to achieve P&L objectives.
• Ensure commercial decisions balance growth, risk management, and profitability.

Strategic Collaboration

• Work closely with regional leadership teams to align customer acquisition, retention, and expansion strategies.
• Influence product and service development through customer insights and market intelligence.
• Develop strategic partnerships that enhance customer value and support recurring revenue growth.
• Lead commercial transformation initiatives that improve scalability, efficiency, and customer outcomes.

Education and Experience Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Commerce, Marketing, Sales, or a related discipline.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification would be highly advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive commercial leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success delivering significant revenue growth and business performance.
• Proven experience leading high-performing sales, account management, and commercial teams.
• Strong background in subscription-based, service-led, or recurring revenue business models.
• Track record of managing large customer portfolios and complex commercial environments.
• Experience working within multinational, regional, or matrix organisations.

Expertise

• Commercial strategy and execution
• Revenue growth and business development
• Customer retention and lifecycle management
• Key account management
• Financial and P&L management
• Pricing and commercial governance
• Pipeline management and forecasting
• Strategic partnerships and stakeholder engagement
• Data-driven decision making

Leadership Competencies

We are looking for a leader who demonstrates:

• Strategic vision and commercial insight
• Strong business acumen
• Inspirational leadership
• Customer-centric thinking
• Results orientation
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills
• Collaboration across diverse teams and regions
• Adaptability in dynamic environments
• Sound judgement and decision-making capability

Travel Requirements

• Regular travel within South Africa.
• Occasional regional and international travel.
• Flexibility to support business requirements and stakeholder engagement across multiple markets.