Group Chief Commercial Officer

GROUP CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

Visionnaire (IPE S.r.l. Società Benefit) translates Italian artisanal excellence into a contemporary and cosmopolitan philosophy of living. An icon of high-end bespoke design, it creates extraordinary bespoke solutions destined to stand the test of time – like true works of art. As a Società Benefit, the brand combines its creative heritage with a deep sense of ethical and cultural responsibility.

THE ROLE AND MISSION

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading, coordinating and developing Visionnaire's entire commercial and marketing platform, with direct oversight of the following group functions: Sales, Marketing, Sales Enablement, Business Development, market development and commercial coordination of initiatives related to the Living Platform, turnkey projects, FF&E and real estate-related services.

The fundamental objective of the role is to transform the brand's creative, product, relational and design assets into sustainable growth, commercial conversion, international development and greater managerial discipline.

The role has been created at a time of strategic evolution for the company, in which Visionnaire no longer operates solely as a luxury furniture brand, but as an integrated platform encompassing interiors, FF&E, turnkey projects, branded residences, real estate services, developer partnerships and luxury living solutions.

The successful candidate must therefore build a more structured, transparent, measurable and scalable commercial framework, without undermining the aspirational, aesthetic and relational elements that constitute Visionnaire's distinctive value.

The role's mission is: To translate Visionnaire's vision and distinctive positioning into sustainable commercial growth, international expansion, profitability and value for the Group.

ORGANISATIONAL POSITIONING AND CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COORDINATION

The successful candidate will report directly to the Managing Director and act as a commercial coordinator (not as a bureaucratic filter), capable of providing structure, priorities, metrics and coordination whilst working closely with:

• Group Sales Director / Sales Management: for the management of the sales force, markets, customers and conversion.
• Marketing: to steer content, events, tools and campaigns towards desirability, brand equity and sales enablement.
• Product & Design Management: to translate the Product Universe into commercial tools (hero products, room packages, training) and integrate environments, special projects and turnkey solutions.
• COO / Operations: to align the sales promise, delivery, timelines, costs and operational capacity.
• CFO / Finance: to monitor margins, discounts, cash flows, advance payments, the order book and the economic quality of orders.
• Living Platform / Real Estate / Project Business: to manage new revenue streams linked to developers, branded residences, FF&E packages, buyer customisation and real estate-related services.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (THE 4 STRATEGIC PILLARS)

1. Global Strategy, Market Development and New Revenue Streams

• Define the global commercial strategy in collaboration with the Managing Director, translating it into operational plans divided by geographical area, channel, customer, product category and project type.
• Oversee the transition from a predominantly relationship-based commercial approach to a structured, measurable and scalable model.
• Define growth priorities for markets, clients, dealers, embassies, architects, interior designers, developers and key accounts.
• Develop a comprehensive overview and identify international opportunities across all revenue streams: furniture, bespoke, FF&E, turnkey, design services, branded residences, the Living Platform and special projects.
• Coordinate the commercial aspects of opportunities related to the Visionnaire Living Platform, working with the Managing Director and relevant departments to define business models (fees, success/referral fees, project revenue, FF&E revenue and interior packages) and the associated contracts.
• Collaborate actively with Finance to analyse project-level P&L, margins, cash flow timing and commercial risk.

2. Sales Leadership, Pipeline Management and Margin Control

• Coordinate the group sales organisation, ensuring a consistent approach and working closely with the Group Sales Director and the heads of the macro-areas.
• Support the teams in managing key opportunities and complex projects, setting clear sales targets and establishing an accountability model based on KPIs, regular reviews and clear ownership.
• Oversee the entire sales cycle by improving pipeline and order backlog conversion rates, whilst monitoring risks relating to cancellations, delays, payment terms and the financial quality of orders.
• Introduce pipeline review tools and a commercial dashboard to provide maximum visibility to the Managing Director, CFO and COO, aligning commercial drive with the company's actual production capacity.
• Define, together with the Managing Director, CFO and Product team, a value-based pricing framework (linked to uniqueness, customisation, design complexity and brand desirability), governing discounts, profit margins on special projects and commercial policies, as well as escalation procedures and exception thresholds.

3. Synergy between Marketing, Product Promotion and Sales Support

• Coordinate marketing efforts to maintain the brand's luxury appeal by linking it directly to commercial conversion, working with the marketing manager to define priorities and campaigns.
• Strengthen marketing support for sales by developing dynamic tools for the sales force: product cards, hero products, room packages, dealer materials, tools for brand ambassadors, developer decks and digital assets.
• Measure the effectiveness of marketing (lead generation, pipeline quality, engagement) and contribute to budget allocation (trade shows, events, PR, social media, showroom activities), ensuring international consistency.
• Translate the Product Universe 2006–2026 into a commercial tool, working with the relevant teams to identify the iconic products to be promoted as hero products and room packages, and basing the development of a growth model on capitalising on the catalogue (reissues, heritage pieces, high repeatability/margins for contract business).
• Strengthen the sales network's training on the product, materials, storytelling and room combinations.

4. Data Culture, Team Leadership and Managerial Routines

• Strengthen the use of the CRM as the central system for managing customers and opportunities, integrating data (order intake, pipeline, backlog, forecasts, cancellations, margins, etc.) with finance and operations reporting.
• Promote a data-driven sales culture, whilst maintaining the relational sensitivity expected of the luxury sector.
• Lead, motivate and develop the Sales and Marketing teams by promoting responsibility, discipline, speed and a results-oriented approach, whilst recognising and nurturing key individuals with strong interpersonal skills and a track record in sales conversion.
• Introduce clear managerial routines: sales meetings, pipeline reviews, KPI reviews, market reviews and post-mortem assessments of key projects, whilst optimising cross-functional coordination.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR: PROFILE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Industry Background: Senior sales and management experience in luxury, design, interiors, furniture, hospitality, high-end property or related sectors.
• Business & Leadership Skills: Proven international sales leadership managing complex networks, overseas markets, dealers, partners, developers and key clients. Excellent aptitude for strategic planning and high-level negotiation.
• Luxury & Product DNA: Full understanding of brand equity, intangible values and customer experience. Strong affinity for design, interior architecture and materials, with the ability to showcase them through storytelling.
• Analytical Approach: Data-driven commercial management applied to monitoring negotiations, planning sales forecasts, pricing/discount policies and safeguarding profitability through KPIs.
• Cross-Functional Management: Experience coordinating between Sales and Marketing, leading international teams and operating successfully within ecosystems undergoing strategic transformation (family-run and artisanal ethos).
• Languages: Excellent command of English (written and spoken); knowledge of other foreign languages is an advantage.

ROLE OBJECTIVES AND SUCCESS METRICS (FIRST 12 MONTHS & KPIs)

• Unified Commercial Vision: Growth in new revenue streams (FF&E, turnkey, design services, Living Platform) and economic quality linked to average order value.
• Commercial Discipline: Improvement in total/regional order intake, pipeline conversion rate, backlog conversion and reduction in cancellations.
• Margin Protection: Optimisation of gross margin (by order, customer, market, category), average discount level control and compliance with company sales policies.
• Sales, Marketing and Data Integration: Full CRM data adoption, forecast accuracy, marketing lead generation quality, network response times and strategic partner satisfaction.
• Future Planning: Contribution to the development of the 2027 business plan, consistent with growth targets and operational capacity.

EXPECTED MANAGEMENT STYLE

The successful candidate must combine strategic vision with operational skills, engaging with international clients and developers while rigorously analysing figures, pipelines and profit margins. They must safeguard the brand's aspirational value, blending commercial acumen, product expertise, marketing drive and a data-driven culture.

Place of work: Milan / Bologna, with willingness to travel internationally

Contract: National Collective Labour Agreement for the Wood and Furniture Industry · Executive grade + MBO

Fringe benefits: company car in accordance with company policy.