Page 13 - BOSS Today Issue 63

BOSS Today #63 60 SECOND INTERVIEW BOSS Today #63

60 Second BT: What achievement are you BT: What do you consider your most I have a family that

proudest of?
meaningful contribution to the
industry?
Interview always been with our people. Many SH: Proving that independent encouraged ambition and a
SH: The proudest achievements have
belief in striving
have been with the business for
businesses, working in strong
years, growing their careers across
partnership with wholesalers, can
to be the best at everything.
compete with and outperform
different roles and developing
My father put everything
global corporations. Challenging
both personally and professionally.
Seeing that progression – and
the loyalty, ambition, and that perception – and winning into me being the best
major contracts as a result – has
culture that has been built – is shown what is possible. It’s not swimmer in the world and I
BOSS Today talks to Simone Hindmarch, Co-founder and Managing Director, incredibly rewarding. Creating an just about Commercial’s success, went on to win gold at the
Commercial who is the winner of the BOSS Awards - Lifetime Achievement environment where people can but about demonstrating to others Commonwealth Games.
thrive and build long-term careers
in the industry that with the right
Award alongside her brother Arthur. stands out above any commercial partnerships and belief, they can
success. Also climbing the steps of achieve the same.
Buckingham Palace to receive the
BT: What was the moment you first doors, and shared their knowledge solutions and demonstrated that Queens Award for Enterprise, from
realised you wanted to build this when the business was still small, the business could compete at the the then Queen – that was special.
business? Allan Crump, Alan Hickman and highest level. Beyond that, the
Alan Barclay, to name three. ability to continually evolve has
SH: In the early days, it wasn’t a Clients also played a key role, been critical – whether adapting Simone and Arthur at
grand plan. I had a fashion show seeing potential and backing the to sustainability challenges, Buckingham Palace
production business and this was business in its early stages. refining the value proposition into
something I helped run alongside, our current 12 areas of expertise,
primarily to support the family. BT: What was the biggest risk you or responding to market changes
But about two years in, that took in the early days, and how like COVID. Growth has come from
changed. The business had grown, did it turn out? consistently recognising change
the team was strong, and there and leaning into it.
was an unexpected creativity to SH: The biggest risk was stepping into
it. Working with great people, the corporate space and competing BT: Was there a moment you thought
especially alongside family, made at a national level against much the business might not survive?
it enjoyable in a way that hadn’t larger players. It meant building How did you push through?
been anticipated. There was a partnerships, evolving the model,
moment of realisation: this wasn’t and backing the business to deliver SH: The most challenging moment came
just something to run – it was at a scale it hadn’t operated during COVID. Revenues dropped
something to build. The ambition at before. At the time, it was a dramatically while costs remained
quickly grew. significant leap into the unknown. high, creating real pressure, with
But it proved to be the right a £1.2million per month salary bill
BT Who believed in you early on, and move – not only successful, but and spend down to around 10% of
how did that shape your path? transformational. It fundamentally what it had been. The response was
changed the trajectory of the to step back, reassess, and focus
SH: I have a family that encouraged business. on where demand still existed. The
ambition and a belief in striving business pivoted quickly, identifying
to be the best at everything. BT: Looking back, what was the key sectors, reshaping roles
My father put everything into me turning point that changed internally, and returning to more
being the best swimmer in the everything for Commercial? direct, proactive selling. It required
world and I went on to win gold at agility, resilience, and a willingness
the Commonwealth Games. That SH: There wasn’t just one moment, to completely rethink how the
mindset carried into the business. but winning major corporate business operated in a very short
Early mentors in the industry accounts – particularly Sky – was space of time. It took us back to the
were incredibly influential, people a defining shift. It marked the days of selling on the phone, with
who gave their time, opened their move into large-scale, end-to-end lots of cold calling.

12 13