So we sit at the centre of Commercial – working across Marketing, Insight, ECommerce and B2B – with one clear accountability: driving the top line of the business.
My role is about making sure decisions aren’t made in silos. If a large B2B customer is coming on board, or if we’re seeing a shift in demand in a particular region, we’re the team that brings that together and asks: what does this mean for revenue, for pricing, and for the wider business?
We’re kind of the centre point and the centre decision makers. Without us, decisions can become quite siloed and miss the wider impact.
Each Commercial Lead manages a geographical portfolio of Premier Inn hotels. We work closely with Trading Analytics, who surface risks and opportunities across future stay dates, and with Pricing & Events, who give us the tools to respond – whether that’s changing pricing strategy or preparing for high demand events that make national headlines.
Our impact is very real. What we do shows up in performance, in the media and in how our guests experience Premier Inn.
You need to be data literate – but you also need to be able to make decisions from it.
Data is at the heart of everything we do. We sell rooms up to a year in advance, so we’re constantly looking ahead: where demand is building, where risk is emerging and where we need to pivot.
But this isn’t a role where you hide behind spreadsheets. The value comes from interpretation and judgement – turning insight into action, often at pace and often with incomplete information.
Seeing the outcome is the most satisfying part of the job. You know you’ve driven something that’s made a difference. And even when things don’t land, you take the learning and apply it next time.
I joined Whitbread ten years ago as an analyst. I just wouldn’t still be here if I hadn’t been able to grow.
I started in the Trading team as an Analyst, joining at a time when Whitbread was building its in house dynamic pricing system. From there, I moved into a Trading Optimisation role, then into a Regional Revenue Manager position and now into my current Commercial Lead role.
The structure has evolved over time and so has the career path. Today, the team works in a matrix way – I don’t have direct reports, so influence, collaboration and stakeholder management really matter.
If you want to progress, you have to show it – but the business will always back you.
That support has been tangible. I’m currently on the Future Senior Leaders Programme, working with colleagues from across the business to build leadership capability, resilience and strategic thinking. I think it’s a clear signal that Whitbread invests in people it sees potential in.
“You are at the forefront of revenue – so there’s responsibility. But there’s also understanding.”
This is a role with deadlines and pressure. When something needs to land, it needs to land. That’s non negotiable.
What makes the difference is flexibility going both ways. I’m a mum of two and I’ve taken maternity leave while working here. My experience returning to work was genuinely positive – supportive managers, phased returns and an understanding that life doesn’t stop because you have a senior role.
I’m happy to put extra hours in when I need to, because I know the flexibility is there when I need it the other way.
That balance is what’s made it possible for me to progress without feeling like I had to choose between my career and my family.
Alongside my day job, I lead the REACH network at Whitbread. What’s mattered to me is that this isn’t about optics – it’s about intent and progress.
I’ve seen real movement over the years, not just through REACH but across all inclusion networks. Where I want us to go further is encouraging people from under represented backgrounds to push themselves forward and not limit what they think is possible.
When you’re part of a minority, you can be sceptical about whether a business is just ticking a box. However this is a business where, if you show willingness and ambition, you will be backed.
For me, that belief is grounded in lived experience – ten years of development, support through major life moments and opportunities to step into roles with real influence.