About Springboard Commercial
Meet David Minton
Founder of Springboard Commercial. Senior FMCG and other market sector commercial leader with over 30 years of experience — from field sales to European and global commercial director, and everything in between.
30+
Years Senior
Commercial Leadership
Founder & Principal Consultant
A Commercial Leader Who Has Sat in the Seat
I have spent over 30 years at the heart of FMCG and other market sectors across the UK, Europe and globally. My career has taken me from field sales through to senior commercial director and pan-European leadership roles — giving me a depth of experience that is genuinely rare in commercial consultancy.
I have managed major accounts across all the UK multiples and international markets, led large commercial teams, driven category growth, built customer partnerships and delivered significant business transformations. I have worked with branded FMCG businesses, own-label manufacturers, food producers, PE-backed businesses and ambitious SMEs — across the full spectrum of the food, FMCG and other market sectors.
I founded Springboard Commercial because I saw a clear gap: too many good businesses were struggling commercially, not because they lacked ambition or talent, but because they lacked access to the right senior commercial expertise at the right time. Springboard Commercial exists to close that gap.
Where a project requires broader expertise, I can draw on an extensive network of trusted senior industry specialists to build the right team for the challenge.
"I've spent 30 years doing this job — not advising on it from the outside, but actually doing it. That's what I bring to every client engagement."
— David Minton, Founder, Springboard Commercial
The Springboard Story
Why "Springboard"?
The name Springboard is deliberate. A springboard doesn't do the work for you — it gives you the platform, the momentum and the confidence to leap further than you could alone.
That is exactly what Springboard Commercial does for every client. I don't arrive with a pre-packaged solution. I take the time to understand your business, your market, your team and your ambitions — and then I build the commercial platform that allows you to accelerate. I work with businesses across the UK, Europe and globally, and where a project requires broader capability, I draw on my extensive network of trusted senior industry specialists to build the right team for the challenge.
We build the commercial foundations — strategy, structure, capability — that give your business a stable base to grow from.
We inject pace and direction into your commercial agenda, cutting through complexity and getting your team moving in the right direction.
We give your leadership team the clarity, tools and support to make bold commercial decisions with confidence.
Career Journey
30 Years at the Heart of FMCG & Retail
A career built on genuine commercial experience — from the shop floor to the boardroom, across the UK, Europe and global markets.
A Career Built From the Ground Up
David Minton began his career in the FMCG industry, learning the fundamentals of commercial life from the shop floor upwards. Starting in field sales and progressing through account management, he developed an instinctive understanding of what drives performance in grocery retail — the relationships, the data, the negotiation and the relentless focus on execution that separates good businesses from great ones.
Senior Commercial Leadership in FMCG
Over the following years, David rose to senior commercial director level, leading large sales and commercial teams across major branded and own-label FMCG businesses. He built deep expertise in managing major grocery multiple accounts — Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl — developing the category management, customer development and joint business planning skills that would define his reputation as a trusted commercial leader.
Pan-European Commercial Director
David's career took him to European commercial leadership, where he managed multi-market commercial strategies across major grocery retail channels in the UK and across Europe. This experience gave him a rare breadth of perspective — understanding how commercial excellence translates across different retail cultures, market dynamics and consumer behaviours. He led cross-functional teams, drove significant revenue growth and built the kind of customer partnerships that deliver long-term competitive advantage.
Driving Commercial Transformation
A significant part of David's career was spent leading commercial transformations — restructuring underperforming commercial functions, rebuilding fractured customer relationships, turning around businesses that had lost their commercial edge, and preparing organisations for PE investment, acquisition or rapid scale. He became known as someone who could be trusted with the most complex and sensitive commercial challenges — and who would deliver.
Why David Founded Springboard Commercial
After three decades at the heart of the FMCG and grocery retail industry, David founded Springboard Commercial with a clear and personal mission: to give ambitious food, FMCG and retail businesses access to the senior commercial expertise that genuinely changes outcomes — without the cost, commitment or risk of a full-time executive hire. The name Springboard is deliberate. A springboard doesn't do the work for you — it gives you the platform, the momentum and the confidence to leap further than you could alone. That is exactly what Springboard Commercial does for every client.
How David Works
Leadership Philosophy
My approach to commercial consultancy is shaped by three decades of leading real teams, managing real customer relationships and delivering real results. It is grounded in honesty, practicality and a deep belief that sustainable commercial performance is always built on people.
Clarity Before Action
Every engagement starts with a clear-eyed diagnosis. I take the time to understand the real commercial challenge — not just the presenting symptoms. That clarity is what separates transformational work from superficial fixes.
People Drive Performance
Strategies don't deliver results — people do. My approach always prioritises building the capability, confidence and alignment of the people who will execute the plan long after the engagement ends.
Honest, Direct Counsel
Senior leaders need advisors who will tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. I bring the experience and the confidence to have those conversations constructively — with respect, with evidence and with a clear path forward.
Embedded, Not Detached
I work alongside your team — not at arm's length. Real change requires real presence. I commit fully to every engagement, becoming a trusted extension of your leadership team for as long as you need me.
Specialist Knowledge
Industry Expertise
My expertise spans the full breadth of commercial activity in FMCG and other market sectors across the UK, Europe and globally. This is not generalist consultancy — it is deep, sector-specific knowledge built over 30 years of operating at the highest levels of the industry.
Whether you need support with a specific commercial challenge or a comprehensive strategic review, I bring the right expertise to the right problem — every time.
- Major Grocery Multiple Account Management
- FMCG Brand & Own-Label Commercial Strategy
- Discounter & Convenience Channel Development
- Omni-Channel Customer Development
- Category Management & Range Optimisation
- Joint Business Planning (JBP)
- Sales Team Leadership & Capability Building
- Commercial Coaching & Mentoring
- Business Transformation & Turnaround
- PE-Backed Business Commercial Support
- Interim & Fractional Commercial Director
- Food Manufacturing Commercial Strategy
- European Commercial Leadership
- Customer Partnership Development
Our Difference
What Makes Springboard Commercial Different
There are many consultants. There are very few with David's combination of sector depth, leadership experience and hands-on delivery capability.
Genuine Sector Depth
Not a generalist consultant who has read the textbooks. I have lived and breathed FMCG and other market sectors for over 30 years — at every level, in every type of business.
Board-Level Experience
I have operated at commercial director and European leadership level. I understand the pressures, the politics and the priorities of senior leadership — and speak that language fluently.
Hands-On Delivery
Springboard Commercial doesn't just produce strategy documents. I work with your team to implement change, build capability and deliver measurable commercial outcomes.
Flexible Engagement
From a focused strategic review to a 12-month interim commercial director role — I adapt to what your business needs, when it needs it, across UK, European and global markets.
A Network Behind Every Engagement
Where a project requires broader expertise, I can draw on an extensive network of trusted senior industry specialists to build the right team for the challenge.
UK, European & Global Coverage
Based in Rutland, I work with businesses across the UK and internationally — from major corporates and PE-backed businesses to ambitious SMEs and scale-ups.
Ready to work with David?
Whether you need strategic direction, interim commercial leadership, a fractional commercial director or coaching for your team — a confidential conversation is the first step. There's no obligation, no hard sell. Just an honest conversation about your business and how I can help.