Stop debating. Start deciding.
Your biggest commercial challenges won’t be solved by more data or another slide deck. They require clear choices that survive contact with reality.
Optima provides strategic advisory support to help Commercial and Category leaders make bigger, better decisions, faster — on where growth will come from, how to win with retailers, and how to align teams to deliver.
We bridge the gap between supplier ambition and retailer reality, ensuring strategy is not just academically correct, but commercially viable.
Your biggest commercial challenges won’t be solved by more data or another slide deck. They require clear choices that survive contact with reality.
Optima provides strategic advisory support to help Commercial and Category leaders make bigger, better decisions, faster — on where growth will come from, how to win with retailers, and how to align teams to deliver.
We bridge the gap between supplier ambition and retailer reality, ensuring strategy is not just academically correct, but commercially viable.
The Optima difference: the buyer’s lens
Many advisors know the theory.
We know the reality of the trading desk.
Our advisory perspective is built on a 25‑year commercial track record, combining deep buying experience with senior supplier‑side strategy and delivery.
Inside retailersWe know how buyers really assess value, manage risk and decide where to invest — and specifically why they say no. We understand the pressure of the empty shelf and the category P&L.
We understand the internal complexity of supplier organisations — where strategy must translate into portfolio, pricing and execution choices that deliver real commercial return. This perspective shapes how we work.
We don’t bring abstract frameworks or generic playbooks. We bring the reality of what actually works when you are sitting in front of a Grocery Category Director, your own CFO, or a senior leadership team.
That means advice that is practical, selective and grounded — designed to land decisions, not just win debates.
What we advise on
Our advisory work is focused on outcomes, not inputs. We help clients resolve friction points such as:
Unlocking retailer deadlock
Crafting growth narratives and Joint Business Plans that get signed — moving conversations from transactional haggling to strategic alignment.
Category and portfolio direction
Defining where to play and how to win. Making hard choices on range architecture, NPD and distribution to drive profitable growth that performs inside retailer optimisation systems, not just on paper.
Commercial operating model
Designing how decisions get made. Redesigning forums and rhythms to reduce friction, eliminate rework and speed up execution.
Turning insight into action
Translating complex data into a clear, leadership‑level story the Board can commit to and the Sales team can sell.
Some engagements involve analysis, but the objective is always the same: clear, commercially credible decisions that move the business forward.
Unlocking retailer deadlock
Crafting growth narratives and Joint Business Plans that get signed — moving conversations from transactional haggling to strategic alignment.
Category and portfolio direction
Defining where to play and how to win. Making hard choices on range architecture, NPD and distribution to drive profitable growth that performs inside retailer optimisation systems, not just on paper.
Commercial operating model
Designing how decisions get made. Redesigning forums and rhythms to reduce friction, eliminate rework and speed up execution.
Turning insight into action
Translating complex data into a clear, leadership‑level story the Board can commit to and the Sales team can sell.
Some engagements involve analysis, but the objective is always the same: clear, commercially credible decisions that move the business forward.
How we typically workMost engagements fall into one of three models, depending on urgency, complexity and internal capability.
1. Strategic alignment workshops Best for: rapid clarity and senior alignment Focused, senior‑level working sessions to unlock a specific deadlock or decision. We bring leadership teams together to cut through complexity, agree priorities and commit to a small number of clear choices. 2. Deep‑dive advisory sprints Best for: solving complex problems without the bloat Short, high‑intensity projects where we unify internal and external evidence, develop credible options and clarify implications. We do the heavy lifting needed to get teams to a confident decision — fast. 3. “Critical friend” retainer Best for: ongoing senior perspective and challenge Access to experienced judgement beyond individual projects. We act as a sounding board for Commercial Directors and ExCo leaders, challenging assumptions and mentoring teams to raise the quality of commercial thinking over time. This is not outsourced delivery or a slide factory. It is about better judgement and better decisions, consistently. |
“Simon was integral to our go-to-market strategy. |
A confidential sounding board
You don’t need a formal brief to start the conversation.
Most of our partnerships begin with a short, confidential diagnostic discussion — a chance to stress‑test current thinking, explore the friction you are facing and assess whether Optima’s perspective would be useful.
No pitch. Just perspective.
Most of our partnerships begin with a short, confidential diagnostic discussion — a chance to stress‑test current thinking, explore the friction you are facing and assess whether Optima’s perspective would be useful.
No pitch. Just perspective.