Marius Ottesen

Commercial leader | Growth, transformation and practical AI understanding

I have experience creating direction, growth and execution at the intersection of commercial leadership, sales development, transformation and practical use of AI — with operational leadership experience from sales, operations and execution.

I am a commercial leader with extensive experience building growth, strengthening profitability and developing teams in complex B2B organisations. I have led sales, marketing and commercial development with people and P&L accountability, and thrive best when strategy must translate into clear direction, strong execution and measurable results. I am relevant for permanent leadership roles where the organisation needs clearer direction, stronger execution and better alignment between strategy, sales, operations and technology.

Relevant for roles in

Sales Director / Head of Sales
Commercial Director / CCO
Business Unit Manager / Director
Managing Director / General Manager (SMB/B2B)

Documented value at a glance

Led national sales organisations with 10–20 people.
People, P&L and KPI accountability in complex B2B environments.
67% revenue growth at Norengros Johs. Olsen.
Led the team to a global #1 ranking at Mundipharma.
Established a clearer KPI, governance and sales model across 18 operational sites at Franzefoss.
Built practical AI prototypes, platforms, workflows and decision models for sales, team development, readiness and operational planning.

Where I create the most value

I create the greatest value in organisations that need stronger commercial direction, better sales structure and more execution power.

When growth requires more structure

When the sales team needs clearer goals, better prioritisation, stronger follow-up and more precise execution.

When strategy must become operational action

When plans, KPIs, CRM, teams and leadership rhythm must connect more closely to create real momentum.

From strategy to execution →

When sales, operations and technology must work better together

When the organisation needs better alignment between commercial and operational leadership, customer insight, workflow, data and digital tools.

From data to decision →

When AI must be used practically and close to the business

When AI must connect to real needs, better decision support, more efficient workflow and measurable commercial value.

Most start wrong with AI →

Leadership profile and commercial depth

Leadership and execution

A clear, engaging and relationship-oriented leadership style focused on direction, expectations, ownership and delivery.

Commercial breadth

Experience from complex B2B environments where sales, operations, marketing, technology and customer value must align.

Strategic development and AI

Education and practical AI projects are used to strengthen decision support, workflow and commercial execution.

Core competencies

These are the core capabilities that underpin my leadership profile:

Commercial leadership, sales leadership & sales strategy
P&L accountability, KPIs, profitability & value creation
Change leadership, coaching & team/organisational development
Alignment between strategy, sales, operations & execution
CRM, sales processes & data-driven sales leadership
Customer, market & stakeholder engagement
Digital transformation, AI & new ways of working

Signature strengths

How peers and colleagues characterise my leadership:

Execution power
Strategic and commercial drive
Motivates and develops people
Clarity and expectation-setting
Relationship and collaboration skills
Change and adaptability
Structure and learning agility

AI as a practical leadership tool

I use AI, data and new ways of working as leadership tools to structure insight, improve workflow and strengthen commercial execution. The custom AI projects function as a concrete portfolio, presented on a custom-built and published website. They include, among others, the executive platform AI Transformation & Value Realization, Control Tower, Event Planner and other demonstrators that show how commercial understanding, user needs, workflow and AI can be combined in practical solutions — including where operational execution and sales/operations alignment matter. Beyond the AI portfolio, I have also developed the commercial initiative Row Solutions — with a completed website for rowsolutions.no, documented as a case and not yet publicly published.

See AI projects and demonstrators

Education

Through the completed master's course Generative AI for Business at BI Norwegian Business School, I have developed strategic AI competence focused on leadership tools for decision support, efficient documentation and enhanced commercial effectiveness. Initiator of AI Value Lab Oslo, a cross-disciplinary initiative for AI learning, experience sharing and exploration of practical issues at the intersection of technology, business and organisation. I hold a Master of Science in Business Administration from the USA, and an Executive Master of Management from BI specialising in strategy, communication and AI.

Marius Ottesen Consulting

Org. nr. 937 102 801

Marius Ottesen Consulting is a professional platform that brings together experience, methods and portfolio projects in commercial development, AI, workflow and leadership support. The site shows relevant problem areas, working methods and areas where I can contribute within a relevant leadership role, recruitment dialogue or possible future collaboration.