Episode 138: Briar Keenan | Carving Your Own Path: From FMCG Leader to Commercial Excellence Cons...

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In this episode of Your Future in Sales and Marketing, we sit down with Briar Keenan, Commercial Excellence Leader at Big Rocks Ltd, to explore what it really means to build a career on your own terms.


Originally from New Zealand, Briar grew up surrounded by tourism destinations, nature, and ski fields - eventually settling in Queenstown. With parents working in tourism and hospitality, her upbringing was grounded in service, resilience, and adaptability.


But her career didn’t begin in sales or marketing.


Briar studied Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Canterbury, developing deep skills in problem-solving, modelling, and processing complex data. By the end of her degree, she had developed a strong interest in sustainability - a theme that would continue to shape her thinking. After two years working in tech, she made the move into FMCG, starting in Demand Planning at Unilever.


From there, she built a multi-functional career across major global businesses including Diageo, gaining experience across planning, commercial, and strategy roles. Today, she’s carving out a portfolio career in commercial excellence consulting and contracting - stepping beyond the traditional corporate path to create something more flexible, impactful, and aligned to her strengths.


In this conversation, we explore:

• How an engineering mindset can be a superpower in sales and marketing
• The value of cross-functional experience in FMCG
• What “commercial excellence” actually means in practice
• What it really looks like to go out on your own
• The risks, realities, and rewards of building a portfolio career

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s an alternative to the corporate ladder - or how to future-proof your commercial career - this episode offers an honest and practical perspective.