When AAK decided to establish a Commercial Excellence function nearly three years ago, the goal was clear: to enhance product management and sales processes on a global scale. However, building this function from the ground up required strategic alignment, cultural integration, and expert guidance.

AAK is a multinational company headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, specializing in plant-based oils and fats. These ingredients are essential in many popular consumer products, and AAK is renowned for its innovative co-development approaches and commitment to sustainability.

Establishing a Global Commercial Excellence function

Customer excellence refers to the ability of an organization to consistently meet and exceed customer expectations across all touchpoints, creating positive, memorable experiences that drive loyalty and advocacy.

Henning Villadsen, Director Commercial Excellence at AAK, was entrusted with this mission.

- When you want to establish a new function with a new organizational structure, it's quite obvious that are many topics to consider, he explains.

This realization led to a structured approach that combined internal expertise with external support from Anchor Management Consulting.

Reflecting on the early stages, Henning recalls:

- Prior to planning for the kickoff meeting the first year, there were so many things happening and I thought, it's now we'll not make it. It's impossible! And then Marielle smiled and said: This is how it will be from now on and forward.

Finding the right partner for a practical approach

A key component of this journey was ensuring hands-on, practical guidance.

- I always find it great to have a third sounding board when you want to establish new ways of working," says Henning.

He recognized the importance of working with a consultant who had real-world experience in addition to theoretical knowledge.

This is where Anchor Management Consulting, and in particular, Marielle Noble, played a crucial role. Marielle provided not only structure but also the necessary insights to navigate the complexities of building a global function.

Balancing global alignment with regional flexibility

One of the primary challenges AAK faced was finding the right balance between global alignment and regional adaptation.

- It has been a very interesting and very energizing thing to do because we have involved regional stakeholders and worked very closely with them in a global team, Henning explains.

By maintaining common processes while allowing for regional flexibility, AAK successfully built a framework that ensured consistency across markets without sacrificing local responsiveness.

Implementing Salesforce – A cornerstone in digital transformation

A major milestone in AAK’s Commercial Excellence journey was the rapid implementation of Salesforce. Within less than a year, the platform was fully integrated into the IT architecture.

- We now have a good foundation. I would say right now we are at one of those moments where we can celebrate, relax a bit, knowing there are still things we will need to modify, Henning notes.

Training, adoption, and continuous process alignment remain top priorities to ensure long-term success.

The value of experience-based consulting

Throughout this process, one of the key differentiators for AAK was Anchor’s experience-based approach.

He emphasizes the need for sustained support rather than quick fixes.

- It's also fun working with Marielle, and I think that's an important thing. That's no nonsense. It's not smart management, it's real experience, he adds.

The combination of expertise, hands-on guidance, and cultural fit made Anchor a trusted partner in AAK’s transformation.

Looking ahead – A long-term vision

With a strong foundation in place, AAK continues its journey towards commercial excellence.

- It's a long sprint of five years, I would say, before we are done. But during that sprint, there are certain points where you get to be on top of the hill and look out, but then you go to the next mountain top and the next," Henning describes.

AAK has already mapped out detailed plans for the coming years, focusing on adoption and continuous improvement. Their collaboration with Anchor has been an integral part of this journey.

- I can only strongly recommend Anchor and Marielle. They have really been very instrumental in the journey we have been on," Henning concludes.