From Chemical Engineer to Managing 16 African Markets - The Career Nobody Predicted | Awah Fontsa

What does a "Head of Commercial" really do beyond the title? Awah breaks down the real journey behind his rise from chemical engineering to leading commercial strategy in Africa. In this episode, we go deep on the career decisions that shaped him -- from selling yoghurt on the roadside as a child, to choosing commercial over engineering, to making lateral moves that confused colleagues but built the foundation he relies on today. This is not a surface-level career story. If you're building a career in business, sales, marketing, or leadership this conversation will change how you think about growth. In this conversation, we go deep on: How a graduate rotation program changed the entire direction of his career The reality of commercial roles vs job descriptions Why he made 4 lateral moves at the same level -- and why it was the smartest thing he did What it takes to sell in Africa’s complex markets (partners, macroeconomics, trust, and the third-party model) Why empathy is the most underrated commercial skill What young professionals misunderstand about career growth Why career growth is NOT linear TIMESTAMPS ⏱️ 00:00 Introduction to Awah Anslem Fontsa 01:49 What does "Head of Commercial" really mean on the ground? 02:59 What career stage he's in: "the stretching stage" 04:06 From chemical engineer to commercial: the graduate rotation pivot 08:10 Selling on the road as a child: where the entrepreneurial mindset was born 09:50 Which roles taught him the most about how markets really work 12:20 Good partner, bad partner? The different types of partners 14:20 Keeping commercial standards consistent: the performance management framework 15:13 When results go off track, what a good commercial leader checks first 17:00 Awah's gold standard of effective partner management 19:21 The White Horse example: why boardroom decisions need trade-level data 22:40 Push vs. Pull: the clearest marketing vs. commercial explanation 24:19 Physical availability vs. mental availability 26:54 How his leadership style evolved from servant to transformational 30:11 The soft skill that quietly changed everything: empathy 34:00 Cultural diversity as a commercial superpower (Akwaba) 36:08 His legacy as a commercial leader 37:24 What young professionals misunderstand about career growth: lateral moves 40:12 Getting out of your comfort zone 41:30 Career Reality Check: rapid-fire answers 42:00 Commercial skill as the most important skill needed by MDs 45:15 Does AI have a place in commercial? 45:38 Who's next: recommending Dr. Lawrence Yiboh 46:20 Closing 🔗 CONNECT WITH US: LinkedIn:   / career-realities-with-marius   Instagram:   / careerrealitieswithmarius   TikTok:   / careerealitieswithmarius   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... X/Twitter: https://x.com/careerrealities 📌 Subscribe for real career conversations 📌 New interviews every two weeks #fmcgbusiness #commercial #professionals #careeradvice #professionaldevelopment #careeradvice #sales #strategy #fyp #pov