Leader Spotlight: Simon Wheeler, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Welcome to J&J Global Fulfilment’s brand new ‘A Day in the Life’ series, where we sit down with different members of the team, reflect on their career to date, gain insight into where they see the business and industry going over the coming months and into them as a person outside their role.

How did you get started in the industry?

“I actually got into the eCommerce fulfilment industry by chance initially. I had previously run my own business developing mobile apps for small companies like hairdressers and independent restaurants. Most of them were looking to sell more online but didn’t have the space to store their products, so that got me thinking about fulfilment as a business opportunity.

From there, I started looking into what it would take to launch a fulfilment business myself, but it was obviously a very complex challenge! Around the same time, I came across a big double page feature on James and James Fulfilment, as they were known at the time, in a business magazine. They were already doing what I thought was a great idea, but on a much bigger scale than I ever could have done alone. So, I reached out to them, asked if they had any roles available at the time and ended up getting an interview for a sales position – so that’s how I got started!

Even though the business was quite young when I first joined, probably only around 3-4 years old, the business model and approach to fulfilment was very innovative and tech led, something I hadn’t seen before. They have a different outlook to eCommerce fulfilment than other players in the industry, and work to become more than a service provider and be an actual partner to businesses, helping them to scale and grow. The team had already built something incredibly impressive, and I saw a great opportunity to be part of that journey.“

You mentioned having your own business before J&J, can you tell us more about that?

“Yes, so it was a business that developed mobile apps for other small businesses. Our biggest client was a chain of around 20 fish and chip shops, but we worked with a lot of different independent hairdressing salons and restaurants too.

The apps were designed to help businesses with marketing – offering things like digital loyalty stamps and sending push notifications to keep customers engaged. Some of our clients also used the apps to sell products online, which as mentioned is what introduced me to the world of eCommerce fulfilment.

After running the business for a few years, I ended up selling it. I was really at a crossroads with deciding whether I wanted to start another business or go back into full time employment. J&J just fell into my lap and I’ve not looked back since!“

When you originally joined J&J, you said you were in a sales role, and you’ve worked your way up to your current position of Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. How did you work your way up?

“I started out originally doing lead generation and cold calling, which I did for a couple of months before moving into the sales team. From there, I worked up to a senior salesperson role, handling larger accounts and then moved onto managing the sales team in 2017.

At that point, the company was doing around £7 million in turnover PA, but over the next few years as I led the sales team, we grew that to about £30 million PA. A big part of that was defining our value proposition, what type/size of business we worked best with and figuring out the best way to position ourselves in the market.

After that, I took on a business development role, focusing on international expansion and our commercial model for new fulfilment centres. I experimented with different partnerships, explored franchising as a potential option and even looked into offering our software as a standalone SaaS product.

That role gave me the chance to travel quite a bit – even during COVID! I had to fly to the Netherlands while everything was locked down due to the nature of the business and plans, especially around expansion plans and Brexit limitations.

Then, back in 2022, I was asked to come back to the sales and marketing team and run it once again which led me to where I am today.“

What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?

“Right now, a lot of my time is spent working on budgets and planning for the financial year ahead, as I’m sure a lot of people are focusing their attention on! But day-to-day generally, my focus is on supporting the heads of the sales and marketing teams, helping to break down our big overarching plans and work it into smaller, actionable steps.

A big part of my role is making sure that the teams stay on track and that key business initiatives keep moving forward. It’s a lot of problem-solving and figuring out where our focus needs to be to drive growth.“

Have you learnt anything new since being at J&J?

“Definitely! I’ve learnt a huge amount about the eCommerce and fulfilment industry in general. When I first joined J&J it was all very new to me, but over the years I’ve developed a deep understanding of how eCommerce brands grow and the different levers they need to pull in order to grow their businesses profitably.

From the operational side of things, I’ve also learnt a lot about efficiency – what actually makes a fulfilment operation run smoothly and how to add value beyond just shipping products. One of the biggest lessons has been how to position ourselves as a true value-added partner rather than just a commoditised partner. It’s about where we can derive the best value from our service, the effects it could have on customers’ business. Understanding how to build strong ROI cases for our customers has been a true key to success.“

What do you enjoy most about working for J&J?

“For me, it’s all about the development of my team. I love seeing people in my team grow, build their transferrable skills and progress in their careers – whether that’s them staying at J&J or moving onto a different company. It’s all about creating an environment where everyone can thrive and develop, it’s incredibly rewarding.“

Where do you see J&J going in the future?

“There’s a huge potential for us to keep expanding globally right now, particularly in the USA. Even though we’ve been there for a while now with sites in Las Vegas and Ohio, there’s still a lot more growth to be had. Our proposition is a great fit for the US market, and I really think we’ll continue to resonate with eCommerce brands there; both US brands looking for domestic growth and European brands looking to break the US.

Beyond that, we’re also growing in regions like Australia and Canada. And, of course, we’re continuing to solidify our position as one of the market leaders in SME eCommerce fulfilment here in the UK. The goal now is to take what we’ve built here and replicate that success internationally.“

And what kind of changes do you see happening in the industry over the next 12-18 months?

“I think eCommerce in general is going to get even more competitive. With the economy so volatile at the moment, consumers are more cautious about spending with everything going on across the country and wider world, so it’s going to be harder for brands to capture their attention. I think we’ll also see more businesses diversifying into retail, marketplaces and social selling because relying solely on a direct-to-consumer model is becoming more expensive.

On the fulfilment side, there’s going to be a lot more pressure to get cross-border shipping right. With increasing tariffs and trade complexities, businesses will need fulfilment providers that can be experts in the field, and make sure the businesses themselves are not going to get penalised for any mistakes. eCommerce fulfilment companies will need to understand the complexity and data requirements needed for effective cross-border shipping.

I also think we’ll see more mid-sized brands localising their fulfilment operations, particularly in the US right now due to the uncertainty caused by tariffs. Given the recent activity in the US, I do think there will be reciprocal tariffs introduced around the world and brands will definitely look to localise and move away from reliance on cross-border trade.“

What do you consider your biggest career achievement or standout moment to date?

“Getting the sales team to where it’s at right now is definitely what I would consider my biggest achievement to date. When I was asked to come back and lead the team in 2022, they were struggling a little bit and the structure needed rebuilding to get the most out of everyone. I stripped back the team and completely rebuilt the structure to ensure everyone was in the best place and make it as efficient as possible.

At that time, we were bringing in around £5 million in new business annually, last year we did £17 million and this year we are on track for about £20 million. That’s a massive step change in a short amount of time. It was more than just changing the structure around, I feel like we’ve created a real foundation now with the team that can be built from, and it’s benefitted the entire organisation.“

Aside from J&J and the eCommerce industry, what else interests you?

“A lot of time outside of work is spent with my family – I’ve got two young kids so they definitely keep me busy. It’s great to be able to spend that time with them, take them places and just see them growing up.

My other half and I also love travelling and exploring new cities. We’re very lucky to have fantastic grandparents who will look after the kids, so we try and get away for the odd long weekend here and there to explore somewhere new.

I also still have a passion for business, and although we never actually take them forward at the moment, we’re always thinking about new ventures we could get involved in. 

And then finally I do like to play a bit of golf, but if I’m honest I’m not that great at it! It’s a fun pastime though.”

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