Helping Rowers and Leaders Perform at Their Best

I believe performance is a skill that can be learned.

Whether in business, rowing, or life, the people who achieve extraordinary results are rarely extraordinary because of talent alone. They are curious. They continuously learn. They challenge themselves. And they commit to becoming a little better every day.

My mission is to help others do the same.

Through the Faster Podcast, Faster Newsletter, coaching, and training plans, I share practical lessons from elite sport, business leadership, sports science, and my own experiences as a Masters rower and executive.

Why Learn From Bill?

For more than 20 years, I have led businesses and transformation programmes within Fortune 500 companies, partnering with leaders, teams, and organisations to improve performance and achieve ambitious goals.

Along the way, I have learned that the principles of high performance are remarkably consistent. Whether you're leading a multinational business, preparing for a rowing regatta, or pursuing a personal goal, success comes from having the right mindset, the right process, and the discipline to execute.

At the same time, I have spent years competing as a Masters rower, studying how the world's best athletes, coaches, and sports scientists approach performance.

Today, my passion is bringing these worlds together and translating complex ideas into practical actions that help others improve.

My Comeback Story

In 2013, my life changed in an instant.

A catastrophic accident left me facing challenges that I could never have imagined. In many ways, it forced me to start again.

The experience fundamentally changed how I thought about performance, resilience, and human potential.

My recovery taught me that most limits are far more flexible than we believe. It taught me the importance of purpose, disciplined action, and the power of focusing on what can be controlled rather than what cannot.

The methods I used to rebuild myself became the foundation for how I approach business, rowing, coaching, and life today.

Since then, I have been committed to sharing those lessons with others who want to achieve more than they thought possible.

"Nothing prepared me for what happened in 2013, but everything I have learned since has shaped who I am today."

Rowing Highlights

As a Masters rower, I continue to pursue performance and test my ideas in the real world.

Highlights include:

  • Multiple Swiss Masters Championship titles
  • Multiple World Masters Championship titles
  • Henley Masters Regatta winner
  • Multiple Silver Skiff International Time Trial titles
  • International competitor across Europe and beyond

Competing at a high level as a Masters athlete has reinforced something I strongly believe:

Age is not a barrier to improvement.

The desire to learn, adapt, and evolve remains one of the greatest advantages any athlete can possess.

What You'll Find Here

Everything on this website is designed to help rowers and leaders improve their performance.

Faster Podcast

Long-form conversations with world-class athletes, coaches, sports scientists, and business leaders exploring what drives exceptional performance.

Faster Newsletter

Practical insights, training advice, race preparation strategies, and lessons from performance leaders around the world.

Masters Rowing Training Plans

Proven race-specific training plans designed to help Masters rowers train smarter, arrive prepared, and race at their best.

 

Join the Faster Community

Thousands of rowers around the world listen to the podcast and follow the newsletter because they share a common belief:

There is always another level of performance available to those willing to learn.

If that sounds like you, I'd love you to join us.

Subscribe to the Faster Newsletter and receive practical ideas, tools, and insights designed to help you train smarter, race faster, and keep improving.

Subscribe to Faster

Bill's Commercial Profile

Inspiring, challenging and helping commercial teams to unlock their full potential.

With over 20 years of experience as a Global MedTech executive, I have successfully led commercial organizations across the EMEA region. My leadership has consistently resulted in sustainable growth, margin expansion, and increased market share. These achievements are driven by my commitment to building and developing talented teams and bringing people along with me to execute disciplined commercial strategies. I am recognized for my ability to create resilient organizations and trusted by both EMEA and Global leadership, to lead enterprise-wide change initiatives.

Values

  • Integrity & Transparency.
  • Accountability & Ownership.
  • Resilience & Adaptability.
  • Strategic Discipline & Passion to Win.
  • Innovation & Growth Mindset.
  • Empowerment & Talent Development.

I believe success requires purpose, resilience, and disciplined execution. I lead and equip teams with strategies, processes and tools to unlock their full potential, drive growth, and win market share.

Expertise

  • Commercial restructures & turnarounds.
  • Go to Market design & optimization.
  • Building capability & unlocking full potential.
  • Leading & scaling Commercial Excellence.
  • Creating & leading multi-level teams to win.
  • Leading large scale complex change.

Leadership Highlights

  • Full P&L accountability up to $90M, leading teams of 500+ FTE across EMEA.
  • Increased value of Must Win Deals by $1.5B in BD EMEA.
  • Reduced cost to serve by $135M at Medtronic EMEA.
  • Built Inside Sales channels growing $100M+ revenue across BD and Medtronic.
  • Transformed Salesforce.com adoption +151% and with a +42-point growth in user NPS in BD EMEA.
  • Awarded Medtronic’s highest corporate award for Quality, Business Results & Leadership.

 

BECKTON DICKINSON EMEA (2020-CURRENT)

Senior Director Commercial Effectiveness EMEA, 2024 - Current

  • Accountable for driving end to end commercial effectiveness across all businesses spanning $3.2B.
  • Created & delivered new training and support structure training over 1,500 associates in FY25.
  • Drove focus on increased seller activity +450% increase in the number of sales calls reps make in FY25.
  • Scaled the increase in Must Win Deals from $1.1B to $2.6B over 18-months in FY25.
  • Accountable for sales manager coaching process that increased closed won win rate +11% in FY24.
  • Transformed 150+ SFDC improvements and increased adoption by 151% with a 42-point growth in user NPS.
  • Leading the commercial integration of APM into BD and commercial separation of Lifesciences business to Waters.

Director GTM Optimization, Sales Force Effectiveness & Inside Sales, EMEA, 2021 - 2024

  • $75M in sales 5 direct FTE + 35 Inside Sales FTE.
  • Executed SFDC & sales process excellence expectations into EMEA IIGs.
  • Accountable to transform how BD use SFDC growing usage from 30% to over 80%.
  • Expanded Inside Sales to France & Benelux winning first large capital sales over $500k with MMS in FY24.

Director Inside Sales EMEA, 2020 - 2021

  • $25M in sales 23 FTE.
  • Led the creation and set up of BD’s first BDX Inside Sales channel in EMEA in under 120 days.
  • Achieved ROI within 10-months and delivered above sales growth and business case.

 

MEDTRONIC EMEA (2015-2020)

Senior Director Go to Market (GTM) Commercial Transformation EMEA, 2017 - 2020

  • Created industry leading commercial excellence processes and new GTM models across all businesses.
  • Established Inside Sales channel to serve 40% of customers at a 30% lower cost base.
  • Increased customer engagement at scale +133% over 18-months (+35 NPS) based on customer insights.
  • Reduced cost to serve as a percentage of sales ($8B) by -1.5% in EMEA.

Senior Director Medtronic Service & Repair EMEA, 2016 - 2017

  • P&L responsibility $90M with a team of over 500 people across EMEA.
  • Established Inside Sales channel to commercialize warranty and repair contract sales.
  • Created Centre of Excellence & consolidated 11-locations into the COE in under 18-months.
  • Delivered >$15M in cost avoidance ahead of schedule and below budget.
  • Received highest corporate award; the ‘Star of Excellence’ from company CEO Omar Ishrak.

Director Medtronic Service & Repair EMEA, 2015 - 2015

  • P&L responsibility of $90M with a team of over 500 people across EMEA.
  • Led the ‘business critical' post-merger integration and transformation of Service & Repair department in EMEA.
  • Successful integration of department, minimizing disruption to customers and business.
  • Received global ‘Outstanding Leadership’ award for integration, quality achievements, and business results.

 

COVIDIEN ACQUIRED BY MEDTRONIC (2012 - 2014)

Senior Director Service & Repair EMEA, 2013 - 2015

  • P&L responsibility $50M with >300 FTE.
  • Accountable to improve quality and transform Service & Repair from a cost center to a profit center.
  • Delivered +84% improvement in On Time in Full to customer from <50% to 92%.

General Manager Non-Hospital & Indirect Sales Europe, 2013 - 2013

  • Interim position whilst commercializing Service & Repair operations.
  • Developed strategy and commercial processes to grow in-direct and non-hospital business.

Senior Director Commercial Excellence & MARCOM Europe, 2012 - 2013

  • Restructured commercial excellence department and commercial processes.
  • Reshaped the way the selling organization uses Salesfcom (SFDC) focusing on customer centric metrics to help the sales force sell more effectively. Daily average usage of SFDC grew from mid-50% to high 80%.

 

STRYKER (2005 – 2011)

Business Unit Director Spine & Biotech, UK/IRE & CMF Europe, 2009 – 2011

  • P&L responsibility £18M with >30 FTE.
  • Restructured declining business into a +20% growth engine through focus on commercial process rigor, attracting and recruiting the right talent, training, and developing a culture of accountability and winning.
  • Recognized as the best performing business unit in Europe delivering +21% growth in 2010 & 11.
  • In parallel, led the restructure Stryker's CMF business from indirect to direct sales in EMEA, growing +20%.

Spine Marketing Manager EMEA, 2005 - 2008

  • P&L responsibility $2.5M with >6 FTE.
  • Grew market share >30% with +14% year on year growth.
  • Delivered +25% sales growth in Minimally Invasive spine market with new product execution.
  • Created and led networked marketing teams across EMEA resulting in alignment and execution agility.

 

For more information, I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn.