Sydney · Commercial leader · Technology · Asia-Pacific
Scaling technology businesses across Asia-Pacific
I'm Leon Hudson, a commercial leader who has worked on the ground in more than twenty countries. I've owned the profit and loss, built go-to-market engines and opened new markets, for founder-led challengers and for businesses inside global groups.
At a glance
- 20+countries worked in on the ground
- 6countries lived and worked in: the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia
- 1 to 200people in the teams I've led
- 10mergers and acquisitions worked through
Profile
A commercial leader for businesses ready for their next stage
My sweet spot is a business that has proven its proposition and is ready for its next stage of growth.
My career began in business development and grew into full profit and loss ownership, go-to-market strategy, international expansion, integration after acquisitions and operational leadership.
During my career I've been brought in to take businesses to their next stage: building Southeast Asian operations from a standing start, leading global sales and marketing for a founder-led platform, and most recently as Chief Commercial Officer and then Managing Director, helping a founder-led challenger build an established leadership team and reach sustainable profitability.
I've lived and worked in six countries, from London and Auckland to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Chicago and Sydney. Living in the region rather than flying in and out has taught me how decisions actually get made, how trust is earned, and why an approach that lands in one market can stall in the next.
Expertise
Where I add most value
The problems that sit between a strong product and a scalable business.
- No. 1
Profit and loss ownership and general management
Running a business end to end: commercial, operations, marketing and customer functions, with a focus on sustainable profitability and a leadership team that can carry the business.
- No. 2
Go-to-market, pricing and revenue growth
Building the go-to-market engine, commercial disciplines and operating rhythm a business needs to scale, so growth becomes repeatable rather than founder-dependent.
- No. 3
International expansion and Asia-Pacific
On-the-ground experience in more than twenty countries, having lived in the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.
- No. 4
Commercialising AI, content rights and new technology
Taking artificial intelligence capability to market in a considered, customer-led way, including leading an artificial intelligence transformation and the launch of a product suite in my most recent role.
Track record
How I've led
A pattern repeated across markets, sectors and ownership structures.
- No. 1
Founder-led to established
Helping founder-led challengers professionalise: an established leadership team, commercial discipline and a path to sustainable profitability.
- No. 2
New markets from a standing start
Opening and running markets across Southeast Asia, with in-market teams that genuinely read, wrote and sold in local languages.
- No. 3
Growth inside global groups
Running businesses end to end through ownership change and integration inside larger groups, without losing the agility that made them work.
- No. 4
New technology, taken to market
Commercialising artificial intelligence and new capability in a considered, customer-led way, shaped by what customers actually need.
Next chapter
Open to the right conversation
I'm interested in senior commercial leadership roles with technology businesses ready for their next stage of growth: founder-led and challenger businesses in Australia and New Zealand, and global technology companies building across Asia-Pacific.
Get in touchGet in touch
For executive search, hiring and board conversations, or to reconnect, message me on LinkedIn. I reply personally.