Francesca Leighton

For more than three decades, Francesca has worked at the intersection of business transformation, commercial growth, leadership and human potential. Her career has taken her from product innovation in FMCG to leading multi-billion-dollar businesses at Nike, transforming marketplaces across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, India and Latin America, before helping founder-led businesses shape the next chapter of their growth.

Across every stage of that journey, one belief has remained constant: the most successful organisations are built by people who continue to learn, evolve and grow. Commercial success may begin with strategy, but it is sustained through leadership, culture and the ability to continually reimagine what is possible.

Today, Francesca brings this perspective to boards, executive teams and founders navigating moments of growth, complexity and transformation.

Leadership looks different in every market. Living and working across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, India and Latin America has shaped Francesca’s understanding that there is rarely one right answer to a business challenge. Different markets, cultures and consumers demand different approaches.

This international perspective enables her to recognise patterns, challenge assumptions and connect ideas across industries, geographies and stages of growth. Whether advising a founder building their first business or supporting the leadership of a global organisation, she brings curiosity, commercial discipline and the ability to see both the detail and the bigger picture.

Francesca spent two decades with Nike, holding executive leadership positions across North America, UK and Europe, Asia Pacific, India, Latin America and Global Headquarters. Leading businesses with responsibility for revenues exceeding $3 billion, she translated enterprise strategy into commercial execution while guiding organisations through periods of rapid growth, marketplace transformation and operating model evolution.

• Enterprise transformation and operating model redesign
• Commercial leadership across wholesale, digital and omnichannel ecosystems
• Global marketplace strategy and international expansion
• Consumer Direct transformation
• Premium retail partnerships
• Pricing, commercial architecture and marketplace optimisation
• Organisational design and leadership development

Perhaps most uniquely, Francesca has consistently helped organisations create market-defining consumer experiences, from pioneering retail concepts and omnichannel ecosystems to immersive brand environments that strengthen loyalty, elevate brand equity and deliver measurable commercial performance. Her leadership was never simply about growing revenue. It was about creating businesses capable of sustaining growth.

Transformation is rarely about doing more. It is about creating greater clarity.

As Chief Commercial Officer of vetsak, Francesca applied enterprise thinking within an entrepreneurial environment, leading a comprehensive commercial transformation at a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution. Joining during a period of significant commercial challenge, she architected a complete business reset encompassing strategic planning, pricing architecture, revenue operations, digital acceleration, customer experience, retail innovation, organisational redesign and leadership development.

Within twelve months the business returned to growth, followed by restored profitability and established the commercial foundations for long-term international expansion.

The experience reinforced a belief that successful transformation is never achieved through isolated initiatives. It happens when strategy, people, systems and culture move forward together.

Alongside her executive leadership, Francesca works closely with founders, entrepreneurs and investors building the next generation of purpose-led businesses. She is drawn to organisations at moments of possibility, where vision is strong but the path forward is still being shaped.

Her role is not simply to advise. It is to become a trusted thinking partner, helping founders challenge assumptions, strengthen commercial thinking and build organisations designed to endure.

Because when people flourish, organisations flourish. And every lasting transformation begins with people.