Alex Grassi

I've spent 25+ years building commercial strategy and B2B revenue for technology, defence and services businesses across the UK, Europe, the USA, Latin America and Asia. My key strengths span first commercial-hire leadership, business development across direct, prime and government channels, strategic partnerships and senior stakeholder management. I have a strong ability to understand complex, technical propositions, identify commercial opportunities, build trusted relationships with government and military customers, and translate strategy into tangible pipeline and revenue.

At Chimera

Energy, I co-founded and ran all commercial initiatives for an AI-driven Multi-Chemistry battery technology business, building direct relationships across UK MoD, DASA, DSTL, HMGCC and the wider NATO allied defence network, and securing £1.6m+ in customer-funded programmes.

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER at CHIMERA ENERGY (2021 – 2026)

Co-founded and ran all commercial initiatives for an AI-driven Multi-Chemistry battery technology business end to end as the business's first commercial hire, covering market development, complex bids, technical-commercial positioning, partnerships and senior stakeholder engagement across defence, government, research and commercial customers.

• Secured £1.6m+ in customer-funded programmes and built a multimillion-pound pipeline internationally, making the case for the technology in terms customers actually cared about: operational cost, decarbonisation and commercial return.
• Established five strategic trials worth £140m+ in projected long-term opportunities, building direct relationships across UK MoD, DASA, DSTL, HMGCC, MBDA, the Royal Marines, Canadian Armed Forces, Italian Alpine Troops, British Antarctic Survey and the wider NATO allied defence network.
• Led technical, commercial and operational teams through complex buying processes, from requirements and solution design through to proposals, risk management and keeping the board updated.

DIRECTOR at LISEON LTD (2015 – Present)

Provides ongoing commercial and operational support to a family-run graphic design business serving cosmetics, entertainment and financial-sector clients, plus a handful of start-ups that need help with commercial strategy and business planning.

• Built the business plan and commercial strategy for Health Factors, a mental health retreat and programme in Canada, including the processes it needed to operate.
• Advised Meridian Linguistics, a Hong Kong-based language services business, on commercial strategy, market positioning and growth planning.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER at TERRAVISION GROUP (2013 – 2015)

Led commercial operations and an 8-person customer-facing team spanning sales, marketing, account management and customer service, and built senior relationships across Italy's public-sector, enterprise and infrastructure markets.

• Secured 107 contracts across 27 municipalities in six months, built on close partner relationships and a disciplined approach to managing the pipeline.
• Supported a tourism partnership portfolio worth roughly €15m in annual turnover, spanning accommodation, food, leisure, arts and local visitor services.
• Improved customer experience and service delivery, reducing complaints from 3.2% to 1.01%.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER at SONY ENTERTAINMENT (2011 – 2013)

Led commercial development for Vendor Managed Inventory and SaaS products, sharpening the proposition, pricing and forecasting to grow recurring revenue.

• Redesigned pricing and proposition strategy, delivering a 17% increase in revenue.
• Managed a £1m operating budget and owned commercial performance and planning for the unit.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, EMEA at CAPCOM (2009 – 2011)

Led EMEA commercial strategy and an 18-person multidisciplinary team for a global interactive entertainment business, owning a £750k budget and divisional profitability.

• Secured a €1.3m strategic partnership with Gameloft spanning multiple international territories.
• Delivered divisional profitability for two consecutive years while repositioning the business from feature phones to smartphones.

DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY at SUPERSCAPE (1996 – 2008)

Led international B2B sales across media, immersive technology and mobile entertainment in the USA, Central and South America and Asia, growing recurring revenue from $7k to $553k a month and building partnerships with major global brands along the way.

• Grew recurring revenue from $7k to $553k a month ($6.6m ARR) by expanding into new markets and building out strategic accounts, partnerships, licensing deals and pricing as we went.
• Built relationships with NASA, Disney, Universal, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Apple, Microsoft, AT&T, Verizon and Ford, plus entertainment and sports IP including Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Evel Knievel and the Harlem Globetrotters.
• Started out as a VR developer, building immersive content for LEGO, National Geographic and British Airways, then moved into commercial leadership as the business evolved through the dot-com era and into mobile gaming, helping establish international routes to market and ultimately position the company for acquisition by Glu Mobile.

Digital Marketing

Social Media & ORM

Management & Leadership

BA(Hons) in Interior Architecture – University for the Creative Arts

HND in General Art & Design – Southampton Solent University