Two orange chairs and a spotlight
A conversation with Commercial Manager, Millie Watt
Hi, I'm Millie and I manage commercial relationships and agreements with our clients. This includes commercial negotiation of contractual terms and delivery projects, pricing structure of projects, seeking to reduce risk and simultaneously extract growth out of commercial contracts.


How did you start your career and how did it lead to where you are now?

For my first job out of university, I joinined BT's Commercial Management Graduate Scheme. This was a 2-year programme with various rotations around the business. I worked in project management, account management and
finished my scheme in contract management. I was asked to finish my graduate scheme early so I could become a permanent Contract Manager. In this role, I was responsible for managing a small portfolio of private contracts within the manufacturing industry. I continued in that role for a further 12 months, until I was approached by a Recruiter at Sopra Steria.

I hadn't heard of Sopra Steria before, but the opportunity sounded interesting, so I discussed it with my mentor at BT. He shared that he knew of some fanatastic female leaders working there and it sounded like the organisation aligned with my career prospects, culture and personality. I joined Sopra Steria's Commercial team in 2022, supporting a portfolio of commercial accounts across Government, Defence and Consultancy sectors.

Have you had any development opportunities since working here?
When I first started, I went on an 'Art of Negotiation' advanced course. I’ve also been on the Emerging Leaders programme, which I completed in July 2024. This was a fantastic leadership programme and facilitated an opportunity to network and meet some wonderful individuals across the organisation from all different disciplines. I've also been given a development opportunity within my career, veering away from managing a portfolio of smaller contracts and now supporting a large complex contract to deepen my commercial acumen and understanding. The way in which Sopra Steria encourages their employees to develop has been one of my favourite elements of working here.

What's the best career advice you can give to others?

Don’t be scared to ask questions, even if they seem obvious. I think it takes a lot of confidence to be able to admit when you don’t understand something or want more detail. I personally really struggled with this as I was terrified of appearing incompetent. After a while, I started to realise that the questions I wanted to ask, others wanted to too, so it wasn’t as “daft” as I'd originally thought. Being able to understand the core of a concept is important to be able to advise, and therefore being curious should be celebrated!

Where's your dream holiday destination and why?

I love Italy – my favourite places are Florence, Rome and Venice… but being able to attend the Milan Spring Fashion Week is my dream!

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