A Day in the Life of… our Head of Commercial Operations

Welcome to the first part of our “A Day in the Life of…” series, taking an inside look at the people who keep Caspian One ticking. As part of celebrating our team, we want to spotlight the personalities behind the job titles, offering a glimpse into the different roles at the company and quirks that come with them. In our first profile, we spoke to Diana Blankson, our Head of Commercial Operations, who’s as likely to be found deep in a spreadsheet as she is lying on the floor thinking through a new process. 

Diana’s role is all about cohesion. As Head of Commercial Operations, she’s the glue that binds revenue-generating departments together, ensuring they’re aligned with strategic goals and operating efficiently. “My job is to bring all the different parts of the business together by creating a unified operational structure,” she explains. “It’s about strong communication, process alignment, and always keeping growth in mind.” 

Her day-to-day is anything but predictable. One moment she’s troubleshooting a minor process hiccup, the next she’s in a board meeting discussing quarterly targets and long-term initiatives. Reporting is a big part of the job too, spending a significant portion of her time between OneUp, Vincere, or a spreadsheet. 

While her work often starts with process optimisation, it quickly scales into broader strategic projects. Diana is currently focused on laying the groundwork for scalable growth, ensuring that as Caspian One expands, its operations remain smooth, and processes are effective. 

“We’re putting things in place now that will still work when we’re much bigger,” she says. “It’s not just about fixing what’s broken, we’re trying to build systems now that support future revenue generation.” 

One such initiative involves contractor engagement, exploring how touchpoints with clients and contractors can be leveraged to drive more value. “We’re looking at how every interaction, whether it’s a feedback form or a survey, can contribute to customer success and revenue.” 

Despite the spreadsheets and strategy meetings, Diana insists it’s the people who make her role truly engaging. “Even when you build a process that you'd consider straightforward, it has the potential to not translate well in practice” she laughs. “That’s what makes it interesting, figuring out how to make processes work for real people, not just on paper.” 

But she’s also quick to dispel the myth that processes are designed to slow things down. “They’re really there to make things more streamlined and time-efficient.” 

Embedding new processes is one of the toughest parts of Diana’s role, especially in a fast-growing business like Caspian One. “We’re constantly making small tweaks that have a big impact,” she says. “Avoiding change fatigue while still evolving is a real balancing act.” 

But when those changes stick, it’s deeply rewarding. One of her proudest wins? The delivery acceptance process. “It wasn’t even a major change, but now people say, ‘That’s just how we work.’ That’s huge. I love that.” 

The role of Head of Commercial Operations is always on the move. Diana’s calendar is a whirlwind of meetings, sales in the morning, marketing by midday, engagement hub in the afternoon, and a board call to round things off. “I get to work everywhere and with everyone,” she says. “It’s a really fortunate position to be in.” 

And while she’s often in motion, she values time to think just as much. “Sometimes I just need to go outside or lie on the floor and think about how something should work,” she admits. “It sounds silly, but it’s essential.” 

For anyone aspiring to a similar role, Diana highlights the importance of both hard and soft skills. “You have to be a people person. No one will help you or trust you if you can’t sell the idea,” she says. Her psychology degree and sales background have helped her navigate stakeholder relationships and understand team dynamics. On the technical side, statistical training comes in handy for forecasting and performance analysis. “You need a good number brain, but also the ability to communicate and collaborate across the business.” 

If Diana had a personal motto, it might be printed on a T-shirt: “Just follow the process.” It’s a light-hearted nod to the daily challenges of operational leadership, and a reminder that behind every process is a person trying to make things work better for everyone. 

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