Do you offer partnerships expertise in the UK and Germany?

Yes. Convert Commerce provides fractional partnerships expertise across the United Kingdom (London-based) and Germany (DACH region). We support companies with market entry, ecosystem partnerships, and go-to-market strategies in each region.

Can Convert Commerce support market entry partnerships in Germany?

Yes. We specialise in helping SaaS and commerce companies enter the German market through ecosystem-led partnerships. Our approach includes local partner identification, cultural alignment, regulatory navigation, and relationship-driven go-to-market strategies.

What is a fractional VP of Partnerships?

A fractional VP of Partnerships is a senior partnerships executive who works with your company on a part-time or project basis. This model provides access to VP-level expertise without a full-time commitment, ideal for companies building, scaling, or optimising their partnership function, wherever their partners and customers are.

What is a fractional partnership leader and when do I need one?

A fractional partnership leader provides executive-level expertise on a part-time or project basis. You need one when building a partnership function from scratch, scaling existing partnerships, entering new markets, or optimizing underperforming partnership programs. It's ideal for companies that need strategic leadership without a full-time hire.

How do you help with Shopify ecosystem partnerships?

We provide strategic partnerships and integrations within the Shopify ecosystem for unified commerce. This includes identifying key technology partners, building integration roadmaps, establishing co-marketing initiatives, and creating joint value propositions that drive revenue growth within the Shopify Plus ecosystem.

What is partnership operations and why does it matter?

Partnership operations is the infrastructure, systems, and processes that make partnerships scalable and measurable. This includes GTM planning, co-marketing frameworks, partner onboarding workflows, performance metrics, compensation models, and governance structures. Without proper operations, partnerships remain tactical rather than strategic revenue drivers.

How do you approach strategic advisory for partnership ecosystems?

Our strategic advisory begins with ecosystem design and partner mapping to identify the right partners aligned with your business objectives. We develop joint value propositions, create strategic alignment frameworks, and design go-to-market strategies that transform partnerships from opportunistic relationships into predictable revenue engines.

What industries and company sizes do you work with?

We work primarily with SaaS companies from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 platforms, with particular expertise in modern commerce, luxury retail, and technology sectors. Our experience spans 18 years across diverse ecosystems including Shopify, enterprise platforms, and emerging technology partnerships.

How long does a typical engagement last?

Engagement duration varies based on objectives. Strategic advisory projects typically run 3-6 months, fractional leadership roles are often 6-12 months, and partnership operations builds can take 4-9 months. We tailor timelines to your specific goals, whether launching a new partnership program or optimizing existing ones.

What results can I expect from working with Convert Commerce?

Results vary by engagement type but typically include: increased partnership-sourced revenue, reduced time-to-value for new partnerships, improved partner engagement and retention, scalable partnership infrastructure, and clear ROI measurement frameworks. We focus on operational precision and measurable outcomes, not just strategy documents.

Do you help with technology integrations and API partnerships?

Yes, we provide technical partnership strategy, integration roadmaps, and ecosystem platform development. While we don't write code ourselves, we design the strategic approach, prioritize integrations based on revenue potential, and guide technical teams on partnership-friendly API architecture and developer experience.

What's your approach to luxury sector commerce partnerships?

Luxury brands require partnerships that maintain brand integrity while driving growth. We specialize in strategic commerce partnerships and operational excellence tailored for luxury brands and premium retailers, understanding the unique dynamics of high-touch customer experiences, exclusivity, and brand positioning in partnership ecosystems.

Do you work with companies in the Middle East and GCC?

Yes. Our services are available to companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider GCC region on partnership strategy and ecosystem development. We support businesses building or expanding partnerships across the Middle East.

Do you work with companies in North America or Asia-Pacific?

Yes. Convert Commerce supports partner programmes globally, including companies whose partners and customers are mainly in North America or Asia-Pacific. Engagements run remotely with on-site time where the partners are, with particular depth in the UK, DACH and GCC ecosystems.

GTM & Partnerships Advisory

Serving agencies, system integrators, ISVs and SaaS companies,
from early stage to enterprise, wherever your partners are.

Assess where you stand

The Partnership Assessment scores your programme, benchmarks it against your peers and tells you what to fix first.

Design what comes next

Partner strategy, ecosystem and platform partnerships, and the entry plan and introductions for a new market.

Run it with you

Fractional partnership leadership and partner operations, run with your team until your own hire is ready.

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LEADING TECH & SERVICES COMPANIES GLOBALLY

Capgemini

18 Years in Partnerships & GTM

After nearly two decades in partnership roles at Fortune 500 platforms and high-growth SaaS companies, I help companies avoid the common mistakes and accelerate what actually works.

Partnerships aren't just a go-to-market motion, they require strategic design, operational discipline, and the ability to align internal teams around shared goals.

Convert Commerce brings that experience to companies building or scaling their partnership function. Whether you're launching your first partnership program or refining an existing ecosystem, I help you build the strategy, structure, and systems that drive measurable growth.

Let's discuss how we can support your next stage of growth.

Looking forward,
Patrick Schaeffler

Global expertise.

UK
United Kingdom
GCC
Gulf Cooperation Council
DACH
Germany, Austria & Switzerland

Services

Two ways in. Start with where you stand, or come straight to what you need.

Step 1: Assess · Start with where you stand

Start here

Partnership Assessment

For SaaS companies and agencies that know partnerships should be working harder, but not exactly where it breaks. Your report tells you what to fix first.

A readiness score out of 100 for your partner programme
Seven dimensions scored, so you see where you're strong and where you're losing revenue
Benchmarked against your peers in our Global Partnerships Survey
Your partner revenue opportunity sized in your own currency
The partners and ecosystems worth pursuing next, mapped for you
A priority list of quick wins, every one backed by evidence

Get your assessment →Your report by email

Free scan to start. Full benchmark and sizing in the paid tiers.

Example assessment report: readiness score 73 out of 100, band Established, strongest dimension Operations and cadence, biggest gap Partner enablement, sized opportunity £215k to £2.4M a year

You get

Ecosystem map, entry plan and named introductions

How it works →

Not sure which?

Tell us the problem. We'll tell you the route.

If the answer is “run the assessment first”, we'll say so. If it isn't, we won't make you.

Talk to us →

Results That Matter

Real challenges, strategic solutions, measurable impact.

SaaS Technology

Partnership Strategy

Co-designed and implemented a tiered partnership framework with global team expansion for technology partnerships, launched comprehensive partner program with PRM integration, and synchronised co-marketing initiatives with sales cycles.

Impact

Team achieved 5x increase in partner-sourced and influenced revenue within 24 months
Enabled cross-functional alignment between Partnerships, Product, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success
Established measurable partner ROI attribution model
Implemented partner manager commission structure tailored to tech partnership KPIs and business strategy

Tink Taylor

Founder & President, dotdigital Group PLC

"I had the pleasure of working directly with Patrick for more than five years and his strong expertise in partnerships, his positive attitude, passion and attention to detail, has helped accelerate our partner growth globally"

Commerce Platform

Partnership Strategy

Established the partnership and Go-to-market strategy for EMEA for Shopify Plus in collaboration with HQ, launch of the EMEA office, building of partnerships team in region and supporting partners to "make commerce better for everyone".

Impact

As a team, achieved 154% of revenue target, whilst laying partnership foundations.
Support the scaling of existing partners in the ecosystem through co-marketing, process support and collaboration
Recruitment of a vast network of new partners, expanding reach and providing brands with tailored options

Martyn Boddy

Founder Upgrade Former Head of Partnerships Shopify Plus

"Patrick played a central role in shaping our EMEA partnership and go to market strategy during a critical phase of Shopify Plus entering the region. He built the regional partnerships function, strengthened our ecosystem through closer collaboration, and expanded our network with high quality partners that elevated our reach and offering."

System Integrator

Partnership Strategy

Developed partnership framework and established partnership function from the ground up across the Group (Four companies), enabling partner collaboration across Commerce Platforms and Technology companies.

Impact

Built a network of alliances with 40+ key technology and platform partners to form tailored core tech stacks for Adobe (Magento), Salesforce, Shopware, Drupal and more.
Increased project value and partner sourced revenue through partner collaborations
Strengthened internal enablement and cross functional collaboration across partnerships to establish a partner-focused approach

Dominic Feenan

Co-Founder INVIQA Group

"Patrick helped position our group as a trusted delivery partner across our ecosystems, opening new commercial opportunities and elevating our tech offering. His impact on both our external growth and internal processes has shaped the way we operate, with partnerships now firmly embedded as a core pillar of our success."

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LEADING TECH & SERVICES COMPANIES GLOBALLY

Capgemini

PartnerBuddy

The operating system for partnership teams. Recruit and activate partners, track sourced and influenced revenue against target, and manage commissions, incentives and MDF in one place.

Inside: AI partner discovery and outreach, onboarding and an AI-built academy, deals and account mapping, programme tiers and partner NPS, strategy and reporting, plus a white-labelled portal for your partners and an AI assistant across every module.

Connects to your tech stack, including HubSpot, Pipedrive, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Outlook, the Shopify Partner Portal and more.

Learn More

Why Convert Commerce

18 years of partnership experience. No theory.
Just what actually works.

People-First

Partnerships are relationships first, contracts second. We build programs grounded in trust and long-term collaboration, not just transactional deals.

Global Experience

18 years across diverse ecosystems, from Fortune 500 platforms to high-growth SaaS. We understand partnerships at every scale.

Operational Precision

Strategy without execution is theory. We build the structure, systems, and processes that make partnerships scalable and measurable.

Calm Confidence

No hype, no theatrics. Just clear thinking, strategic design, and results-driven leadership you can trust.

Certifications

Staying current in AI, commerce trends, and strategic thinking

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Driving Innovation with AI

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

Inside LVMH

eConsultancy

Digital Marketing

Global Partnerships
Survey Report

Partnerships Community

100+ partnership professionals across the SaaS ecosystem shared how they work, what they measure, and what's driving results.

Inside: honest insights on strategy, operations, team design, go-to-market approaches, compensation, technology, and the challenges shaping the industry.

Download your copy. Optional contributions support cancer research through #PartnershipsAgainstCancer (100% to the cause).

Read the findings Get Your Copy

Let's Talk

Whether you're building from scratch or optimising an existing ecosystem, let's explore how we can help.

London

Convert Commerce Limited
London, United Kingdom

Abu Dhabi

Convert Commerce Limited
Smart Station, First Floor, Incubator Building
Masdar City, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

Growth shouldn't cost the earth.

3,400

trees funded

tCO₂e avoided

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about working together

Services

Two ways in. Start with where you stand, or come straight to what you need.