Job Description

Role Purpose
To strategically manage a designated account portfolio to maximise high international revenue growth and lead an experienced sales team to deliver the largest growth opportunities within SWA.

Key Accountabilities

1. Develop and manage long term customer relationships within the larger / international industry groupings with the largest growth opportunities taking ownership of the delivery of customers’ expectations, developing a deep understanding of client hotel requirements.

2. Attract, lead and develop the best in class talent in your respective team and drive high quality performance and revenue against defined targets

3. Drive compliance excellence and continuously improve people, processes, tools, sales strategy and delivery models

4. Strategically drive system delivery and utilisation through preferred distribution channels to determine rates and undertake client negotiations in line with IHG strategy

5. Develop and execute strategic customer account plans to deliver both incremental and quality revenue, including negotiating mutually beneficial contracts

6. Identifying high-spend (luxury/upscale) cross-occasion/industry opportunities and resourcing Groups and Meeting and secondary sellers as appropriate

7. Support strategic and tactical promotions and initiatives to maximise revenue in need periods, working closely with key need and new properties to identify touch points within account portfolio

8. Role model the 2X behaviours to sellers and other stakeholders within the organization, demonstrating internally and externally that they are a trusted advisor capable of providing expert solutions and insight of industry and market trends.

9. Support and participate in internal and external events to maximise resource and drive broader and deeper relationships

10. Manage, delegate and develop account resources and/or virtual teams to effectively drive sales results (e.g. Groups and Meetings sellers and New Business)

11. Work across a wide variety of cultures and markets, tailoring approach and behaviours to understand key differentiators and leverage best practices accordingly

12. Demonstrate a best in class approach with compliance towards a processes, tools and sales strategy and ways of working (IHG Sales Playbook)

13. Management of internal stakeholders such as Owners, General managers, VP Operations SWA and MD SWA.

Required Education, Experience, Technical Skills and Knowledge

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master's Degree in Marketing, Management, Business, Hospitality or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.

Critical Expertise & Experience:

• Significant experience in a senior management role - leading, coaching and developing a high-performance team

• Significant experience in an account management role with a portfolio of high growth international opportunities basing decisions upon sound data and insight, linked to the long-term strategy of the organization

• Significant experience of applying methodologies such as Helping customers succeed, seven habits or other similar framework across a team at large.

• Significant experience of negotiating the needs of IHG and the needs of the customer. Includes the ability to define, manage and execute mutually beneficial contracts

• An advanced ability to make effective commercial decisions based on an understanding and analysis of key commercial information and commercial levers

• Significant experience in initiating, developing and managing mutually beneficial relationships with customers, hotel owners & on-property sales teams

• Significant experience of operating in culturally diverse teams across the IMEA market

• Significant IMEA/International strategic sales experience in a senior manager role with a track record of identifying and delivering on new commercial opportunities, using key data points and analytics to make effective commercial decisions.

At IHG, we’ve made a promise. As one of the world’s leading hotel groups, we’re here to deliver True Hospitality for Good. Making our guests and colleagues feel welcome, cared for, recognised and respected – wherever they are in the world. Want to be part of the journey?