Account Director - IHG Global Sales, Europe

<p><strong>Account Director - Global Sales, Europe (Germany) </strong></p> <p><strong>About Us</strong></p> <p>IHG Hotels &amp; Resorts is one of the world’s leading hotel companies with around 350,000 colleagues working across more than 100 countries to deliver true hospitality for good. Our diverse portfolio of differentiated brands is well known and loved by millions of consumers around the world.</p> <p>We genuinely care for our entire IHG Hotels &amp; Resorts family. All our colleagues are valued, and their wellbeing matters to us. We provide the support our colleagues need to succeed and recognise them for their hard work. Our diverse global community values different perspectives and cultures.</p> <p>In this role you will strategically manage a designated account portfolio of German based clients, drive new business opportunities from newly identified accounts in market and develop key relationships to maximise high revenue growth; to increase customer share for all brands across IHG in line with IHG’s commercial agenda and the German market plan.</p> <p>Germany &amp; English speaking is a pre-requisite to this role. </p> <p><strong>Your day to day</strong></p> <ul> <li>Identify, develop and manage long term customer relationships within the German market with the largest growth opportunities by taking ownership of the delivery of customers’ expectations, developing a deep understanding of client hotel requirements. </li> <li>Strategically drive system delivery and utilisation through preferred distribution channels to determine rates and undertake client negotiations in line with IHG strategy </li> <li>Showcase a proactive sales approach in identifying new business opportunities from new business accounts and existing accounts to increase the revenue streams for the German hotels (inbound) as well as outbound from Germany. </li> <li>Deliver both incremental and quality revenue, including negotiating mutually beneficial contracts by having a divers portfolio of accounts that are build up to drive revenue through subsegments and industry verticals into IHG with a key focus on the German based hotels.  </li> <li>Identifying the right fit for the hotels in Germany, work on cross-regional/industry opportunities and Groups and Events to support the inbound and outbound opportunities for the German market-based hotels.  </li> <li>Support strategic and tactical promotions and initiatives to maximise revenue in need periods, working closely with key need and particularly new properties to identify the right new business accounts for the portfolio with the highest impact and revenue opportunities. </li> <li>Role model internally and externally that they are a trusted advisor capable of providing expert solutions and insight of industry and market trends.  </li> <li>Support, participate and initiate internal and external events to maximise resource and drive broader and deeper relationships. </li> <li>Manage, delegate and develop account resources and/or virtual teams to effectively drive sales results (e.g. Groups and New Business) working with the respective teams (e.g. RFP support, Travel Partner sellers, Sales Support, Business Edge etc)    </li> <li>Tap into the IHG Global Sales network to be an ambassador for the market, tailoring the approach and behaviours to leverage best practices accordingly. </li> <li>Demonstrate a best in class approach with compliance towards a processes, tools and sales strategy and ways of working (IHG Europe Sales Playbook) </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>What we need from you</strong></p> <p>Whilst we love experience, mindset is of equal importance. We’re looking for someone who is committed with a natural ability to operate effectively in a fast moving, global environment.</p> <ul> <li>Experience in an account management role – managing a portfolio of accounts with growth opportunities basing decisions upon sound data and insight, linked to the long-term strategy of the organization. </li> <li>Knowledge of the German market including trends, industry insights and hotel experience. </li> <li>Applying the Helping Clients Succeed framework with customers.  </li> <li>Experience of negotiating the needs of IHG and the needs of the customer. Includes the ability to define, manage and execute mutually beneficial contracts </li> <li>Fluent German and English communication skills </li> <li>Experience in initiating, developing and managing mutually beneficial relationships with customers, hotel owners &amp; on-property sales teams. </li> <li>Experience of operating in culturally diverse teams across the European market </li> <li>Ability to quickly identify new business opportunities, using key data points and analytics to make effective commercial decisions. </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>What we offer</strong></p> <p>At IHG we give our colleagues greater flexibility and balance – working in a hybrid way, blending remote and office working. Although we thrive on collaborating in pers