About Us
The FT has an uncompromising mission: delivering independent, quality information, news and services to individuals and companies around the globe. It’s the cornerstone of our reputation and the heart of our ambitions for the future. But for our people, the FT offers so much more than what we do. FT people come from all kinds of backgrounds and work across a huge range of disciplines and locations, and find an empowering, warm and welcoming culture that values curiosity and rewards smart, ambitious thinking. Those who are willing to unite around our mission and live our values will find plenty to challenge, inspire and interest them. Like the audiences we serve, no two FT people are the same; but together we help our audience be better informed and understand the world around them. It’s a job that’s never mattered more, and a career that can take you anywhere you want to go.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace
At the FT, we aim for employees across all regions to have a voice so that diverse perspectives are heard and valued. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves at work and have the flexibility they need to meet their personal needs. We’ll continue to remove barriers for all, and in particular barriers facing employees from underrepresented groups.
The Role / Position Overview
The Client Relationship Executive (CRE) is a region-focussed key account specialist responsible for retaining and growing the assigned accounts in CEMEA (Continental Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). The role holder will be responsible for retaining and upselling as well as cross-selling. Negotiation skills, excellent relationship management, and account management are required for this position. They focus on the development of an annual sales plan for their bank of business which identifies how the overall target will be achieved. Regular contact and building relationships with clients will be key as will the ability to work with the Marketing and the Customer Success teams to develop engagement activities throughout the year to support retention and upsell. Excellent communication and the ability to seek out solutions to problems to support customer satisfaction will be key. The role entails strong organisation skills and the ability to manage a large number of accounts with a strategic mindset to build relationships with key stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
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To personally be responsible for achieving the retention and upsell revenue target set at the start of each year.
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To work in collaboration with the Business Development Manager (BDM) for this region and together to be responsible for the territory.
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To work with the appropriate support departments to ensure that customer issues are handled consistently and effectively.
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To work closely with the marketing team to help prioritise and drive activities that will support the achievement of greater engagement.
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To work closely with the Customer Success team to plan and prioritise activity to support the goal of retention and upsell.
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To keep up to date with market & competitor developments in this sector and speak confidently about the FT’s value proposition for this territory
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To prioritise face-to-face meetings with clients, gain knowledge of the business operations and information needs of the client, and actively network to build strong relationships at a senior level and with stakeholders in other departments within the company. This will lead to a better understanding of requirements and establish new opportunities to support retention, upsell, and cross-selling.
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To maintain awareness of an account’s overall health and take the appropriate action to mitigate the risk of downsell and/or cancellation
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To document all sales activity in salesforce, and keep opportunities updated with regards to likely close dates.
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To feedback customer insight to assist with product development and cross-selling new products
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To ensure dates of all renewals are well planned and work commences three months in advance.
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To keep up to date with developments and news relating to the individual accounts you are responsible for ensuring a tailored and strategic approach.
Required Skills / Experience
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Proven account management experience within the CEMEA region
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Proven track record in meeting and exceeding retention and upsell revenue targets with a strategic mindset
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Consultative selling approach to achieve business development to expand accounts
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Experience in carrying out face-to-face client meetings with senior decision-makers
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Commercial mindset and targets-driven individual
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Well-developed influencing skills to gain commitment from clients and colleagues
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Excellent presentation and communication skills
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Ability to work accurately, with strong attention to detail
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Good team player with a willingness to collaborate
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Excellent organisation skills and ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines
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High level of initiative, motivation, and ability to network both internally and externally to identify opportunities and maintain/build relationships
Preferred Skills / Experience
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Prior experience of using CRM systems, particularly Salesforce
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Fluency in a language spoken in CEMEA
What’s in it for you? Our Benefits
Our benefits vary depending on location, but we are committed to providing best in class perks across all our offices as well as an inclusive environment to develop your career. Examples of our benefits include; generous annual leave allowances, flexible working (including working from home), medical cover, enhanced maternity & paternity packages, subsidised gym memberships and Giving Back opportunities. Full details of our benefits can be found here.
Further Information
The FT is committed to providing an inclusive working environment for all. We are an equal opportunities employer who seeks to recruit and appoint the best talent regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We also promote flexible working and will consider specific requests around flexibility for all roles where it can be accommodated. Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements, or have any questions, [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to help.
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