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The Strategic Account Manager (SAM) role in the SMM organization is a strategic leader at American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), responsible for leading critical and highly valuable Meetings & Events business client portfolios and business development. In this role, they will be recognized as a valued advisor within their Meetings & Events client base and will demonstrate a strong industry knowledge to improve cross-functional approaches for the execution of our client servicing and sales strategies. The Strategic Account Manager is an innovative leader, responsible for managing client relationships, passionate about optimizing, and driving premium revenue.

This role has end to end responsibility and accountability for a portfolio of M&E business, delivering and exceeding on financial performance expectations, while also coordinating and supporting regional and global business objectives.

What You Will Do:

• Developing an account level strategy targeting opportunities within the client portfolio.
• Implementing the revenue growth strategies to drive incremental revenue through a combination of increased meetings, premium product revenue, advisory consulting, supplier relations initiatives and meetings management.
• Researching the marketplace and competitor products and services to highlight the value that distinguishes AXP products, and specifically demonstrates MI, benchmarking, and technology as critical value drivers.
• Drive strategies crafted to increase revenue and drive customer behavior at a scalable level. Work with leaders to implement new and build ways to grow the business.
• Possessing an in-depth understanding of key business drivers, organizational culture and the competitive edge of the portfolio, understanding broad issues and the competitive landscape when driving sales strategies.
• Building, maintaining, and growing relationships with internal business partners across the B2B organization, using key partnerships within Client Servicing, Business travel partners and Advisory/Consulting services, to drive growth and the implementation of innovative, value account solutions.
• Leading business planning, quarterly and annual reviews, pricing strategies, and business negotiations on rebids for strategic accounts.
• Supply to content development for client innovation forums, and supports agenda ideas and content, guest speakers, panelists, and facilitators specific to driving premium revenue.
• Leading the global efforts of assigned portfolio across 4 regions and 50+ markets; which includes guiding the regional market leads in their efforts to support the client global goals/initiatives.
• Leading expansion efforts to deliver multiple revenue streams and further penetrate accounts, with a focus on driving expansion of premium revenue.
• Growing profitability by proactively identifying new opportunities and delivering innovative solutions that continue to make valuable contributions to our clients.
• Developing creative pricing strategies and supplying to ongoing client P&L management.
• Leading business planning, C-Level executive reviews, quarterly and annual reviews, and business negotiations on rebids for strategic accounts.
• Improving the American Express Global Business Travel value proposition through policy consultation, researching white paper needs, technology road mapping, optimizing online solutions, and event content development.
• Strong Relationship building skills with Clients.

What We Are Looking For:

• University Degree or equivalent
• Previous M&E / travel industry knowledge
• Consultative acuity and ability to influence.
• Validated global sales leadership experience
• Deep global M&E subject matter expertise with demonstrated track record of driving growth, leading a service focused operation, handling a P&L, and creating a destination for talent
• Demonstrated skill and successful track record in growing client revenue
• High-level of proficiency in common office software (MS Office)
• Previous leadership experience at Regional / Local Operational and/or Commercial M&E
• Experience of multiple industry clients and account types ie SMM, DOE, Variable labor, Congress, Commission Retention etc
• Experience of leading large, multi-client sophisticated operational structures whilst delivering growth and successful business results
• Sound financial acuity and previous ownership of high spend P&L balancing income and cost
• Ownership of high spend client accounts
• Strategic ability and eye for business with experience in creating, implementing and getting results against strategic plan
• Considers broad range of internal and external factors when providing solutions
• Ability to communicate, empower and inspire effectively with all levels of employee seniority and lead towards the vision
• Gets results by challenging the status quo, championing new initiatives and implementing effective techniques.
• Able to lead change and establish a high standard of performance through development of short and long term plans
• Responds appropriately and competently to demands of work challenges when confronted with change, adversity and other pressures
• Demonstrated ability to analyze situations, negotiate and make decisions in a fast paced environment.
• Recognize systematic and root causes and identify alternative solutions through analytical approaches
• Consistent track record to effectively lead during times of change and change track swiftly as required
• Ability to build strong, open relationships and establish credibility as a trusted advisor and work with multiple teams to accomplish goals and objectives
• Run multiple tasks effectively
• Superior organizational ability and excellent attention to detail
• Ability to use the Global organization and adapt to local market requirements and needs
• Must have 3 to 5 years of global account/client management experience
• Previous experience with global clients preferred.
• Previous global oversight/account implementations experience a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn, understand, and articulate key product and value proposition knowledge in a variety of contexts.
• Shown success in consultative selling is required, in addition to demonstrated success increasing client revenue and profitability.
• Keen ability to communicate GBT’s value proposition up to and including the “C Suite”.
• Proven ability to create strategic vision, build action plans, set goals.
• Validated innovative problem-solving abilities and decision-making skills required, in addition to project management, prioritization, and planning skills.
• Strong financial acuity and analytical mentality required to use the key drivers of profitability.
• Strong negotiation skills, including the ability to handle objections and achieve mutually beneficial solutions with proven success in RFP management/negotiations.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively build and maintain a comprehensive network, both internally and externally, to successfully navigate through client organizations.
• A sophisticated range of communication and presentation skills to present sophisticated ideas in a simple and compelling way to a wide variety of audiences.
• Highly collaborative with proven success working in matrixed environments.
• Advanced Excel, Word and PowerPoint skills required.
• Multi-lingual a plus.
• Must be able to travel up to 25-40% of the time.

Location

The US national annual base salary range for this position is from $70,000 to $140,000. The national range provided includes the base salary that GBT expects to pay for the role. Actual base salary will be based on factors including the scope and complexity of the role and the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills, knowledge, and work location.

In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for either our Annual Incentive Award plan, which rewards participants based on company and individual performance, or eligible for one of our metric-driven Sales Incentive Plans (certain sales roles only). An eligible employee can only participate in one of these plans during an eligible period. This role is also eligible for awards under the company Equity Incentive Plan, which is designed to align participants' interests with those of shareholders. For information about our comprehensive US benefits programs and eligibility, please review our Benefits-at-a-Glance document.

Benefits at a glance

The #TeamGBT Experience

Work and life: Find your happy medium at Amex GBT.

• Flexible benefits are tailored to each country and start the day you do. These include health and welfare insurance plans, retirement programs, parental leave, adoption assistance, and more.

• Travel perks: get a choice of deals each week from major travel providers on everything from flights to hotels to cruises and car rentals.

• Develop the skills you want when the time is right for you, with global tuition assistance, access to over 20,000 courses on our learning platform, leadership courses, and new job openings available to internal candidates first.

• We strive to champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in every aspect of our business at GBT. You can connect with colleagues through our global Inclusion Groups, centered around common identities or initiatives, to discuss challenges, obstacles, achievements, and drive company awareness and action.

• Wellbeing resources to support mental and emotional health for you and your immediate family.

• And much more!

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to age, gender identity (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, disability, veteran status, citizenship or marital status. It is our policy to maintain an equal-opportunity environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias for our candidates, colleagues, clients and suppliers.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please, let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the hiring process. For more details, please consult GBT Recruitment Privacy Statement.

What if I don’t meet every requirement? If you’re passionate about our mission and believe you’d be a phenomenal addition to our team, don’t worry about “checking every box;" please apply anyway. You may be exactly the person we’re looking for!