Director of Sales, EMEA (maternity cover)

THE POSITION

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ is seeking a highly-motivated individual as part of the global sales team with the development and implementation of global sales strategies focusing on both business and leisure travel in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The sales department is the driving force to increase revenue via the SLH channels: web, voice, GDS, VIP desks and sales offices. The brand enjoys an excellent position in the global luxury travel market and this role requires a good understanding of all EMEA luxury leisure markets and the main corporate markets. The ideal candidate will have a strong sales and marketing background, property-level or regional sales experience (min. 3 years), and excellent communication and presentation skills. The position is a maternity cover between 15th February 2022 and 14th February 2023, with the option to extend to a permanent position.

OVERVIEW

The Director of Sales, EMEA will be responsible for the following initiatives:

Leisure Travel

Maintain and grow comprehensive database of key clients in significant markets within EMEA
Build niche database of key luxury travel clients in new and emerging markets
Mix of database and relationship management visiting key clients
Assist with existing and developing client relationships and new business opportunities
Develop strategic alliances with leisure- and corporate travel trade and preferred partners in close collaboration with the Travel Trade Community Manager
Build up a strong relationship with American Express TLS (FHR/THC) and participate in workshops and other business-related events organised by them
Formulate business plans, implement effective sales strategies and conduct business reviews to increase revenue for SLH hotels and the brand
Work closely with the Global Events Manager to manage and conduct road shows, showcases, third party client events and trade shows in EMEA
Develop further the preferred agency programme withIN in close collaboration with the Travel Trade Community Manager
Monitor competitive activities by constantly improving market intelligence and by implementing pro-active sales initiatives in the region
Support worldwide sales and marketing team with multiple regional sales strategies to increase brand awareness and reservations revenue
Create productive business partnerships with SLH hotels by working in tandem with General Managers, Directors of Sales and/or Marketing and Revenue Managers
Drive as much revenue as possible through SLH distribution channels
Support the SLH brand culture across all sectors
Work to agreed goals and targets to maximise profitability for the region and brand
Deliver reports and expenses in a timely manner

Corporate Travel

Increase production for designated corporate EMEA/UK accounts by servicing existing business relationships through: visiting on-site; conducting sales blitzes independently and with member hotels; distribution of collateral/promotions; and recommending member properties in new destinations/areas of market need
Develop and grow new accounts within the corporate market segment by creating brand awareness, building relationships with key contacts, and through recommending SLH member properties
Drive qualified, quantifiable revenue via the SLH channels: web, voice, GDS, VIP desk, and worldwide sales offices
Manage the centralized corporate RFP programme alongside Director of Corporate Sales based in New York, utilizing Lanyon and other third-party RFP tools
Maintain constant communication with other members of the SLH Corporate Sales Team in APAC and Americas to ensure total account coverage for member hotels
Work alongside the Director of Corporate Sales and SLH Distribution Managers to manage rate loading process
Attend professional and industry meetings, tradeshows, and events within the EMEA/UK region to elevate brand awareness and identify potential new corporate accounts
Establish a strong working relationship with American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) and Preferred Partners in the UK and participate in any relevant workshops/business related events in EMEA/UK region
Build, maintain, and nurture relationships with existing and new member hotels, providing training and assistance as required
Establish and maintain a consistent corporate image throughout all product lines, promotional materials, and events
Ensure a high level of customer service to internal (SLH property) and external (corporate) clients
Work closely with Corporate Sales team in NYC, Director of Sales, APAC with regards to regional corporate accounts, and SLH Account Managers to support hotels within the corporate negotiated segment

REPORTING LINES

Vice President of Sales, EMEA (London) with a dotted line to the Director of Corporate Sales (NYC) for corporate sales due to global nature of some accounts
Will work closely with Director of Sales, DACH, APAC, the Americas East- and West Coast and the Corporate Sales Team in New York

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
THE POSITION – SPECIFICS (BOTH SECTORS)

Primary Functions:

Room Night/Revenue Generation: Directly responsible for reservation and revenue volume increases from the corporate, consortia and leisure travel market which includes the following sources: travel managers, corporate on-sites, corporate travel agencies for negotiated accounts as well as leisure travel agents
Presentation: Effectively present the SLH brand to key corporate travel managers and leisure travel agents, during various market events and sales activities.
Leadership: To provide clear direction, training, and assistance to SLH member hotels, as required.
Strategy and Planning: Key contributor to the long-term strategy of SLH within the EMEA region
Analysis: Fully monitor and evaluate all activities to assess areas of market need, re-evaluate poorly performing programmes, and make recommendations for the future as well as to right-fit SLH properties.
Administration and Database Management: Ensure all activity is run efficiently and effectively, and within budget.
Policies and Procedures: Ensure adherence to SLH policies and procedures worldwide.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATOINS AND EXPERIENCES

Experienced sales professional, with minimum of three years either on- property or regional hotel sales experience within the corporate and leisure sectors
Excellent presentation and negotiation skills
Fluent in English, preferably with 1 or 2 additional languages (Spanish, French, or Italian)
Ability to perform assigned duties with attention to detail, speed, accuracy, follow- through, courtesy, cooperativeness and work with a minimum of supervision.
Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) and should be comfortable liaising with hotel owners, general managers and high-end clients
Good knowledge of Lanyon, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and preferably Salesforce and Sabre/SynXis
Creative and enthusiastic with a willingness to share new ideas
Must be flexible with working hours to ensure completion of projects
Based in Victoria, London
Frequent international travel (sometimes including Sat/Sun)

SUITABLE APPLICANTS

Should email a CV and a paragraph telling us why you’re the person for the job to: Vice President of Sales, EMEA, Carsten Lima at: jobs@slh.com.

EFFECTIVE DATE

15th February 2022

Who We Are

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) matches independently minded guests with independently spirited hotels. The diverse collection of over 520 hotels in more than 80 countries around the world includes everything from cutting edge design hotels and city centre sanctuaries to historic country mansions and remote private islands – all SLH hotels are consistently different, however, they are all united by the fact that they offer the best locations, highest quality, personalised service and a truly authentic way to discover a destination.

We turned the luxury boutique hotel into a phenomenon back in 1990 and since then we’ve gone to every major capital, taken the path less travelled and journeyed to the edge of the map to seek out and select the distinctive, the diverse and the downright delightful.