Account Director, Global Sales (Groups & Meetings), Southeast or Central U.S.

The Account Director is responsible for driving revenue growth and increasing IHG market share across an assigned portfolio of Group Travel Partners. This role combines strategic account management with proactive business development in the groups and meetings segment and working with agency/intermediary customers to identify new opportunities, deepen customer partnerships and deliver against sales objectives for the Group Travel Partner Americas Sales team. 

Your day to day 

Strategic Account Management

• Develop meaningful relationships across multiple levels of the customer organization and maintain a consistent cadence of proactive customer engagement, including sales calls, business reviews, industry events and account activations.
• Effectively prioritize a diverse portfolio of accounts based on revenue potential, business need and strategic opportunity, balancing immediate sales opportunities with long-term account development.
• Use customer, market, and performance insights to develop strategies that identify business opportunities with existing and emerging Group Travel Partners.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the group and meetings segment, including the agency/intermediary landscape, customer buying behaviors and the dynamics that influence group business placement.
• Identify creative ways to drive incremental revenue and market share through strategic partnerships, mutual value opportunities and other innovative approaches.
• Anticipate and overcome objections through thoughtful research, impactful negotiation and creative problem-solving.
• Develop and execute Strategic Account Plans that establish clear growth priorities, sales strategies and measurable objectives for assigned accounts.
• Build relationships beyond established contacts to expand IHG's reach within assigned accounts, identifying new decision-makers, business units and sources of group opportunity.

Sales and Business Acumen

• Own both business development and strategic account management for the assigned portfolio, proactively identifying, pursuing and converting new opportunities that grow revenue, increase IHG share and uncover new sources of group business.
• Translate account, production, market and customer insights into specific sales actions, identifying performance gaps, share opportunities and areas requiring strategic focus.
• Demonstrate proficiency in relevant industry and IHG sales metrics, reporting and tools, with the ability to quickly learn and effectively leverage IHG systems, including Javelin and established sales methodologies.
• Take calculated, data-informed risks to close incremental revenue opportunities and shift market share to IHG.
• Maintain clear ownership of account performance, pipeline, opportunities and results, adjusting strategy when performance is not tracking to plan.
• Demonstrate curiosity and a seeker mentality, consistently looking beyond established relationships and traditional approaches to uncover untapped revenue and share opportunities.

Work Collaboratively

• Connect customer opportunities with IHG Hotels and internal stakeholders, effectively advocating for both the customer and IHG while driving opportunities toward conversion
• Build credibility with hotel ownership and property-level commercial teams, communicating account strategy and helping hotels capitalize on Group Travel Partner opportunities.
• Appropriately share information and ideas across stakeholder groups and IHG tools and resources to advance sales efforts
• Exhibit an ability to influence others within the organization to achieve intended outcomes
• Encourage and participate in open and honest dialogue amongst account teams, peers and leaders
• Champion interdependency and act as a liaison for Global Sales in cross-functional working groups

What we need from you

• Bachelor’s Degree in Management, Business, Hospitality or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of National Sales, Global Sales, on-property sales or other relevant sales experience, including demonstrated experience in the groups and meetings segment and working with agency/intermediary customers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the hotel industry, group sales and marketing, and business planning, along with strong sales, problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience organizing, planning and executing large-scale sales or account strategies from conception through implementation.
• Demonstrated executive-level verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage clients, vendors, senior leaders and other key stakeholders. Strong relationship management, negotiation and influencing skills required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of competitors’ sales strategies, positions and initiatives.
• Demonstrate strong commercial acumen and an understanding of operating within an owned, managed and franchised hotel environment. Experience working with franchise organizations or ownership constituencies is preferred.
• Experience working with globally scoped accounts, international markets, or cross-cultural stakeholders is strongly preferred.

Travel – 40%

Location – Remote: Candidate must reside in the Southeast or Central U.S. within one [1] hour of a major U.S. airport. 

The salary range for this role is $83,000.00 to $115,000.00.  This role is also eligible for bonus pay (as applicable). We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401K, and other benefits to employees.  

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