Global Account Director recruitment

FTSE is a fast growing, high profile independent company owned by the London Stock Exchange Group.  Its mission is to provide investors globally with the best index and benchmarking solutions and decision making support tools.  The strategic intent of the company is to create an index business valued in excess of $3 billion by 2014, occupying a leadership position in all major developed and significant emerging markets.

FTSE is a leading provider of index data for institutional investors worldwide with over $3 trillion of assets benchmarked to FTSE indexes. Growing at over 20% each year, and working from a position of market leadership in the UK and Europe, FTSE’s strategy is to increase FTSE brand awareness globally and to continue to grow its business worldwide through acquisitions and partnerships as well as organic growth. 

FTSE is relied upon by financial markets globally, running the FTSE 100, FTSE MIB (Italy), Straits Times (Singapore), FTSE/JSE (South Africa) and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI.  The company is at the forefront of indexes for the emerging market in China, operating the FTSE China A50 which supports the leading A Share ETF in Hong Kong. FTSE also works with the world’s biggest asset owners such as CalPERS, OMERS, PGGM, AP3, AP7, ABN Amro, UBS, MPF and the Future Fund, as well as the world’s largest passive fund managers, including Blackrock, State Street, Legal and General and UBS and all of the major Investment Banks. 

FTSE operates from three major centres in London, New York and Hong Kong.  The company also has satellite offices in San Francisco, Paris, Milan, Dubai, Tokyo, Beijing, Mumbai and Sydney.  

BUSINESS NEED

FTSE plays a significant and influential role in financial markets worldwide and has strong relationships within the financial services industry and with government and regulatory agencies worldwide. 

Reporting to the Managing Director – Global Strategic Account Management, the Account Director – GSAM is at the hub of the business, responsible for developing our global business with important European based Accounts.

Key Functions and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Managing Director – Global Strategic Account Management the individual will be responsible for managing some of our most important accounts as part of the newly created GSAM function within FTSE.  Working closely with the Regional Sales Heads and regional sales executives and using their resource to implement growth plans, the Account Director will have as their key areas of responsibility:

• Global responsibility for named GSAM accounts

• Achievement of revenue growth targets

• Development and implementation of strategic growth plans to increase adoption and penetration of FTSE services within names accounts

• Development of strategic account plans

• Work with the global sales team on execution of the account plans

• Identify innovative solutions to provide our clients with a competitive advantage

• Develop and manage key relationships with senior and/or influential contacts


Key aspects of the position are:

• Management and growth of a number of Tier One Accounts

• Creation of detailed and long term – 3 to 5 year plans for named accounts

• Understanding the drivers of our key accounts and the ability to develop and implement strategies to better align the firm with our clients’ business

• Working with FTSE’s CEO Group to develop and maintain high level strategic relationships with Tier One clients

• Ability to work cross functionally to ensure that full value is delivered to the client in terms of FTSE product, service and professional expertise

• Ability to recognize the importance of true solution selling

Qualifications/Experience

It is expected that the candidate will be able to deliver each of the key objectives of the role identified above. It is therefore expected that he or she will have:

• Senior sales experience with 8+ years in the area of financial data, investment markets or closely related areas

• Proven ability to work with clients and influencers at a senior level

• Experience of working with clients in the global arena, specifically with global investment banks

• Strong and deep knowledge of the financial markets across both buy and sell side areas

• Proven background in solution selling and GSAM functions

Type of Person

This is a highly commercially focused role that requires strategic vision.  The individual will need to have the following key attributes: