RELATIONSHIP DIRECTOR, FAST-GROWING ASSET SERVICING BANK, recruitment
• The Director, Relationship Management must be a leader: we are looking for those who will play an effective role on the country management committees, building the brand and acting as spokesman for the industry;
• The Relationship Director is responsible for the strategic dialogue with the C-suite of asset manager clients. Operational work is handled by Client Services;.
• Origination or sales is defined as pure new business development. Relationship Managers defend the franchise, and are targeted on up- and cross-selling;
• Career prospects are excellent: successful employees may move up the chain of command in Hong Kong; or subsequently transfer to a senior position within the international bank. The Heads of Countries all have a Sales/Relationship Management focus;
• Cross-border experience is essential;
• They must at some point in their career have worked for an anglo-saxon institution;
• Our client is interested in individuals with strong business acumen, with proven ability to build businesses and manage teams as well as the IT skills needed to understand the bank’s complex cross-border fund administration solutions;
• They should possess sound knowledge of alternative asset classes and the local financial infrastructure, fund managers and regulators.
Candidate Profile:
• Although the ideal candidate must be familiar with the core activity, investor services, our client would also be interested in considering talented individuals with an extensive understanding of, and close ties to, other parts of the buy side, consultancy, or buy-side financial IT. Personality and aptitude however and the key factors;
• They will be dynamic rapport-builders, socially outward-going; with personalities which are strong and positive;
• We seek good team workers with management skills. They should understand and empathise with colleagues in Product Development, Customer Services, Operations and IT, all essential to make the deal succeed; although these have separate reporting lines;
• English is essential; Cantonese in this role would be a distinct advantage; as would Mandarin.
Reporting line: to the Managing Director, Head of Hong Kong. He is Canadian, has 20 years in the Financial Services business, and rose to be Head of North American Sales in a financial services company before joining the bank 8 years ago. Although he works hard, he is a supporter of the work/life balance, pleasant to work with, good at developing strong relationships.
Interviews: The bank has a strong collegiate culture. Interviews will be with the Managing Director, Head of Hong Kong, the Head of HR, Hong Kong and finally with the Global Head of Sales and Distribution, who visits Hong Kong in early September. The ultimate hiring decision will lie with the Managing Director.
Remuneration: The Bank has a highly competitive remuneration structure, consisting of a base; a bonus, a commission (LTIP) scheme, plus the usual banking package. Given the importance of this role, both now and in the future, they are prepared to pay well to attract the right calibre of candidate: probably around HK$ 1.2-1.4m.