Senior Vice President, Sales – Americas

With its industry leading content marketing software platform, our client’s solutions allows its clients the ability to engage with their customers online by enabling them to deliver timely content that is highly relevant and more effective than traditional online advertising and sales channels.

Venture backed and led by a very experienced senior management team, our client has experienced tremendous growth since its inception and has a long list of Fortune 500 clients.

Based in Toronto, our client is privately owned and recently raised a large Series B round of funding.

Scope of Position

Reporting to the CEO, and assuming a pivotal position on the management team, the Senior Vice President Sales will be responsible for developing, directing and executing the company’s sales strategy for its content marketing platform into the enterprise markets.

Working as a ‘player/coach’ the SVP, Sales – Americas will drive top line results while building an effective and scalable outside sales, inside sales and lead generation organization.

This is an outstanding opportunity that features:

• Strong industry and company growth
• Highly entrepreneurial culture
• An opportunity to make a real difference

This role will appeal to individuals that are not satisfied with just ‘hitting-their-numbers’, but are driven to set new standards of performance in this emerging and exciting online field of ‘marketing’.

Functional Tasks

• Develop specific plans and strategies for market capture to achieve the company’s aggressive revenue and profit objectives.
• Take a major role in key account relationships, closing complex deals and building ongoing relationships.
• Hire, train, organize and effectively deploy a high performing sales organization. Architect the team ensuring that it has the resources, processes and operational capabilities by which to outperform and scale.
• Establish sales metrics and KPIs.
• Develop and implement enhanced sales processes to monitor sales funnels and forecasts. Establish a repeatable sales model incorporating a strong value proposition for the different client markets and geographies.
• Focus the team to accelerate and drive the growth of the business, new market development, sector leadership and profitability.
• Maintain, improve, and create senior level relationships with existing customers with a view to driving additional revenues.
• Ensure operational milestones are met on time, with high quality – and that they meet the cost objectives that are established.
• Remain abreast of the industry, competitors and trends.
• Report regularly and proactively to senior management on results and plans going forward.
• Adapt business model to capitalize on evolving customer needs and new competitive offerings.
• Participate in the company’s strategy planning sessions bringing forward innovative ideas and plans in an attempt to bring the company to the next level.
• Assist with corporate positioning and competitive analysis, customer segment selection and penetration plans, and related product positioning.
• Where appropriate, act as a spokesperson for the company with press and analysts and at industry events.
• Provide input on product roadmap that incorporates customer feedback and ensures competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Key Performance Deliverables

In light of the identified responsibilities, the following are specific deliverables that the position is designed to achieve.

• Specific measures of performance relating to revenues, customer acquisition, profitability, customer satisfaction, etc. will be discussed and agreed upon with the successful candidate.

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role of SVP, Sales – Americas: 

Results Orientation

Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.

Strategic Approach

Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long-term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.

Initiative

Proactive. Seizes opportunities and acts upon them immediately. Takes responsibility for own actions and addresses problems before asked.

Team Skills

Helps to create a sense of team spirit and harmonious relations through cooperation and support. Balances personal goals with those of the team. Fosters collaboration among team members.

Customer/Client Orientation

Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction. Develops high-impact relationships with key external clients, with the ability to envision and advocate a mutually beneficial long-term partnership between the company and the client.

Industry & Market Awareness

Seeks to anticipate and respond to industry and market changes/challenges by understanding key characteristics, issues and the factors driving them. Aware of competitor’s products, services and position.

Commercial Acumen

Applies appropriate commercial and financial principles. Understands situations in terms of costs, profits, added-value and return on investment. Appreciates the commercial impact of own work on the organization’s total expenses and revenues.

Preferred Experience / Education

The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.

• A highly intelligent, strategically minded sales executive with superb communication and interpersonal skills and a willingness to roll-up his/her sleeves.
• Understands market trends and analyzes customer buying patterns. Takes an organized and systemic approach to selling.
• Actively participates in the sales process, including interacting with potential and current customers.
• Has very practical and concrete orientation towards the selling process that emphasizes being responsive and action-orientated.
• Takes an approach to selling which emphasizes setting very high standards for achievement, and a strong results orientation.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of selling experience with at least five years in a leadership capacity with specific revenue growth responsibilities.
• Previous experience in a software based company required.
• North America wide experience preferably to mid-markets
• Early stage experience where the sales leader leads from the front and must wear multiple hats.
• Strong team orientation well-suited to building consensus in a growing concern.
• Toronto-based or willingness to relocate to Toronto.
• A charismatic, inspirational leader rather than manager.
• Highly competitive, industry-leading package comprised of base salary, and performance bonus. #J-18808-Ljbffr