National Business Development Account Executive

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, the Business Development Account Executive (BDAE), Canada is a key member of the Business Development Marketing (BDM) Team. The BDAE, Canada will assist in building a more agile and effective sales and marketing capability that will underpin long-term sustainable and profitable growth for Markel Canada. This role reflects Markel’s increasing focus on the customer and its move away from providing products on a purely transactional basis, toward solution-oriented relationships.

What part will you play?
A key member of the Canadian BDM Team which oversees and leads Sales & Marketing activities across Markel Canada, the BDAE, Canada, will work closely with the SVP, Sales & Marketing as well as other senior Field Leadership Team (FLT) leads to drive the significant growth ambitions for the Canadian market. This will include leveraging data and market insights to proactively identify and target customers and effectively building the customer journey with a focus on customer experience.

If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it. Because, at Markel, the work we do gives people the confidence to move forward and seize opportunities. Whether you’re wild about horses, bananas for boats, or driven by data, you’ll find your fit amongst our global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to go further because we believe that when we realize our potential, we can help others reach theirs.

The Opportunity:

Become a key member of the Canadian BDM Team which oversees and leads Sales & Marketing activities across Markel Canada.

What you'll be doing:

1. Sales and Marketing Activities

In collaboration with the SVP, Sales & Marketing, regional field colleagues, product line, and sector leaders, deliver on the execution of business development strategies, which includes:

Manage owner/executive/decision maker level relationships across key broker portfolio, taking personal ownership of this relationship on behalf of Markel

Lead regular, structured review meetings to ensure the quality of the relationship and mutual growth is to standard and on plan

Deliver clear communication of Markel's strategy, value proposition and product capabilities to all employees within your broker portfolio

Be viewed as a trusted advisor to your external contacts and be recognized as an expert in your field

Influence and advance Markel's interests through strong interpersonal and presentation skills

Direct contact with new and existing broker clients throughout and across Canada to introduce, either in person or on video calls, Markel Canada’s risk appetite and in turn to discover the broker’s book of business and how that book aligns with Markel’s products. To ask for in-appetite new business submissions, and to facilitate underwriters getting in front of brokers and producers as a direct means to grow topline premiums.

Use advanced questioning techniques to determine motivations and parameters for how we can achieve positive sales outcomes

Use competitor scenarios to positively position Markel and our offerings

Deliver our proposition clearly, succinctly and professionally always

Link our proposition and/or proposal to their needs and requirements - ensuring the customer fully understands why Markel is right for them

Identify and pursue new business opportunities that match Markel Canada’s risk appetite by datamining client renewal databases.

Identify, coordinate and attend industry and broker events and tradeshows as required.

With at the forefront and guiding principle of all actions, work and engage consistently in a manner that helps to cultivate a team of motivated staff, capable of supporting Markel Canada’s strategic focus as a sector and online specialist with a bias toward liability.

Deliver both distribution and product segmentation to support the development of the products and services suite and ensure an effective distribution focus.

Contribute nationally to ensure that annual goals for organizational success are relevant, measurable, communicated and with frequent feedback provided (formally and informally) with applicable domestic and international colleagues.

Support with the necessary collaboration with business partners (HR, Underwriting and Claims) to determine and deliver appropriate training and professional development for the teammates across Markel Canada.
 

2. CRM and Database Platforms

Assist in the setup, implementation and ongoing data maintenance of Markel Canada’s Client Relationship Management (CRM) software platform to ensure the integrity of the data is accurate and is being consistently input by Markel team members across Canada.

Use CRM for all sales engagement and quote activity

Identify and articulate IT issues and opportunities and ensure they are clearly communicated so that they can be appropriately addressed

Provide strong pipeline management and broker portfolio reporting and insight

Provide accurate monthly new business forecasting

3. Strategy Development and Delivery

Partner with other BDAE colleagues, and the SVP, Sales & Marketing to produce sales and marketing strategies that increase brand awareness, deliver on our ambitious growth plans and increase Markel’s market presence in Canada.

Support, plan and deliver business growth targets for the Canadian businesses as a member of the Canadian BDM Team.

Segment and analyze portfolio to identify most profitable sub-segment and those areas where remedial action should be taken

Consider a portfolio of risks for given class(es) of business according to Markel's underwriting principles in order to optimize growth

4. Planning and Product Information

In partnership with the SVP, Sales & Marketing, product line leaders (USP), the Field Leadership Team (FLT), and the Markel Canada marketing team, contribute to the development of client facing sales and marketing materials for Canada

Ensure that Markel Canada’s website client facing product information is accurate and reflects the Underwriting teams current risk appetite.

Provide support with the distribution of customer marketing communications, event and presentations (internal and external presentations), including reporting statistics on penetration of broker, online and affinity markets.

Demonstrate expertise on our products and the detail that sits behind them plus compare and contrast with the competition

Understand the principles of technical rating engines and monitoring portfolio rate adequacy

Support and contribute to the development and the launch of all new products, services, and territories within the market.

Identify opportunities to improve existing products

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Support in producing a national business development sales and marketing strategy to deliver ambitious growth plans that aligns with the Markel targets.

Support for the Markel brand in Canada, delivering marketing and distribution synergies where appropriate.

Support in delivering segmentation to assist in the development of the product and services suite and ensure an effective distribution focus.

Identifying and assist in the development of new customer verticals that complement the existing business.

Increasing Markel’s market presence through an efficient approach to clients with Markel offerings.

Increasing awareness and penetration of broker, online and affinity markets.

Our Must haves:

Applicable education and significant progressive sales and business experience within the insurance and/or financial services industries. They will have a proven track record deploying innovative strategies to achieve superior business results.

Ideal candidate has underwriting and/or broker experience in the Property & Casualty industry in Canada or elsewhere.

Understanding of intermediary distribution channels, with an emphasis on commercial insurance brokerages, and a proven ability and track record of winning business in partnership/affinity models. Non-intermediated sales experience would be an additional asset.

An accomplished team player, they create trust, influence and credibility at all levels. They put the needs of the team first and are supportive, curious, collaborative and candid, open to new ideas and innovation.

They will possess the strategic thinking ability and agility to assess the competitive landscape, successfully anticipate what the competition will do next and execute a winning strategy

Focused, data and outcome driven, the BDAE, Canada, alongside the SVP, Sales & Marketing, and other regional field leads, will play a contributing role in building a more results driven accountable culture, aimed at ensuring the business is nimble, customer focused and can make effective, fact based decisions swiftly.

 An effective relationship builder with deep sales literacy, they really understand how to successfully sell ideas, products and/or concepts both internally and externally, building durable networks. An exceptional communicator, they present the organization’s value proposition with poise, passion and purpose.

Proactive, confident and self-motivated, they bring an unshakable belief in long term value creation over short-term successes, establishing a high level of credibility externally and internally.

With demonstrated brand management expertise, they bring experience building a corporate brand, serving as an effective brand ambassador and storyteller, with strength in appropriate aspects of branding including e-commerce, digital and business-to-business.

Analytically skilled and has good project management capabilities.

Self-starter with a curious and progressive mind.

Approaches change in a positive manner

Takes ownership and accountability for own development and achievement of goals

Actively helps others to succeed

Demonstrates inclusive behaviours

Holds self and others accountable to Markel's cultural standards

Experience developing professional grade sales and marketing content is an additional asset.

Skilled in using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Dynamics (CRM), which are required for Markel’s reporting and communication.

Familiarity with AI and data driven knowledge software platforms is an additional asset.
 

Values driven and humble, the candidate displays the Markel Competencies of:

Pursuit of excellence

Consistently provides quality work products

Adapts behaviour to reflect the style of others to foster effective working relationships

Finds the most efficient and practical means of overcoming challenges
 

Customer focus

Actively looks for solutions to customer problems

Seeks to further knowledge of customer needs

Builds relationships with customers and responds to needs by demonstrating tact, empathy and professionalism
 

Business results

Seeks the best and most direct option to accomplish tasks

Demonstrates effective organisation skills

Applies logic and draws accurate conclusions from information
 

Collaboration

Helps others succeed

Approaches change in a positive manner

Listens for and acts on key information
 

Strong foundations

Holds self and others accountable to ethical standards

Takes ownership and accountability for own development

Shows accountability and resilience in achieving goals
 

Who we are:

Markel Group (NYSE – MKL) a Fortune 500 company with over 60 offices in 20+ countries, is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, specialist advisory and investment operations around the world.

We’re all about people | We win together | We strive for better | We enjoy the everyday | We think further

What’s in it for you:

A great starting salary plus annual bonus potential & strong benefits package 20 vacation days plus additional floater days per year Fantastic company RRSP, extended health and dental coverage, life insurance, travel insurance, vision care and wellness initiatives There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career and we can provide the support needed to do just that
 

Are you ready to play your part?

Choose ‘Apply Now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.

Markel celebrates the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you. We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer, which means you'll have a positive experience applying for a role at Markel and are able to perform at your best. If there are any adjustments we can reasonably make to ensure that the process is accessible for you at every stage please let us know.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with all reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us to request any accommodations that may be needed. 

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