Account Development Lead, LIONS Advisory

Informa Group Plc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global events company is seeking an Account Development Lead to foster strategic relationships with high-value clients. This role involves driving growth through proactive relationship development and ensuring top-notch service delivery. The ideal candidate will possess strong commercial acumen and a passion for client success, with experience in B2B consulting. Join a dynamic team committed to creative transformation and lasting partnerships. This role is based in Greater London, UK.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Flexible personal benefits

Career development opportunities

Private medical cover

ShareMatch scheme

Qualifications

• Proven track record in managing high-value client accounts.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills across diverse cultures.
• Experience in B2B consulting or advisory roles.

Responsibilities

• Nurture relationships with strategic accounts.
• Drive account growth through intelligent service expansion.
• Ensure excellent service delivery and client satisfaction.

Skills

Client Relationship Management

Commercial Acumen

Project Management

Communication Skills

CRM Proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Account Development Lead, LIONS Advisory

Full-time

Informa Festivals marks an exciting new chapter in B2B events, bringing some of the world's most influential creative, technology and business festivals together. We’re combining prestigious events like Cannes Lions, Black Hat, Money20/20, GDC, and London Tech Week with cutting‑edge marketing intelligence platforms and advisory services to deliver unmissable experiences and insights.

Our festival‑led approach reimagines traditional B2B events, creating powerful, immersive experiences that drive innovation and industry advancement. Building on decades of expertise and powered by Informa’s international reach, we’re shaping the next generation of business festivals.

We’re part of Informa, a global business with a network of trusted brands in specialist markets across more than 30 countries, and a member of the FTSE 100 who are #3 in Glassdoor's Best Places to Work 2025 UK list.

LIONS Advisory is the consulting arm of the LIONS business. LIONS operates across four key pillars – Events, Intelligence, Advisory and Learning. Our collective goal at LIONS is to help businesses harness creative effectiveness for growth, and our activities encompass world‑renowned expertise and platforms: the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, WARC, Contagious and Effie Worldwide.

The ambition of the LIONS Advisory team is simple: to be the world’s best creative Advisory service for marketers, fuelling cultures of creative effectiveness that deliver business growth. We are a 40‑strong, multi‑regional team working across three core products: Creative Transformation, Thought Leadership and Cannes Lions Curated. Our client list includes some of largest, most influential and most successful marketing organisations in the world.

This role is based in our 5 Howick Place office.

We are seeking a dynamic and relationship-focused Account Development Lead to join our team, working with some of our highest value clients. This role is pivotal in nurturing long‑term partnerships that span multiple years as clients embark on their creative transformation journeys.

As Account Development Lead, you will be responsible for both servicing our most strategic accounts and proactively driving growth through intelligent relationship development and service expansion. You will serve as the primary relationship steward for a handful of key and high‑value clients, ensuring exceptional service delivery while identifying opportunities to deepen our partnership and expand our impact on their business. This role requires someone who combines commercial acumen with genuine passion for client success and creative effectiveness.

Key Accountabilities

Client Relationship Management & Growth

Own and nurture relationships with key stakeholders across assigned high‑value client portfolio

Develop deep understanding of client business challenges, objectives, and creative transformation needs

Proactively identify and pursue intelligent opportunities to expand services and drive account growth

Serve as primary point of contact for strategic discussions and long‑term partnership planning

Build trusted advisor relationships that position LIONS Advisory as an essential strategic partner

Revenue Generation & Commercial Performance

Meet or exceed annual revenue targets through strategic account development and expansion

Maintain accurate and continuous commercial forecasting across client portfolio

Drive upselling and cross‑selling opportunities through deep client insight and needs analysis

Develop and execute account growth strategies aligned with client transformation journeys

Ensure optimal revenue recognition and contract renewal rates across managed accounts

Service Delivery & Project Coordination

Oversee delivery excellence for major ongoing client engagements and agreements

Collaborate with LIONS Advisory delivery teams to ensure adherence to timelines and project scopes

Manage client expectations and communications throughout service delivery lifecycle

Coordinate cross‑functional resources to deliver seamless client experiences

Resolve escalations and challenges proactively to maintain client satisfaction

Proactively identify and mitigate risks to client repeat revenue and long‑term partnerships

Develop and execute retention strategies to increase likelihood of continued engagement

Monitor client health indicators and implement intervention strategies when needed

Create contingency plans for at‑risk accounts and execute recovery initiatives

Ensure consistent value demonstration to justify continued investment in our services

Commercial Operations & Collaboration

Utilize CRM systems to maintain accurate and timely client relationship data

Collaborate with Intelligence, Partnerships, Learning and other teams to create seamless client experiences

Contribute to proposal development and RFP responses for existing and prospective clients

Support contract negotiations and manage terms and conditions discussions

Provide market intelligence and client feedback to inform product development

Commercial Excellence: Proven track record of achieving revenue targets through account development and relationship management

Client Relationship Skills: Exceptional ability to build and maintain strong relationships across diverse cultures and organizational levels

Advisory Experience: Experience in professional services, consulting, or advisory roles with complex B2B clients

Communication Mastery: Clear and compelling communication skills with ability to adapt messaging for diverse audiences

Project Management: Strong organizational skills with experience managing multiple client engagements simultaneously

Commercial Acumen: Understanding of contract management, RFPs, and commercial negotiations

CRM Proficiency: Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM systems (training provided if needed)

Personal Attributes

Client‑Centric Mindset: Genuine passion for client success and exceeding expectations

Strategic Thinking: Ability to see long‑term partnership opportunities and creative transformation potential

Resilient & Adaptable: Thrives in dynamic environment with ability to manage varied workload and competing priorities

Collaborative Spirit: Natural team player who contributes to both individual and collective success

Curious & Energetic: Continuous learner with “can‑do” attitude and drive to achieve ambitious targets

Cultural Intelligence: Comfortable working across different cultures and business environments

Results‑Oriented: Determined and persistent in pursuing growth opportunities and client outcomes

Integrity & Trust: Builds credible relationships through consistent delivery and transparent communication

We believe that great things happen when people connect face‑to‑face. That's why we work in‑person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not spending time together in one of our offices or other workplaces – like at an Informa event – you get the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely.

We work hard to make sure Life at Informa is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone. Here’s some of what you can expect when you join us. But don’t just take our word for it – see what our colleagues have to say LifeAt.Informa.com

Our benefits include:

• Great community: a welcoming culture with in‑person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on‑demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning. When it’s time for the next step, we encourage and support internal job moves
• Time out: 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after two years, plus a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year
• A flexible range of personal benefits to choose from, plus company funded private medical cover
• A ShareMatch scheme that allows you to become an Informa shareholder with free matching shares
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, a healthy living subsidy, access to health apps and more
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programmes
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world

We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. If it sounds like a match and you have most – although not all – of the skills and experience listed, we welcome your application.

If you would like to request reasonable adjustments or accommodations to assist your participation in the hiring process and, or in the advertised position, please inform the appropriate Talent Acquisition Partner for the role once they have been in touch. Your request will be reviewed and considered in confidence. At Informa, you'll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer. This means we base decisions on relevant qualifications and merit and do not discriminate on the basis of key characteristics and statuses, including all of those protected by law. Ask us or see our website for full information.

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