Business Development Director

Willis Towers Watson; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Hybrid working options

Private healthcare

Life insurance

Group income protection

Pension with matched contributions up

Job summary

Willis Towers Watson is seeking a commercially driven Business Development Director to shape and drive growth across Retail, Leisure & Hospitality, including Sports, Media and Entertainment.

You will build a sector prospect universe, identify opportunities and lead the sales cycle from initial engagement through onboarding, while collaborating with industry specialists to position WTW’s capabilities with senior decision-makers.

Qualifications

• Experience in generating and converting new business opportunities in insurance, risk advisory, consulting or related corporate sales environments.
• Strong commercial and relationship-building skills with an established network of senior decision-makers.
• Ability to engage and influence C-suite stakeholders; excellent presentation and negotiation abilities.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the Retail, Leisure & Hospitality new business strategy across the UK.
• Lead pitches, RFP responses and client presentations; manage the sales process from engagement to onboarding.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive sector prospect universe; build relationships with CFOs, risk managers and investors.
• Collaborate with WTW colleagues to leverage full capabilities and ensure accurate pipeline and forecasting.

Skills

Business development

Relationship building

C-suite engagement

Negotiation skills

Education

ACII qualification

Job description

Description

Join us as a commercially driven and ambitious Business Development Director to shape and drive new business growth across our Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Practices.

This is a strategic business development role focused on generating new business and expanding our market presence across Retail, Leisure & Hospitality, including Sports, Media and Entertainment. The successful candidate will work alongside industry specialists, client advocates and subject matter experts to identify, develop and convert high-quality opportunities across the UK market.

The role offers a unique opportunity to shape and execute the growth strategy for one of the UK's leading industry-focused insurance and risk advisory practices. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining a comprehensive sector prospect universe, creating new market opportunities, and positioning WTW's full range of capabilities with senior decision-makers.

The Role

Business Development & Growth

• Owning and delivering the Retail, Leisure & Hospitality new business strategy.
• Building, maintaining and continually enhancing a comprehensive prospect universe across target sectors.
• Identifying, qualifying and developing opportunities within Retail, Hospitality, Leisure and Sports.
• Creating and executing targeted business development campaigns to generate new opportunities.
• Building relationships with CFOs, Finance Directors, Risk Managers, General Counsel, Investors and Private Equity stakeholders.
• Developing strong relationships with trade bodies, industry associations, professional advisers and other centres of influence.
• Leading the sales process from initial engagement through to conversion and onboarding.
• Coordinating and leading pitches, RFP responses and client presentations.
• Working collaboratively across WTW to bring the firm's full breadth of capabilities to prospects.
• Maintaining accurate pipeline management, forecasting and CRM discipline.
• Representing WTW at industry events, conferences and networking forums.
• Achieving agreed revenue, sales and growth objectives.

Market Development

• Supporting the continued growth of WTW's Retail, Leisure & Hospitality proposition.
• Identifying emerging sectors and new market entrants.
• Developing opportunities within hotels, gyms, leisure operators, sportswear retailers, sports clubs, stadia and wider consumer businesses.
• Partnering with WTW colleagues to support the execution of the wider Sports Industry growth strategy.
• Providing market intelligence and competitor insights to inform strategic decision making.

Qualifications

What you’ll bring

• Demonstrable success in generating and converting new business opportunities.
• Experience within insurance broking, risk advisory, consulting or a related corporate sales environment.
• Strong commercial and relationship-building skills.
• An established network of senior corporate decision-makers.
• Experience engaging and influencing C-suite stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation, negotiation and communication skills.
• A strategic mindset and strong market awareness.
• The ability to develop compelling value propositions and differentiated client solutions.
• A self-starter mentality with high levels of energy, resilience and accountability.
• Experience managing complex sales cycles and multiple stakeholders.
• ACII qualification or equivalent desirable but not essential.

What Success Looks Like

• Growth of the sector prospect universe.
• Pipeline creation and opportunity conversion.
• New business revenue generation.
• Number and quality of strategic relationships established.
• Increased market penetration across priority sectors.
• Contribution to the overall growth objectives of the Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Practice.
• Effective collaboration across WTW to deliver growth outcomes.

What we offer

Enjoy a benefits package designed to help you thrive, both professionally and personally. You'll receive 25 days of annual leave plus an extra WTW day to relax and recharge. Our comprehensive health and wellbeing offering includes private healthcare, life insurance, group income protection, and regular health assessments, all giving you peace of mind. Secure your future with our defined contribution pension scheme, featuring matched contributions up to 10% from the company.

We support your growth and balance with hybrid working options, access to an employee assistance programme, and a fully paid volunteer day to make a difference in your community. On top of these, you can opt into a variety of additional perks including an electric vehicle car scheme, share scheme, cycle-to-work programme, dental and optical cover, critical illness protection, and much more. Start making the most of your career and wellbeing with a range of benefits tailored for you.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email [e-mail]