Head of Commercial Sales - Chamberlain Advisors

Chamberlain Advisors is currently conducting an executive search for a Head of Commercial Sales - Digital Advertising for our direct client Viamo, a rapidly growing mobile technology social enterprise with employees working in more than 35+ countries revolutionizing how organizations engage with their end-users.

In this head of position, reporting directly to the COO, you will structure, set the vision for, and lead the commercial sales organization as it expands into new and untapped emerging markets ripe for digital ad sales capabilities. You will initially oversee a 2-person commercial sales function that is expected to grow significantly in the next 12 - 18 months.

You will facilitate, advise, and collaborate with leadership on sales strategy, and new market fit to meet corporate growth objectives. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an executive who is inspired by our client’s mission and who has a significant track record of successful financial decision-making and inclusive people leadership.

Core profile: alignment with one of these two core profiles is required to get you in the conversation.

• Head of commercial sales leadership experience for an organization or business unit: A strategic leader, visionary, people leader, and an advocate of an organization’s product (or products). Demonstrated history of leading and facilitating B2B sales and sales management processes that deliver value to users, customers, and the business. Deep experience in digital ads sales and leading sales expansion into new or emerging markets.
• Significant sales management and functional leadership: A seasoned sales professional that has led core aspects of the sales function and is ready now for promotion to the head of commercial sales level. A senior sales leader that has been in charge of a broad scope of sales-related activities: structuring the sales organization, leading new market expansion, market fit, and sales strategy. Experience interviewing, recruiting, and supervising a rapidly growing commercial sales function.

Differentiators: these will set you apart in the selection process.

• Structuring the commercial sales organization - Experience setting up, maturing, and scaling a high-performance commercial sales function. Establishes policies, procedures, and best practices with the goal of building and delivering the best possible experiences for users, customers, and subsequent value for the company.
• Self-starter & Entrepreneurial Spirit - Desire to want to build, grow, and own the outcomes of a business’s success. Someone with a continuous improvement mindset capable of driving for results often with limited or incomplete information. Fast learner who takes initiative to learn quickly, is proactive and goal-oriented, and runs with what information is available vs. waiting to be told what to do next. Self-motivated, self-directed, and keeps things moving to achieve objectives by deadlines. Someone who describes themselves as innovative and wants to change the way things are done today for the better.
• Sales Leadership & Digital Marketing - Significant experience managing, motivating, and engaging employees in an effort to develop and foster a client focused culture that incorporates the voice-of-customer, and continuously seeks out ways to add value and benefits for the customer. Develops, mentors, and inspires others with a shared vision of success. Candidates who have embraced using digital marketing technology within the sales process to improve results, obtain feedback, and measure the impact of processes changes with metrics and results. Capable of partnering with and managing third party marketing agencies to set up and maximize the ROI of digital marketing capabilities available.
• Digital Ads Sales Acumen - Candidates must demonstrate a history of success selling digital adverting solutions. Will have a deep understanding of how sales work within commercial settings. Possesses a strong understanding of how digital advertising solutions / platform products create value for commercial customers.
• Interpersonal Communication Skills - Candidates who have demonstrated the ability to clearly and concisely communicate, both oral and written, at all levels within an organization. Candidates who listen first, then quickly assess and understand the specific communication needs of their audience, adjusting their communication style and approach to ensure understanding and comprehension. Must be socially aware of environment, audience, and other situational variables and adjust communication style and approach to meet the communication needs of that unique situation.
• Significant cross-cultural agility and inclusive leadership - Deep experience within a variety of global and multi-cultural environments, ideally in Africa, as demonstrated by work experience or language skills (French preferred not required); most importantly compassion and appreciation for a wide variety of cultures, experience influencing and coaching highly diverse teams.
• Global / multinational work experience - Accustomed to working with remote teams, including building deep, enjoyable long-distance work relationships ideally within Africa or globally. International work experience, technically savvy and comfortable using collaboration tools and technologies to interact with cross-functional teams globally. Willingness to work on Africa time zones or relocate to Africa.
• Planning & Organization - Demonstrated ability to stay organized and focused on the highest priorities of the organization within quickly changing, and fast paced environments. Effectively plans and self-manages time to keep key initiatives, and project workstream activities organized to meet organizational objectives. Able to handle advancing priorities against the ones they planned originally.

You Will Be Accountable For

Strategic sales function leadership, teamwork, collaboration & coordination

• The Head of Commercial Sales will utilize enhanced solution selling, territory management, and business planning capabilities to execute on strategies that maximize sales performance within the assigned geography.

• Develop and execute sales strategies to maximize profitable revenue, increase customer base and identify new business opportunities. Propose and implement penetration into new markets.
• Personally, manage customer accounts via direct interaction at all levels of the sales process including proactive follow up for future needs.
• In conjunction with marketing, develop and implement strategic growth initiatives.
• Meet growth objectives both overall and for key platform products via new account penetration.
• Oversee staff including all hiring, training, coaching, mentorship, professional development, and performance management of a rapidly growing commercial sales team.
• Work closely with each member of the team to help them get the best out of themselves. Provide both positive re-enforcement and critical feedback to help each team member exceed expectations. Make crucial decisions on advancement and retention as required.
• Set, manage and monitor goals for the team, including but not limited to sales forecasts and lead generation activities.
• Develop and manage proper commission plans for each internal sales representative. Evaluate different ways to motivate both individual performance and team goals.
• Use the sales tools in place to derive a data driven approach to monitor and focus the team’s efforts on the right activities to drive more leads, move them through a sales funnel, and close new business.
• Provide valuable feedback using the sales management tools in place to enhance performance and demonstrate areas of improvement to optimize results.
• Create and regularly produce reports for the company that explains the progress of the team. Use data to show how the results have been or can be improved.
• Working closely with management on handling all reporting and employee issues.

What Qualifications You Need

• Bachelor’s Degree not specifically required but preferred. Ultimately, quality of experience will be held in a higher regard than academic credentials.
• Typically, 7 - 10+ years of total experience and progressive career growth within highly diverse, global, scaling organizations. Preferably has experience working within a company that is considered to have established world class digital advertising sales processes and sales management best practices.

• Minimum of 3, ideally 5 or more, years of experience providing executive leadership, management, and oversight of commercial sales teams larger than 5 - 15 (Direct & Indirect). Demonstrated experience managing the success and outcomes of others.
• Minimum of 3, ideally 5 or more, years of experience working with remote teams, including building deep, enjoyable long-distance work relationships with teams located across multiple time zones globally.
• Typically, 5 years’ experience managing sales teams preferably within a digital advertising sales function.
• Will have prior experience or current specialization in digital advertising sales.
• Experience identifying, defining, implementing, and monitoring metrics and KPIs related to sales performance and success; tracks data on an ongoing basis and makes objective data-driven decisions.
• Cross-cultural agility to collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders from an extreme diversity of backgrounds, across the globe.
• Ability to learn quickly through experimentation and a preference to be curious about root causes.
• Ability to manage execution of long-term and complex projects by delegating, planning, prioritizing, and optimizing systems.
• Skill to build networks, formally and informally across a range of stakeholders.
• French language skills desirable, but not required.