Global Account Manager - Asia Pacific

Job Purpose:

The Global Account Manager – Asia Pacific owns the growth, profitability and long-term health of an assigned portfolio of Haworth global accounts across the Asia Pacific region. The role connects a client's global workplace strategy to its execution in every Asia Pacific market. Working through Haworth country sales teams, the dealer network, and Global Account Manager colleagues in EMEA and the Americas, the incumbent ensures that each client receives one consistent, high-quality Haworth experience – whether the project is in Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Bengaluru, Sydney or any other market in the region. Success is defined by sustained revenue and margin growth, increased share of wallet, client retention and advocacy, and the strength of trusted relationships held at global, regional and country level.

A glimpse of your daily mission:

A. Account Strategy and Growth

• Own and execute a strategic account plan for each assigned global account, covering client business drivers, real estate and workplace roadmap, stakeholder map, whitespace opportunities, competitive position and a clear growth thesis for each country in scope.

• Grow revenue, margin and share of wallet against agreed targets; identify and convert opportunities to extend Haworth's footprint into new countries, business units, product categories and brands within the Haworth portfolio, including Haworth Collection and Poltrona Frau Group brands.

• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline with realistic value, timing and probability, and provide accurate monthly and quarterly forecasts to regional and global leadership.

• Identify, prioritise and pursue large-scale opportunities with global accounts and strategic alliance partners, mobilising the resources needed to win them.

B. Client Relationships and Influence

• Develop and sustain trusted relationships with client decision-makers and influencers at every level – from global real estate, workplace, procurement and sustainability leaders through to local facilities and project teams.

• Build and maintain influence across the wider ecosystem that shapes client decisions: architects and designers, project and cost management firms, workplace consultants, real estate brokers, landlords and developers.

• Act as the primary point of contact and escalation for assigned accounts, resolving issues quickly, transparently and to a standard that strengthens rather than merely protects the relationship.

• Represent Haworth credibly at client briefings, showroom and manufacturing tours, industry events and trade fairs, articulating the Haworth point of view on workplace performance, design and sustainability.

C. Commercial and Contract Leadership

• Lead complex negotiations for global and regional agreements, tenders and framework contracts, working with field sales, sales leadership, pricing, contracts, legal, finance and client procurement to reach agreements that are commercially sound and mutually beneficial.

• Defend and articulate Haworth's value in price-pressured situations, using total cost of ownership, lifecycle value, service capability and design quality rather than discount alone; escalate early and recommend a clear position where terms fall outside policy.

• Ensure global agreements are properly implemented, communicated and honoured across all Asia Pacific markets and dealers, and monitor compliance, pricing integrity and contract performance.

• Manage the commercial health of the portfolio – margin, payment terms, rebates, discount structures, project profitability and receivables risk – in partnership with finance.

D. Regional and Global Orchestration

• Lead virtual account teams across countries and functions without direct authority, setting a clear plan, defining roles, holding colleagues and partners to commitments and keeping everyone informed.

• Partner closely with Global Account Manager counterparts in EMEA and the Americas to maintain a single global account strategy, consistent client messaging and seamless handover of opportunities across regions and time zones.

• Coordinate with operations, supply chain, customer service, dealers and installation partners to ensure delivery meets or exceeds client expectations on quality, timing and cost across multiple markets.

• Share knowledge, pricing precedent, client intelligence and lessons learned with the wider global accounts community, and contribute to the coaching and development of less experienced colleagues.

E. Market Intelligence and Insight

• Monitor and interpret industry trends – including hybrid and evolving work patterns, workplace performance and wellbeing, sustainability and carbon reporting requirements, and shifts in regional real estate activity – and translate them into practical advice for clients and into opportunities for Haworth.

• Track competitor activity, pricing behaviour, product positioning and dealer movements across Asia Pacific, and provide clear, actionable feedback to sales leadership, product and marketing.

• Feed client requirements and regional market needs back into product, design and marketing so that Haworth's offer remains relevant and differentiated in Asia Pacific.

F. Governance, Data and Discipline

• Maintain accurate and current account information in the CRM system – contacts, interactions, opportunities, pipeline stage, project status and account health – as the single source of truth for the account.

• Prepare and deliver clear account reviews, business plans and executive updates for both client and internal audiences.

• Work in line with Haworth's values, Code of Business Conduct and all applicable trade, anti-bribery, data privacy and compliance requirements in every market in which the role operates.
  

Your Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Design, Architecture, Real Estate or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• At least five years' experience in business-to-business sales or account management, with demonstrable success in complex, multi-stakeholder sales.

• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue and margin targets.

• Experience working across more than one Asia Pacific market and demonstrated ability to operate effectively across cultures.

• Full professional proficiency in English, written and spoken. English is the working language of the global accounts team and of client engagement across the region, and the role requires the ability to present, negotiate and write persuasively at senior client level.

• Strong negotiation, presentation and written communication skills, including the ability to hold the room with global real estate and procurement leadership.

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the discipline to work independently, plan ahead and follow through.

• Confident user of CRM and standard business applications, with the discipline to keep account data accurate and current.

• Willingness and ability to travel extensively within Asia Pacific, with a valid passport and the ability to obtain the necessary visas.

• Eight or more years' experience, including direct responsibility for global, regional or strategic accounts.

• Industry experience in contract furniture, interior architecture, workplace consulting, construction or real estate services.

• Any additional language is advantageous – Mandarin, Japanese, Korean or another Asia Pacific language – and is valued for the access and rapport it brings, but is not a substitute for English proficiency.

• Experience negotiating and implementing global framework agreements, master service agreements and formal tenders with multinational clients.

• Established relationships within the architecture and design, project management or corporate real estate communities in Asia Pacific.

• Post-graduate qualification or MBA, or relevant professional accreditation.
  

About us

Haworth is one of the world's largest manufacturers of office furniture, providing solutions for tomorrow's customers worldwide. At the center of our work is the human being: What does a person need to work, what pushes them, motivate them and what makes people feel comfortable at work? Only if we can answer that question, we are able to introduce designs to our customers that will make them achieve their goals. To stay one step ahead, we invest in our own research, have a worldwide network of interesting partners and are part of think tanks around the world who are trying to think ahead. The family-owned company, headquartered in Holland, Michigan/United States, employs more than 8000 people and is represented in more than 150 countries in Asia, Europe and America with subsidiaries and partners.