Lead Client Partner

For over 50 years, Mintel has worked with the world's leading consumer brands. We are trusted for our consumer data, insights and knowledge by more than 2,000 clients in all corners of the world. We're excited to announce we have opened the next growth chapter for our business - a global consulting practice. This practice partners with the global leaders in FMCG to drive innovation and brand solutions that move the revenue needle on a truly worldwide basis. We offer solutions that combine the entire range of Mintel capabilities to help future-proof our clients’ business and allow them to realize opportunities around the globe.

Mintel’s Consulting business is a core driver of growth and is directly connected to our strategic priority to build high-value relationships with our clients.  Our clients choose us because they know we’re drawing on Mintel data, knowledge, expertise, and insights that are rooted in the rigorous, multi-disciplinary research on which our reputation has been built.  The year-over-year growth Consulting has delivered for the last five years reinforces our right to win in the market and we are impacting clients in new and bigger ways.

We are seeking senior professionals with at least fifteen years of consultative relationship and business development experience with Enterprise-level clients, ideally in the Insights/Research space. You should have energy, enthusiasm, and world-class capabilities to lead from the front and a background in deploying highly attuned business development skills across a portfolio of global businesses and brands. 

This role will be required to report to our Chicago or London office and will operate on a hybrid work schedule of 2-3 days in-office. You can anticipate at least 40% global travel annually to client locations and Mintel global offices.

What We Are Looking For:

A Tenured Client Partner: 

• You are a seasoned professional with a proven ability to establish differentiating, trusted, sustainable and value-adding relationships at senior levels in major international companies. You have the ability to work across a variety of regions and cultural environments.
• You have an outstanding track record to build year on year revenue growth, while delivering exceptional client value.
• You are a meticulous networker with a wide range of industry and client contacts that span key global markets.
• You have at least fifteen years of enterprise client management experience preferably at major international companies.

A Strategic Advisor: 

• You are an individual with highly tuned judgment to handle the fast-changing dynamics around managing senior relationships in major international companies. Keen understanding of the key investor issues driving the C-Suite agenda in the client/industry.
• You possess C-Suite gravitas allowing them to operate as a peer and a confidant of senior FMCG leaders.
• You have an established ability to create pathways to senior executives in insights, innovation, R&D, brand and marketing to increase the depth and breadth of Mintel’s relationships.
• You are able to bring Mintel into the C-suite to open CEO, CFO, and CMO meetings for Mintel.

A Client Advocate:

• You bring deep business acumen skills honed across several senior roles together with advisory experience to craft innovative and value adding solutions for clients on an international basis.
• You have an outstanding ability to understand current client issues at a granular level and the industry dynamics to create innovative solutions with professional services level margins. 
• You demonstrate the confidence and capabilities to design groundbreaking multi-regional, multi-year solutions. 
• You lead and contribute to the internal strategic dialogue with global colleagues to ensure Mintel retains and builds client relationships. 

An Industry Expert:

• You are a leader in the FMCG industry and passionate about continuous learning. You are up-to-date on industry trends, development and best practices and conduct thorough research on your clients, the competitive landscape and tailor your approach to the conversation accordingly.

An Inspiring Business Leader:

• You have a proven ability to coach others to enable Mintel to build out capability on a global basis.
• You demonstrate deep credibility in adding to engagement reviews to improve business margins.
• You are able to astutely navigate short- and long-term business needs with an acute understanding of the immediacy of winning this quarter’s sales results while also building sustainable growth and relationships.

What You Will Be Doing:

As a Lead Client Partner, you will play a pivotal role in managing the relationship with global clients,  driving strategic initiatives, and fostering growth. While you will not have direct reports, you will be seen as a critical leader within Mintel and a key contributor to our strategic priorities and growth goals.

Leading Global Client Partnership:

• Conducting thorough analyses to gain insights into client objectives, challenges, and market dynamics.
• Developing and executing strategic plans to drive growth and maximize value in both our syndicated and consulting solutions for assigned global growth accounts.
• Participating in industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to expand client relationships and stay abreast of market trends.
• Leading and advising on contract negotiations for both custom and syndicated projects globally, delegating out regional contract terms when necessary. 
• Assuming ownership of revenue and margin targets for assigned global growth accounts, monitoring performance against targets, and implementing strategies to drive revenue growth and margin improvement.
• Setting global pricing strategies for client solutions based on market analysis and client value proposition.

Building and Managing a Long-Term Vision with the C-Suite:

• Partnering closely with senior-level client stakeholders to understand their strategy, evolving needs, and vision for the future and how Mintel can support this.
• Networking and creating pathways to senior executives in insights, innovation, R&D, brand and marketing to increase the depth and breadth of Mintel’s relationships.
• Developing a strategic roadmap that outlines potential growth areas, emerging market opportunities, and innovative product concepts tailored to the client’s strengths and market positioning.

Providing Innovative Perspective:

• Accurately conveying how Mintel’s solutions can drive revenue growth, cost savings, efficiency improvements, and a competitive advantage to help the client realize their long-term vision.
• Offering in-depth competitive analysis, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) relative to key competitors.
• Proactively identifying potential challenges and risks in the client’s market and providing innovative solutions to address them.
• Maximizing client investment in Mintel solutions through strategic guidance and value-added services.

Shaping our Internal Agenda:

• Presenting insights and recommendations from clients to senior leadership teams to evaluate our needs for continuous improvement and identify opportunities.
• Proactively gathering client feedback and insights to inform product development and service enhancements.
• Translating client strategies into actionable plans and initiatives for the internal client team.
• Building and maintaining relationships with procurement contacts within client organizations along with Mintel’s procurement team to ensure smooth contract execution.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets

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