VP, Sales - Fashion

Company Description

Informa Markets, a division within Informa, creates global platforms for industries. We organise over 500 large-scale branded and transaction-oriented events in 14 specialist markets. These are typically not-to-be-missed annual events where buyers and sellers build relationships, see and show products and do business.

We also provide year-round online platforms where companies showcase their businesses and products and buyers conduct research, generating valuable leads, and we provide data and digital content that supports the flow of knowledge and transactions in markets.

Job Description

We are seeking a VP of Sales for the Fashion Business Group, responsible for driving business development strategy, revenue generation, and sales performance across events and sponsorship and oversee sales operations to maximize productivity and maintain a high achieving team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in sales and performance management with a keen ability to leverage data to drive decision making and optimize strategies. This role is a key leadership position that oversees a diverse sales team, including Heads of Sales, Sales Managers, and Sales Executives, to deliver on sales and financial targets while fostering a culture of growth and accountability.

The VP of Sales will work closely with the Leadership team, to define and execute sales strategies, focusing on both new customer acquisition and the growth of existing customer relationships. The role also requires extensive external-facing sales activity, including meeting with clients, attending industry events, and establishing the company as a thought leader in the fashion and retail industries.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead the development and execution of comprehensive sales strategies for events and sponsorship, aligning with the overall business goals. 
• Collaborate with theLeadership team to set revenue targets, budgets, and key performance indicators (KPIs). 
• Identify and capitalize on new market opportunities domestically and internationally, leveraging customer feedback and industry insights. 
• Oversee the sales cycle from lead generation to deal closure, ensuring the sales team meets or exceeds revenue goals. 
• Manage and mentor a team of Heads of Sales, Sales Managers, and Sales Executives, ensuring alignment on sales goals and best practices. 
• Develop and maintain a high-performance sales culture that emphasizes customer relationships, teamwork, and results. 
• Conduct regular 1:1 meetings, coaching sessions, and performance evaluations to support team members’ growth and drive success. 
• Lead the recruitment and onboarding process for new sales team members, ensuring the right talent is brought in to drive business growth. 
• Meet with key customers regularly to assess their evolving needs, ensure customer satisfaction, and deepen relationships. 
• Organize quarterly strategic meetings with top customers to discuss their goals, provide solutions, and identify new sales opportunities. 
• Focus on customer retention and growth through cross-selling, upselling, and rebooking strategies. 
• Develop and nurture long-term relationships with senior-level decision-makers, ensuring the company remains a trusted partner. 
• Lead the creation of sales campaigns, account allocations, and quota definitions to drive performance across the team. 
• Monitor and manage the team’s pipeline, targeting high-value accounts and ensuring accurate forecasting and reporting. 
• Leverage Salesforce and other tools to track team performance, measure sales activities, and generate insights for continuous improvement. 
• Implement strategies such as gamification and competition to drive sales motivation and increase performance across the team. 
• Lead the expansion into new verticals and market segments, identifying opportunities to grow the business both domestically and internationally. 
• Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and competitor events to expand the customer base and build brand presence. 
• Identify opportunities to increase a customer’s share of wallet and improve the global approach to account sales. 
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, events, finance, and operations, to align on sales strategies and initiatives. 
• Maintain an open dialogue with internal stakeholders, providing regular updates on customer feedback, market insights, and sales performance. 
• Ensure that the sales operations team continually improves processes, efficiency, and organization to enhance customer service and support sales efforts. 
• Lead the sales of digital products and sponsored content, ensuring that the team meets digital revenue targets. 
• Coach the sales team to effectively communicate the value of digital offerings and content solutions to customers. 
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance within the sales team and across the organization. 
• Develop and implement strategies that build team engagement, improve sales performance, and drive company-wide success. 

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sales leadership within the events industry, with a strong focus on Fashion preferred.
• 7+ years of experience leading high-performing sales teams, with a proven track record of delivering or exceeding revenue targets. 
• Extensive experience in managing and developing sales teams, fostering a high-performance sales culture, and driving customer acquisition and retention. 
• Proven ability to build and implement strategic business plans that drive sales performance and revenue growth. 
• Strong experience with Salesforce (or similar CRM tools), with the ability to leverage data for forecasting, performance tracking, and decision-making. 
• Strong leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills, with the ability to motivate a sales team and instill a culture of excellence and accountability. 
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop relationships at senior levels and manage high-value accounts. 
• Strong knowledge of industry trends, business insights, and competitive landscapes within fashion industry 
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement sales strategies that drive significant revenue growth. 
• Experience in sales coaching, gamification, and other performance-driven initiatives to improve sales productivity and motivation. 
• Ability to analyze sales data and market trends to identify opportunities for growth and optimize sales tactics. 
• High energy and passion for the business, with a strong drive to succeed and an entrepreneurial mindset. 
• Ability to collaborate across teams and lead change initiatives effectively. 
• Willingness to travel extensively for customer meetings, industry events, and competitive shows (approximately 30% of time). 
• The salary range for this job is between 160,000-180,000 plus commission incentives.
• The job listing will expire on December 29, 2024.

Additional Information

Why work at Informa 

Employee experience is very important to us at Informa. On top of joining a supportive, diverse and ambitious team that welcomes all types of candidates. We are also flexible with different working patterns and prioritize promotions internally. Our benefits include:

• Freedom & flexibility: colleagues rate us highly for the flexibility and trust they receive, and we support a range of working patterns.
• 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: 15 days PTO rising to 20 after three years and 25 after six years, plus 10 national holidays, a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year.
• Competitive benefits, including a 401k match, parental leave and an ESPP offering company shares at a minimum 15% discount.
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, free access to a wellness app and more.
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programs.
• 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.

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. See how Informa handles your personal data when you apply for a job here

See how Informa handles your personal data when you apply for a job here.