JOB SUMMARY

The Global Account Executive II (GAE II), is responsible for providing total account management for a portfolio of high-value, complex accounts with a total goaled annual spend to Marriott of less than $200M.

The GAE II’s primary responsibility is to increase Marriott's preference, loyalty, and profitable share. By applying the principles of strategic account management and team-based selling, this position provides overall leadership and direction in the development of business-to-business strategies to build long-term, value-based relationships between Marriott International and their portfolio of corporate accounts. As total account manager, this individual will develop solid and broad relationships with the key buyers in their account’s central buying locations with the purpose of mapping all revenue streams to grow share and drive superior business results.

Specific areas of responsibility include establishing, managing and communicating overall account strategies in alignment with the overall corporate segment priorities, mapping buyers to accounts, defending and growing market share and revenue targets for assigned accounts, and liaising with relevant cross-discipline resources (corporate, regional, market, property) to ensure effective pull-through of account strategies.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience Preferred

• College degree and related experience
• English language written and spoken
• 10+ years of hotel or travel industry sales experience, demonstrating progressive career growth and a pattern of exceptional performance.
• Account management experience, specifically complex accounts required
• Demonstrated success with both business transient and group segments
• Experience evaluating business trends; developing and successfully implementing new business programs or strategies that enhance business performance
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results under difficult conditions, even when faced with complexity and ambiguity

Personal Competencies

• Ability to act as a strategic business partner leveraging business diagnosing and consultative skills
• Ability to connect and collaborate by leveraging exceptional networking skills to uncover new revenue opportunities.
• Strong negotiating skills
• Ability to apply critical thinking competencies to problem solve through analysis, while developing creative yet pragmatic solutions.
• Must have good business acumen skills (e.g., keeping current on industry practices and developments; ability to evaluate business trends and develop successful solutions that meet customer needs and bring incremental business)
• Must have strong financial acumen (e.g., using budgets and forecasts to manage financial performance; identifying and using key financial indicators to measure business performance, understanding ROI of the account etc.)
• Demonstrated competency for planning, delegating, implementing, managing, and improving processes that bring initiatives to a successful conclusion
• Gather and analyze information from a variety of sources; probe for underlying causes; consider alternative solutions before making decisions; advance problems toward resolution when encountering ambiguity or uncertainty; make sound decisions in a timely manner
• Approach problems with open-mindedness, generate innovative ideas and solutions, stimulate creativity and innovation in others
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Actively engage the right stakeholders from other HQ disciplines and the market to refine account offerings
• Ability to sell ideas and influence persuasively, settling differences and winning concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct and forceful while remaining diplomatic
• Strong organizational navigation acumen – cross-discipline understanding and ability to mobilize organizational resources to achieve superior business results
• Bring a global perspective to ideas and solutions. Has a cross-discipline and cross-regional understanding and is knowledgeable about MI brands, sales and marketing strategies and service offerings
• Ability to balance strategic thinking into idea execution
• Active learner – applying an always improving mindset to enhance personal, professional and business growth through new knowledge and experiences; pushes the organization to learn from other industries’ standards and practices.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Responsibilities for the Global Account Executive II will include the following:

Total Account Management

• Develop and implement the overall account strategy in alignment with segment strategic goals. Promote accountability to achieve desired business results.
• Retain, expand and grow account revenue through account growth, margin management and implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Manage relationships with the largest buyers in primary buying locations; map significant buyers in other locations and direct the Area sales teams (e.g., SAEs) and the Sales Office teams to optimize account reach and share.
• Develop sales deployment strategies that maximize the utilization of available sales resources. Work closely with Sales Executive Management to ensure proper linkage with Field and Hotel sales efforts. Guide decisions on account coverage, investment and deployment.
• Assist in developing optimal Total Account Management teams that are focused on delivering customer value and growing account share. Develop and enhance the concepts of total account management and team-based sales.
• Establish and maintain strong business relationships with key economic buying influencers. Act as the customer’s advocate through understanding account customer needs and opportunities. Monitor current and future customer needs, goals and attitudes including competitor activity to guide targeted solution development; remove barriers to business solution development; build a customer-focused team.
• Harness and coordinate cross-discipline resources (market, corporate) to ensure pull-through and sustainment of account strategies and selling solutions. Develop a close working relationship with operations and Market resources to establish integrated sales strategies that maximize customer relationships within the region and ensure pull-through of strategies at the hotel level.
• Liaise with relevant cross-discipline groups to resolve customer issues and ensure profitability of the account.
• Partner with the Account Manager (Business Transient) and SAEs and the PAS team to manage the annual RFP process and lead negotiations of preferred hotel agreements with customers.
• Partner with the Account Manager (Large and Small Groups) in managing and closing on group transactions with Sales Offices, NGS and/or hotels.
• Partner with the Account Manager (Extended Stay) to manage and close on extended stay transactions with Sales Offices, NGS, and/or hotels, as needed.
• Develop innovative cross-functional solutions to win in assigned accounts (e.g. e-commerce, marketing and revenue management solutions).
• Lead the sales efforts for new and existing revenue streams within accounts.
• Lead efforts to educate and communicate total account management and team-based sales principles to cross-discipline groups including Revenue Management, Market, Region, Property and Owner/Franchise partners.
• Attend and participate in all relevant customer events and trade shows.
• Serve as a proactive leader on the Sales and Marketing team by providing input and execution to corporate initiatives. Establish strong partnerships between field and corporate by maintaining a productive dialog and exchange of ideas.
• Manage the global ROIC for assigned portfolio of accounts.

Organizational Excellence

• Champion business transformation and change efforts in support of Sales and Marketing strategies.
• Maintain operational excellence by directing productive, streamlined administrative functions.
• Ensure that the latest sales tools, including SFA, MarRFP and Empower and other value-added products & services, are being leveraged effectively to maximize productivity and build sustainable competitive advantage.

Operational Excellence

• Achieve account revenue and sales goals as defined by segment leadership. Develop and achieve operating budgets and manage controllable expenses.
• Ensure the development of account plans that focus on improving market share, leveraging efficiencies, generating revenue and reducing overhead.
• Leverage methodologies, technical and business knowledge across the Enterprise Sales Team.
• Translate customer and account needs into a range of support products and services that maximize returns.
• Anticipate and identify business opportunities and challenges and respond with a profitable strategy that aligns with overall business direction.
• Increase penetration of high potential accounts to optimize demand across all brands and satisfy important property needs.
• Leverage all available sales channels, i.e., marriott.com, group and transient intermediaries, field sales, worldwide reservation offices, etc, in an effort to optimize sales revenues.
• Conduct competitive assessments of lodging competitors, group intermediaries, technology companies, etc., and include in annual strategic planning process. Provide updates to Marriott Senior Management as appropriate.

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Building Relationships

Coworker Relationships

• Builds credibility with others and encourages strong working relationships.
• Creates a work environment in which others feel comfortable sharing thoughts and feedback.
• Shows awareness of how own behavior impacts others and the work environment.
• Encourages others to work together.

Customer Relationships

• Models and empowers others to anticipate and respond to customer/stakeholder preferences and feedback.
• Clearly explains policies in ways that create strong customer/stakeholder relationships.
• Monitors customer/stakeholder satisfaction and takes appropriate action.
• Resolves customer/stakeholder issues and concerns raised by others.

Global Mindset

• Creates an environment where everyone is valued and included.
• Models others on representing the Company culture of service, opportunity, respect, and fair treatment.
• Acts when others are treated unfairly or are not valued and respected for their unique skills.
• Looks for and uses ideas and opinions from diverse sources.
• Attracts, develops, and retains a multicultural and multigenerational workforce.
• Gives all associates the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
• Organizes activities that promote inclusion.
• Maintains an awareness of changing customer/stakeholder and associate characteristics.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability

Organizational Capability

• Ensures the work is organized so it can be effectively completed.
• Continuously improves work processes.
• Brings together the appropriate mix of associate knowledge and skills to complete work.
• Coaches others on scope of technical decision‐making authority.
• Uses meetings and other forums to regularly communicate status of work.

Talent Management

• Provides, seeks, and acts on constructive feedback.
• Develops others by identifying needs and providing resources in area of expertise.
• Uses professional networks to attract top talent in area of expertise.
• Participates in the hiring process and ensures successful on‐boarding of new associates.

Leadership

Adaptability

• Models others on staying calm and focused during stressful situations.
• Communicates to others why change is happening and how it impacts their work.
• Models flexibility when managing multiple demands and changing priorities.
• Provides resources that help others deal with change and challenges.
• Adjusts team and own priorities when experiencing change or challenges.
• Determines how change impacts stakeholders and communicates concerns to leadership.

Communication and Professional Demeanor

• Clearly presents complex information using different methods.
• Adapts communication style based on the audience.
• Demonstrates active listening to ensure understanding.
• Models others on appropriately interpreting verbal and non‐verbal behavior.
• Models others on displaying professionalism and gaining respect from others.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Identifies issues and makes suggestions to solve complex problems affecting daily work.
• Models others on breaking complex issues into manageable parts.
• Looks for and shares information with others before making a decision.
• Models others on identifying and evaluating alternatives and their implications before making decisions.
• Involves and gains agreement from others when making key decisions.
• Makes complex decisions and works with others to implement solutions in reasonable amount of time.

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

Applied Learning

• Sets own career goals and identifies developmental areas for self and others.
• Uses resources and challenging assignments to improve performance of self and others.
• Gathers, shares, and uses information about industry and discipline trends and best practices.
• Budgets for training to support associate development, as applicable.
• Coaches and holds others accountable for professional growth.

Business Acumen

• Ensures others understand how their work impacts property and team performance.
• Coaches others on the drivers of performance and their impact on key business and property metrics.
• Shows an understanding of how different customer/stakeholder groups have different revenue potential.
• Identifies innovative ways to improve, productivity, customer/stakeholder satisfaction, and profitability.

Technical Acumen

• Maintains advanced technical knowledge and skills and models their use for others.
• Models and promotes the appropriate use of facilities, equipment, and materials to perform the job.
• Demonstrates and shares expertise in policies, procedures, and legal requirements.
• Manages and completes complex technical assignments and coaches others on solving advanced technical issues.
• Demonstrates and reinforces technical standards and processes to support work requirements.
• Identifies innovative technical approaches and communicates how they can improve processes or business functioning.

Managing Execution

Building and Contributing to Teams

• Promotes teamwork by explaining how each associate supports shared goals.
• Builds commitment to team goals by explaining how they support department and property success.
• Works with team members to solve issues and make decisions that impact them.
• Manages disagreements among team members.
• Recognizes department, team, and individual achievements.

Driving for Results

• Creates a team environment that encourages accountability, high standards, and innovation.
• Makes sure others understand performance expectations.
• Sets and tracks goal progress for self and others.
• Monitors the work of others to ensure it is completed on time and meets expectations.
• Breaks down barriers so team members can accomplish their work.

Planning and Organizing

• Prioritizes group activities based on importance, urgency, and impact to goals.
• Manages team workload and delegates assignments appropriately.
• Ensures team members have the equipment, materials, and other resources needed to accomplish their work.
• Avoids conflicts when setting project timelines and communicates key milestones and deadlines to others.