B2B Media (Print, Digital & Events)

Based in Manchester             

Circa 100K + Benefits Package +Equity Participation

The Company

Owned and run by its management team, our client is the UK’s largest and most successful regional B2B media company. With a network of regional offices across England and Wales, the company are a forward looking, profitable, award winning and growing business with a superb team of experienced and highly committed employees and boast an impressive portfolio of blue chip clients.

As the No 1 provider of branded B2B print publications, which are recognised for their high level of trust, quality of editorial and regional intelligence amongst its subscription base of company owners, directors and senior managers, the company is also experiencing strong growth for its digital products and services where it has the largest, regional B2B email news service with over 100,000 subscribers.

Combining this with its success in hosting over 180 established events a year across the UK including business awards dinners, prestigious breakfast and other nationally recognised events make for an exceptional business who have strong ambitions to continue to grow across its three core and profitable products within print, digital and events.

The Role

Under the leadership of the current Managing Director, the business has flourished, the workforce has grown and profit performance has improved across all divisions. Clearly experience in the event, publishing or digital industry is going to be advantageous in building upon the existing business base and this really is an exceptional opportunity for an ambitious and accomplished individual to provide the leadership, strategic and commercial direction for the business in order to deliver the expectations for future growth.

• Work closely with the existing Managing Director (Chair)
• Gather first-hand information on the activities of the business; its three product lines and its people in order to better understand the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead
• Full responsibility for the profit and loss of the business
• Set the strategic direction of the business in conjunction with the board; take ownership of critical KPI’s, long term planning and robust business forecasts
• Take the lead in driving up sales and profitability
• Launching new products in line with the strategic direction of the company
• Overall management of the performance of the network of branch offices and a workforce that encompasses sales, editorial, events, finance, subscriptions and IT teams
• Review & challenge existing practices, simplify process and enhance communication
• Overseeing staff recruitment is of critical importance for the business; ensure that the sales teams are motivated, incentivised and are meeting performance targets
• Travel to each of the offices on a frequent basis in order to better understand local issues, sales performance, editorial plans, operational, team and cultural influences
• Attend events across the UK & Ireland in order to stay in touch with different regional attitudes which provide a firm basis for identifying improvements and future changes that will enhance and grow events
• Conducting sales training activities, lead regular sales team meetings in order to formulate new sales ideas, creative input and initiatives that will ensure the business remains ahead of competitors in all of its markets
• Oversee the legal, financial and compliance requirements for the business; manage thecontractual arrangements for any outsourcing requirements
• Developing new, profitable, revenue streams and viable products
• Adopt a pro-active approach at board level meetings; take the lead where required on key operational issues as well as in discussion on shaping a clear strategic vision

The Candidate

• Experience at a Managing Director / General Manager level of running a similar sized B2B media business; an exceptional senior Sales Director with highly relevant experience may also be considered
• Extensive executive management experience within a print, digital media or events type environment
• A passion for digital and social media, including the ability to keep apprised of all new direction in digital and marketing
• Strong leadership and outstanding communication skills, able to develop, train and coach sales teams, make decisions, ask probing questions and articulate views convincingly
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the issues that are important to business, including an awareness of current affairs, economic, international and political developments that may have an impact on them.
• The ability to pro-actively network, build and maintain high level relationships with key organisations and decision makers
• A strong work ethic and the ability to perform within a fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel on a frequent basis across the UK & Ireland
• A commercial thinker with the enthusiasm and experience to lead the team from the front in order to grow the revenue and profitability of current products within print, digital and events and generate new, complimentary and profitable revenue streams
• Strong Financial & IT skills, including CRM systems and internet research tools
• High level of self-motivation combined with personal credibility, tenacity, strong negotiation skills, professionalism and influencing skills
• Able to balance the day to day “hands on” requirement to run the business with the strategic and influencing skills required to formulate well thought out long term plans for the growth of the business.
• Full driving licence, valid passport

Please send your detailed CV quoting reference 18/1945 to our retained consultant David Smalley at Daniels Smalley Partnership, email david@dspsearch.co.uk