Position Description:

Reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), this role is pivotal in leading the development and execution of a forward-thinking membership, sponsorship/partnership, and engagement strategy. The role focuses on fostering meaningful, value-driven relationships across the Toronto business community, enhancing the Board’s presence and impact. With a consultative and bespoke sales approach, this leader will drive growth through tailored solutions that align with the needs of partners, members and the Board.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Business Development:

• Collaborate with the CCO to design and implement a sales/business development strategy that aligns with the Board's long-term vision, emphasizing the cultivation of high-impact partnerships and sustainable revenue growth.
• Lead full-cycle business development efforts, including research-backed prospecting, tailored proposals, and nurturing long-term relationships with prospective members and partners (e.g., event sponsorship, councils, World Trade Center partners etc.)
• Act as a connector, identifying synergies between the Board's sponsorship opportunities and potential partners, translating those connections into value-driven engagements.
• Utilize data and market trends to inform and refine business development initiatives, ensuring that solutions, pricing and benefits resonate with partner needs and market dynamics.
• Build and nurture lasting relationships with key stakeholders, industry leaders, and potential clients, serving as a key interlocutor for the Board.
• Prepare and present impactful business cases and proposals to executive audiences, aligning partner needs with long-term value creation.
• Represent the Board at high-profile industry events, conferences, and trade shows to network, identify new opportunities, and elevate the Board’s standing in the business community.

Leadership:

• Lead and coach a team of business development and membership management professionals, fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and relationship-building with a goal to retain and grow membership and partners.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with departments like marketing, policy, finance, and operations to create integrated strategies that maximize value for the Board, partners and members.
• Oversee the CRM strategy, ensuring that internal processes support relationship-building efforts and provide valuable insights for future growth.

Your Profile:

• 10 to 15 years of experience in business development, and/or sales, with experience in a B2B environment or a membership/event sponsorship driven organization.
• 10 to 15 years of experience managing a sales or team with proven leadership and people development skills.
• Knowledge of or experience selling into key industrial sectors including financial services, professional services, manufacturing, life sciences, technology etc., would be an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to lead strategy development, execution and professional reporting in a partnership, business development or sales capacity.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills.
• Superior writing ability with proven experience developing compelling and professional client proposals.
• Effective project and time management capabilities and exceptional organizational skills, with proven ability to meet strict and competing deadlines for multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

You’re often described as:

• A strategic thinker who can see the big picture while being detail-oriented in execution.
• A dynamic and entrepreneurial leader with a passion for forging connections and driving business growth through strategic partnerships.
• Adept at aligning partner needs with the right opportunities, using data to inform your decisions.
• A trusted advisor with a consultative approach to partnerships, always seeking to deliver tangible value.
• An entrepreneurial spirit who continually looks for opportunities to “think outside the box” and to elevate relationships and offerings.
• A proactive and persuasive communicator who can align teams and stakeholders around common goals.