Associate Client Relationship Director

The Associate Client Relationship Director is responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships, monitoring client profitability, driving commercial value for the business, building the relationships between Operations and Clients to ensure our services are delivered to the highest standards, ensuring that there is focus on revenue generation, upselling, cross-selling, and keeping the core business data up to date at all times.

This is a key role in terms of client relationships and, as such, is expected to include significant client interaction at a senior level, acting as the main contact/escalation point for several high-profile engagements. In addition to the operations staff, this should include, but not be limited to CFO, CEO, COO and Head of Investor Relations. It is vital that regular strategic discussions are held with these individuals to determine how IQ-EQ may be able to assist the client(s) with their strategic objectives.

Office: Port Louis, Mauritius

Department: Business Development / Client Relationship

Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer – Africa, India & Middle East

Responsibilities:

• Build relationships with key decision-makers at designated clients as a framework for implementing BD strategies.
• Develop and execute strategic plans to attract new clients and deepen existing relationships within the funds business segment.
• Drive the sales process from prospecting to closure, effectively communicating the value proposition of our funds and investment solutions to prospective clients.
• Establish and maintain clear communication channels with designated clients and have thorough understanding of client issues, wants and needs.
• Co-ordinates new business opportunities to drive win rate for the existing book of clients.
• Develop and maintain Client Plans setting out our approach to maximising revenue growth opportunities with each client through up-sell and cross-sell.
• Responsible for engaging our internal legal team and overseeing the completion of all client legal documents and agreements including fee agreements, Service Level Agreements, fee quotes, Administration Agreements etc.
• Review of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) against services provided.
• Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) against SLA.
• Ownership of change management process around SLA ensuring escalation, progress tracking and timely completion of change requests.
• Prepare and distribute Client Call Reports after all meetings within agreed timeframes.
• Maintain internal CRM tools updated with commercial activities, account plans and client and business partner interaction, ensure accurate and timely pipeline management and actions taken to ensure an accurate client relationship management.
• Ultimately responsible for client attrition, working in close cooperation with Client Service Directors (CSDs) on drafting and execution of client remediation plans, keeps track of Client at Risk, respect internal escalation protocols and action relevant stakeholders for a proper remediation.
• Cash collection: assists CSDs by intervening and engaging with designated clients, as required, where lockup days of client portfolio exceed 45 days (definition of lock up period as provided by IQ-EQ Group Finance).
• Play an active role in developing and executing initiatives to grow the portfolio of clients and grow revenue per client.
• Represent and promote IQ-EQ as “one company” with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, respect and mutual engagement.
• Must have a sound knowledge of all services provided globally by IQ-EQ.
• Profitability:
  a. Using available MI, monitor long-term profitability of client relationships;
  b. Develop initiatives to remediate less profitable client relationships to acceptable standards;
  c. Understanding new services/developments within IQ-EQ and responsible for identifying and maximizing business development opportunities within client portfolio;
  d. Develop appropriate pricing strategies for all services;
  e. Develop and manage all cross-sell and upsell opportunities for the designated clients; and
  f. Ensure that the core Business data to support all aspects of our services are kept up to date and are relevant to the designated client portfolio.
• Risk Management:
  a. Actively monitor and identify key areas and ensure operations team have appropriate remediation plans in place to address these;
  b. Escalate ongoing or significant risks to client revenue appropriately;
  c. Monitor service delivery with an awareness of internal and external compliance requirements.

Tasks: 

• To be the client’s point of escalation for significant or repeat service issues and lead the initiation of and management of any remediation plans.
• Act as the key escalation point for several high-profile client engagements, fostering a close working relationship with the key decision makers and influencers. Engage in the ‘challenging conversations’ where necessary around fees, service level agreements, or any other aspects within their span of responsibility. 
• Understand the full breadth of services offered by IQ-EQ and clearly identify and pursue opportunities to provide additional services to their client base. Develop an internal network within IQ-EQ to facilitate purposeful conversations in all cross-sell opportunities.
• Collaboratively engage with peers across Client Services to facilitate both knowledge share, understanding shared challenges as well as the achievement of the overall objectives for the function, encouraging the same at all levels throughout the function.
• Participate actively in client pitching processes together with global and local commercial teams and ensure a seamless and effective onboarding process alongside Business Implementation team.
• Act as an escalation point for complex matters and complaints and pro-actively work together with Client Service Directors, Head of Delivery and Subject Matter Expert to resolve them.
• Promote a feedback culture aiming at continuous service improvement.
• Signals (potential) risk issues and musters the appropriate company resources to mitigate such risks or to escalate in the event such mitigation efforts are ineffective or in the event the risk is too high and requires executive involvement or warning.
• Attend internal error meetings as required and communicate remediation plans to client.
• Arrange and lead Strategic Relationship Review with top group clients, ensure a co-ordinated approach across the delivery team and act as a central point of senior escalation.
• Communication of KPIs and remediation plans relating to key risk areas to Client during scheduled service review meetings.
• Facilitate internal review meetings with key relationship stakeholders to discuss service performance, developments, opportunities and issues.
• Prepare internal Management Information (MI) as required.
• Conduct regular profitability reviews of designated clients.
• Lead fee negotiations as required for designated clients.
• Facilitate CRM meetings with clients and own follow-up actions.
• Facilitate quarterly service meetings with clients reporting on KPIs v SLA and issue follow-up minutes.
• Actively engaged in building and growing a pipeline of targets comprising primarily of fund clients while exploring on opportunity arising basis (primary focus), corporate, private wealth, and family office business opportunities.
• Ensure effective scheduling of client visitation plan and timely provision of feedback report post trips, with close tracking and monitoring of follow-up actions.
• Prepare and assist in completing RFPs, technical and financial proposals for clients as well as presentations, marketing materials and any other relevant collateral as required.
• Keep abreast of and disseminate internally any latest sector / market development as well as regulatory changes.

Key Deliverables (KPIs):

• Revenue growth generated in line with set targets
• New business growth in line with conversion target
• Commercial collaboration in line with set target, leads and opportunities generated
• Client attrition other than natural EOL (End of Life).
• Client profitability in line with target
• Ongoing pipeline management and compliance with sales process

Key competencies:

• Drives Results
• Decision Quality
• Persuades
• Builds Networks
• Collaborates
• Resourcefulness
• Commercially Focused
• Business Insight

Key behaviours:

In addition to demonstrating our Group Values (Authentic, Bold, and Collaborative), the role holder will be expected to demonstrate the following:

• Leadership
• Accuracy
• Assertiveness
• Approachability
• Team Working
• Positivity
• Relationship Building
• Positive
• Resilience
• Taking Ownership
• Authenticity

• Minimum a Degree in relevant field (financial services, business, economics, management, accounting).  
• Minimum 8 – 10 years’ managerial operational experience in the global business sector in Mauritius, with particular focus on the Fund segment.
• Passion and understanding of the global business sector in Mauritius, with in-depth technical and operational experience in fund administration.
• Proven track record of exceeding sales targets and generating revenue growth in the funds business.
• Strong experience managing Client Relationships/Accounts and internal client stakeholders.
• Proven ability to handle key account management plans, foster a culture of feedback, manage portfolio attrition and secure significant organic growth.
• Strong experience working in a team environment.

At IQ-EQ we want you to reach your full potential. We offer an inclusive and diverse environment to support your career aspirations. With a strong emphasis on continuous learning and a holistic approach to your professional and personal development. We also offer opportunities across our service lines and our international network of offices.