Sales Director, Asset Management & Insurance – EMEA
London | Permanent | Senior Leadership | Player-Coach
Why this opportunity stands out
A rare chance to take the EMEA sales lead for one of the global leaders in research, data, analytics and AI-enabled services to the financial services industry — a private-equity-backed business at a genuine inflection point.
The market is moving fast, and this business is moving faster:
- Scale and credibility. A workforce of more than 7,000 analysts, data specialists and technologists across nearly 30 global locations, trusted by over 800 financial institutions, asset managers and corporates worldwide.
- Proven growth story. PE-backed since separating from a major financial information group, with a recent change of control attracting a top-tier global private equity sponsor — fuelling continued investment, M&A and innovation.
- Recent strategic acquisition of a European AI and digital services business has significantly strengthened the firm's technology, cloud and digital transformation capabilities — opening new propositions to take to market.
- Front-runner in agentic AI for financial services. The business has launched its own proprietary, domain-specific agentic AI platform built for banks, asset managers and PE houses, with industry-leading data partnerships already integrated. This is the rare sweet spot where scaled offshoring meets enterprise-grade agentic AI — a combination very few competitors can credibly offer.
- Strong employer credentials, including Great Place to Work® certifications and recognised diversity and inclusion accreditations.
For a senior sales leader, the proposition is unusually strong: a proven, repeatable offering, a hot product story to lead conversations with, and a senior management team backing aggressive EMEA growth.
The role
Reporting to the Senior Director, Sales & Business Development, you'll lead new-logo sales into Asset Managers (traditional public and private investment managers, wealth managers, hedge funds) and Insurance firms across the UK and Continental Europe.
This is a player-coach role: roughly 80% leadership, 20% individual contribution. You'll take ownership of a London-based team, coaching them through complex enterprise cycles and driving the EMEA number, while keeping your own hand in on a small portfolio of strategic, high-value opportunities. Both your own and the team's quotas are meaningful.
The proposition you'll be selling centres on helping clients scale their front and middle office through centralisation (offshoring) and automation, with a portfolio spanning:
- Buy-side investment research support
- Financial marketing support (RFPs, DDQs, digital marketing)
- Compliance (investment guideline coding & monitoring, marketing material review, e-comms surveillance)
- Data & technology services
- Implementation and managed services around platforms such as Charles River and Sentinel
You and your team will pitch at CXO level — Heads of Research, CIOs, COOs, CTOs — building a broad vision of the firm's capabilities. A global delivery model and offshore subject-matter and pre-sales teams (India, Sri Lanka) sit behind you. Travel will be a regular feature of the role.
What we're looking for
- Extensive B2B enterprise sales experience, with a strong record of selling services to asset managers and/or insurers at C-level
- Demonstrable experience as a player-coach or sales leader, with the ability to develop and stretch a team while still personally originating and closing deals
- True hunter DNA — ambition, urgency, resilience and a track record of originating, qualifying and closing complex deals
- Deep grounding in the buy-side; front-office experience at a bank or asset manager is desirable
- Strong existing network across UK and Continental European asset managers and/or insurers
- Excellent consultative, solution-selling, presentation and negotiation skills
- Fluency in French and/or German is desirable but not essential
- Disciplined CRM user (Salesforce or similar) with the rigour to forecast and manage team performance accurately
- Degree in Finance, Economics or a related field preferred
What's on offer
A senior leadership platform with one of the most differentiated propositions in the market, a credible AI-led growth story to lead with, a small high-calibre London team to develop, and strong delivery firepower behind you. The package combines a competitive base with an uncapped, accelerator-driven commission scheme that rewards both team and individual performance, plus additional regional performance bonuses. Full details on application.