Strategic Sales & Business Development Manager

International Card Services (ICS) brings together our International Consumer and Small & Medium Size Enterprises (SME) issuing activities, as well as our Commercial Large Market sales and account development teams. ICS issues Cards in 27 countries, and is responsible for two Joint Ventures covering around a dozen countries. The leaders in these countries are empowered to make decisions at a local level, in partnership with other local business leaders. Local teams are supported by two cross-market teams – the Centre of Excellence, and Risk & Control Management. The Strategic Sales Team is a high performing, customer facing, field based sales team prospecting to companies with turnovers between £30M and upwards. Our mission is to deliver sustainable profitable growth for the Corporate UK Card Services organization. This exciting role provides a great opportunity for an experienced Strategic Sales & Business Development Manager to thrive and shine through overperformance in an inclusive, supportive and collaborative team (all with a dash of healthy competition)! The primary focus is to sell both Travel and Entertainment and Business to Business payment solutions leveraging American Express’ core products such as Business Travel Account, Corporate Card, and Corporate Purchasing Cards. Develop and execute a strategic plan to identify, engage, and acquire new corporate customers with annual turnovers of £30M and above. Drive sustainable profitable growth through the sale of American Express Travel & Entertainment (T&E) and Business-to-Business (B2B) payment solutions, including Corporate Card, Business Travel Account, and Corporate Purchasing Card products. Build and manage a robust sales pipeline through proactive prospecting, networking, referrals, market intelligence, and data-led self-generation strategies. Lead complex sales cycles from initial engagement through to contract negotiation, implementation, and successful handover. Engage and influence senior decision-makers, including CFOs, Finance Directors, Procurement Leaders, and other C-suite stakeholders, by delivering compelling value-based propositions. Conduct in-depth discovery to understand client objectives, payment processes, working capital requirements, and business challenges, translating these into tailored solutions. Navigate complex matrix organisations and build relationships with multiple stakeholders to drive consensus and accelerate decision-making. Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing structures, and financial incentives while balancing customer needs with profitability and risk considerations. Collaborate closely with internal partners across Marketing, Product, Implementation, Risk, Credit, and Account Development teams to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Maintain accurate pipeline management, forecasting, and activity reporting through CRM systems and sales tools. Consistently achieve and exceed individual sales targets, key performance indicators, and revenue objectives. Act as a brand ambassador for American Express, building strong relationships within the business community and representing the organisation at customer meetings, industry events, and networking opportunities. Proven track record of over performance in a corporate sales environment Experience in selling both T&E and B2B payment solutions Face to face commercial sales experience preferable Ability to navigate matrix organizations and to influence multiple stakeholders Experience in data insight led self-generation strategies Proven experience in selling to C suite in corporate companies Exceptional written and verbal communication skills Strong commercial acumen and understanding of P&L construct Contract negotiation including financial incentives Excellent presentation skills Strong rapport building and networking capabilities Understanding of risk factors affecting commercial deal negotiation Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.