Account Director, Business Travel
Four Seasons · London Worldwide Sales Office
About Four Seasons:
Four Seasons is powered by our people. We are a collective of individuals who crave to become better, to push ourselves to new heights and to treat each other as we wish to be treated in return. Our team members around the world create amazing experiences for our guests, residents, and partners through a commitment to luxury with genuine heart. We know that the best way to enable our people to deliver these exceptional guest experiences is through a world-class employee experience and company culture.
At Four Seasons, we believe in recognizing a familiar face, welcoming a new one and treating everyone we meet the way we would want to be treated ourselves. Whether you work with us, stay with us, live with us or discover with us, we believe our purpose is to create impressions that will stay with you for a lifetime. It comes from our belief that life is richer when we truly connect to the people and the world around us.
About the location:
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a global, luxury hotel management company. We manage over 130 hotels and resorts and 50 private residences in 47 countries around the world and growing. Central to Four Seasons employee experience and social impact programming is the company’s commitment to supporting cancer research, and the advancement of diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging at Four Seasons corporate offices and properties worldwide. At Four Seasons, we are powered by people and our culture enables everything we do.Account Director, Business Travel
We have an exciting new opportunity for The Account Director, Business Travel is responsible for driving revenue growth and optimizing performance across a portfolio of key global Negotiated Corporate accounts. The role develops and executes account strategies, identifies new business opportunities, leads commercial negotiations and the annual RFP process, and partners with hotels worldwide to increase account penetration and segment production. Through disciplined use of market intelligence, sales tools, client engagement and industry relationships, the Account Director strengthens customer partnerships, improves commercial outcomes and brings innovative, differentiated thinking to the Business Travel segment.
What You’ll Be Doing:
Account Strategy & Revenue Growth
- Manage a portfolio of key global accounts to achieve annual revenue targets and Management Business Objectives through strategic selling, negotiation, relationship management and problem-solving.
- Develop and execute comprehensive account plans that deepen account penetration, engage hotels worldwide and advance mutually beneficial goals.
- Lead semi-annual business reviews with assigned accounts to assess production and agree on strategies that optimize performance.
- Identify and pursue high-potential target accounts to expand the portfolio and generate new business.
Negotiation, Pricing & Distribution
- Apply yield-management principles and account-specific levers to optimize revenue and account performance.
- Identify and capitalize on negotiation opportunities across the business travel market.
- Increase segment rates and improve commercial terms through effective negotiation and the strategic use of room-type pricing, NLRA and direct connectivity.
- Lead the global annual RFP process, overseeing both strategy and administration.
- Ensure GDS rates and listings are accurate, current and optimized.
Hotel Partnership & Sales Enablement
- Develop tailored WSO strategies that support new, renovated and existing hotels in achieving their Negotiated Corporate segment objectives.
- Partner with priority hotels to grow Corporate segment production and strengthen account engagement.
- Build strong relationships with Global Sales Travel Managers and equivalent stakeholders.
- Coach property sales managers through strategic guidance and constructive feedback on sales effectiveness.
Client Engagement & Industry Presence
- Maintain the Marketing Programs database with priority events and client-engagement opportunities.
- Plan, deliver and evaluate Business Travel sales events, familiarization trips and client entertainment, managing expenses responsibly and measuring return on investment.
- Cultivate trusted client relationships and represent Four Seasons with professionalism and impact.
- Represent Four Seasons at relevant industry and local and global GBTA events, using strong networking skills to develop new relationships and opportunities.
Market Intelligence, Tools & Innovation
- Use relevant internal and external tools—including Account Evaluator, RevFinder, Agency360, GDS, Lanyon, Hotelligence and Opera Business Intelligence—to inform account strategy and decision-making.
- Maintain current knowledge of the global hotel portfolio, competitor activity and Business Travel strategies.
- Develop and deliver compelling, insight-rich presentations.
- Introduce innovative approaches that elevate value and differentiation within a traditionally transactional market segment.
What You Bring:
- Minimum of 10 years in the Business Travel Market.
- College degree or higher.
- Advanced knowledge of the Business Travel and Negotiated Corporate segments, including account strategy, pricing, distribution and RFP processes.
- Strong commercial acumen, including revenue optimization, data interpretation and performance analysis.
- Proficiency in Salesforce and Power BI for account management, reporting and business insights.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word, with the ability to develop clear analyses and executive-ready presentations.
- Working knowledge of Agency360, Lanyon, Hotelligence, GDS platforms and other relevant business intelligence tools.
- Strong negotiation, presentation and written communication skills.
Who You Are:
- Collaborates effectively across WSO, Commercial and hotel teams to achieve shared objectives.
- Builds trusted relationships and engages clients and colleagues with credibility, professionalism and influence.
- Communicates clearly and persuasively in writing, presentations and business discussions.
- Applies sound judgement, analytical thinking and a solutions-oriented approach to complex business challenges.
- Plans and prioritizes effectively, managing multiple client needs, deadlines and projects with accuracy and follow-through.
- Remains composed, adaptable and decisive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
- Demonstrates initiative, resourcefulness and resilience in pursuing ambitious goals.
- Challenges conventional approaches and brings innovative thinking to client and commercial opportunities.
- Sales skills including strong negotiating competency.
This role will be a Hybrid working model, which will require 3 days per week in the Four Seasons Corporate Office, London located at Eagle House, 108-110 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6EE, London, United Kingdom #LI-Hybrid