Director, Business Development - Entertainment in London

Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) is a leading sports, media, entertainment and lifestyle platform. As the owner of some of the most iconic and beloved intellectual property in the world, Authentic acquires and invests in brands to create long-term value for all of its stakeholders. A digital-first, asset-light platform, Authentic sits at the intersection of culture, commerce and technology. It brings brands to life and cultivates fandom through powerful storytelling, premium content and unforgettable live experiences. Together with nearly 2,000 best-in-class licensing partners across 150 countries and an expansive distribution network, Authentic’s brands drive more than $38 billion in annual systemwide retail sales worldwide.

As the Director, Business Development Entertainment- EMEAI, you’ll be developing and executing strategies for expanding ABG’s base of licensing partnerships with a focus on the Entertainment portfolio. You'll be increasing the footprint of the company’s brands, and ultimately delivering top-line revenue for the organization in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

If you’re a strategic thinker with a creative spirit and are driven to win, we’d like to meet you. We’re proud to offer our BD Executives unlimited commission and are excited to welcome eager sellers to our team.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Generate Qualified Leads: Learn and understand ABG’s brand strategies. Research the market and identify new Entertainment licensing partners that map to your brand portfolio and meet ABG’s partner qualifications. Identify target contacts and decision makers inside target companies and establish contact via cold calling, email outreach, and other means, as necessary.
• Build and Manage Sales Pipeline: Continually drive prospects into leads through high-volume outbound sales activity. Utilise detailed discovery to learn about the prospect’s interests and capabilities. Partner with Business Development leadership and Brand Marketing to develop pitch decks that clearly align the brand value proposition with the prospect’s interests and capabilities.
• Drive the Licensing Deal to Close: Work in partnership with Brand Management and Business Development Leadership teams to develop business plans and formulate product licensing proposals. Lead and manage efficient and productive negotiations of deal terms, taking full ownership of the deal process. Assemble detailed term sheets with concise business terms. Work closely with legal counsel to draft licensing agreements.
• Sales Management: Track sales activity in CRM consistently and accurately. Manage productive and goal-oriented deal processes. Prepare accurate sales forecasts per ABG’s sales reporting process. Prepare reports and presentations of sales performance as needed. Responsible for quota attainment in assigned business pillar.

Must Haves:

• Experience in new business development in licensing for the Entertainment EMEA markets.
• Experience in full-cycle sales from lead generation through closing the deal.
• Have knowledge and understanding of licensees and product categories.
• Possess an eager demeanour with a fearless and professional drive to win; substantial cold calling and other forms of outreach are required.
• Success at negotiating licensing contracts, creatively developing new business ideas.
• Able to partner closely with licensees to understand their business needs and explore opportunities for growth.
• Understand licensing sales successes and challenges, key retail accounts, development plans and strategy.
• Understand best practices for Licensees.
• Has a bachelor’s degree.
• Must be willing and able to travel occasionally as the role requires.

Authentic is an equal-opportunity employer and we value and embrace the diversity and inclusion of all Team Members. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, national origin, disability, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status.