Sales Director - Finance & Insurance in London

Lloyd's List Intelligence delivers the trusted maritime data, analytics, and insight that keeps global trade moving.

Powered by 3,000+ intelligence sources, proprietary AIS data, and a global network of analysts, we provide real-time visibility into the world's fleets, trade flows, and risks.

By combining advanced analytics, AI, and human expertise, our intelligence helps organisations across shipping, finance, commodities, insurance, legal, and government sectors make confident decisions, reducing risk exposure, optimising operations, and identifying commercial opportunities.

With over 300 years of maritime heritage, we continue to shape the future of trade intelligence, transforming vessel, ownership, compliance, and emissions data into clarity that drives smarter, safer, and more transparent trade.

Role Profile

As Sales Director - Finance & Insurance, you will lead the commercial strategy and sales performance for the Finance & Insurance vertical across EMEA, with accountability for the accounts, revenue and team within your agreed area of responsibility, reporting to the Head of Region.

You will own revenue performance in your client accounts across global banking, investment, trade finance and insurance markets, lead and develop a team of account managers, and act as the senior commercial lead for key financial and insurance clients.

You’ll translate LLI’s maritime intelligence, sanctions and compliance screening, beneficial ownership and counterparty risk data, AIS tracking and advanced analytics, into measurable value for institutions that finance, insure and manage risk across global trade.

Combining sales leadership, sector strategy and executive relationship management, you will build a high-performing team and a repeatable engine for retention and expansion.

This is a hybrid role based in our modern, centrally located London office, with a wide variety of services and transport links situated nearby.

Who You’ll Work With

You and your team will partner with senior decision-makers across the financial and insurance ecosystem.

• Including
• Global and regional banks, trade finance and commodity trade finance providers
• Asset managers, hedge funds, private equity and investment firms
• Marine insurers and reinsurers, P&I clubs and Lloyd’s of London syndicates
• Underwriters, brokers, and credit, political and trade-risk insurers
• Compliance, financial-crime and risk functions responsible for sanctions and counterparty exposure

Key Responsibilities

• Sales Leadership & Team Development
• Lead, coach and develop a team of account managers covering the financial and insurance vertical.
• Set clear targets, KPIs and territory/account structures, and manage performance to a consistently high standard.
• Recruit, onboard and retain top commercial talent, building a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Instil disciplined sales methodology, deal qualification and coaching rhythms across the team.
• Sector Strategy & Go-to-Market
• Own the go-to-market strategy for financial and insurance markets, including segmentation, target account selection and sector-specific value propositions.
• Position LLI’s intelligence against clear use cases, sanctions and compliance screening, KYC/AML, counterparty and credit risk, underwriting and claims, and exposure monitoring.
• Drive demand generation and pipeline creation in partnership with Marketing, and identify white-space and cross-sell opportunities across the portfolio.
• Revenue Ownership & Commercial Performance
• Own the revenue number across retention and expansion, and achieve or exceed annual targets.
• Lead complex, enterprise and multi-region deals, including pricing, negotiation and contract strategy with procurement and executive stakeholders.
• Ensure strong renewal rates and net revenue retention through proactive account planning and value realisation.
• Key Client & Executive Engagement
• Act as the senior commercial sponsor for strategic financial and insurance accounts, building trusted relationships with C-suite, Heads of Compliance, CROs and Chief Underwriting Officers.
• Lead executive value reviews and quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and personally manage key escalations.
• Translate LLI intelligence into board-level business outcomes: reduced risk exposure, stronger compliance, and better-informed underwriting and lending decisions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Product and Data Science to feed financial-sector needs, sanctions, dark fleet detection, trade- based money laundering and ownership transparency, into the product roadmap.
• Work closely with Customer Success, Marketing and regional sales leaders to ensure a seamless client experience and consistent global account coverage.
• Forecasting, Reporting & Operational Rigour
• Maintain accurate forecasts and a healthy, well-qualified pipeline in CRM (e. g., Salesforce).
• Report on revenue performance, pipeline, account health and risk indicators to senior leadership.
• Use data to identify trends, coach the team and make evidence-based commercial decisions.
• Market Presence & Industry Engagement
• Act as a visible figurehead for LLI across the finance and insurance markets, representing the business at leading industry events and forums; including delivering client and conference presentations, participating in panel discussions, and speaking on behalf of LLI at events such as IUMI, marine insurance and trade finance conferences, and financial-crime / sanctions events such as ACAMS.
• Build LLI’s profile and network across the financial services and insurance community.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience leading commercial strategy and sales performance for financial and insurance market accounts, with clear accountability for revenue outcomes across the assigned area of responsibility.
• Demonstrable experience of leading commercial activity and developing senior customer relationships within financial services and/or insurance, gained through direct sector employment, selling into the sector, or leading teams and strategic accounts serving the sector.

Typically evidenced by at least three years of relevant sector exposure.

• 8+ years in B2B Saa S, data or intelligence sales, including substantial experience leading and developing sales teams.
• A strong track record of selling to financial services, for example, asset managers, hedge funds, private equity, investment and capital-markets participants, insurers and reinsurers.
• Demonstrable experience of leading commercial or organisational change, ideally including a transition towards sector-led or specialist selling, restructuring coverage, upskilling talent, and embedding a sector-led go-to-market.
• Experience guiding client organisations through their digitisation journey and meeting customers at every stage of maturity, from those already transforming to those who have not yet begun to consider it.
• Demonstrable ownership of a multi-million revenue number across retention and expansion.
• Experience building, scaling and leading high-performing enterprise sales teams.
• Sector Knowledge
• Strong understanding of financial services and insurance workflows, compliance and sanctions screening, KYC/AML, credit and counterparty risk, underwriting, claims and exposure management.
• Insight into how financial institutions beyond trade finance use data and intelligence, across investment, credit, risk, ESG and capital-markets use cases.
• Familiarity with sanctions regimes (OFAC, OFSI, EU) and financial-crime and regulatory frameworks.
• Appreciation of how maritime and trade intelligence supports risk, compliance and underwriting decisions (advantageous, not essential).
• Leadership & Skills
• Inspirational sales leadership, able to hire, coach, restructure and lead a team through change.
• Change leadership: a proven ability to transition an established team to a new, sector specialist operating model without losing commercial momentum.
• Consultative and credible with senior financial-services buyers, able to create demand and build the case for digitisation with organisations that may not yet recognise the need, as well as accelerate those already on the journey.
• Executive-level relationship building, negotiation and commercial acumen.
• Strategic, analytical and data-driven, with strong forecasting and pipeline discipline.
• Excellent communication, presentation and storytelling skills, able to simplify complex data into business value.
• Comfortable operating in a global, cross-cultural, matrixed environment.

Desirable

• Experience using Salesforce and a recognised sales methodology (e. g., MEDDIC / MEDDPICC).
• Track record selling business intelligence, market data, compliance or Reg Tech products and services.
• An established network across financial services and insurance that reaches beyond the trade-finance community.
• Proficiency in a European language.
• A degree in any discipline.
• Our Promise To You, Company Benefits
• 25 Days Holiday rising to 27 after 2 years’ service
• Day off for your birthday, because you deserve to celebrate
• Life Assurance of 4 x Salary
• Company pension scheme: employee contribution of 5% basic salary, matched by an employer contribution of 5%
• Up to 4 Days Paid Volunteering per year to support causes you care about
• Additional leave for life events such as getting married or moving house
• Healthy Lifestyle Subsidy up to £250 annually
• Enhanced Family Leave including maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave
• Work from anywhere policy (up to 4 weeks per year, subject to approval), giving you the flexibility to blend work and life on your terms
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Flexible benefits: Private Healthcare Plan, Dental Insurance, Medical Expenses Cash Plan, Health Screening, Critical Illness Cover, Employee Assistance Programme and the option to purchase 3 additional days of annual leave.

We believe strongly in the value of diversity and creating supportive, inclusive environments where our colleagues can succeed.

As such, we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics under federal, state or local law.

Please let us know of any adjustments we need to make for you to show us your best self.

We are delivering trusted maritime data, analytics, and insight that keeps global trade moving.

With over 300 years of maritime heritage, we continue to shape the future of trade intelligence, transforming vessel, ownership, compliance, and emissions data into clarity that drives smarter, safer, and more transparent trade.

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