Senior Client Partner - Travel ( Hotels, OTA, Cruise, Cars)

Company Description: WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS) is a leading Business Process Management (BPM) company. We combine our deep industry knowledge with technology and analytics expertise to co-create innovative, digital-led transformational solutions with clients across 10 industries. We enable businesses in Travel, Insurance, Banking and Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods, Shipping and Logistics, Healthcare, and Utilities to re-imagine their digital future and transform their outcomes with operational excellence.

We deliver an entire spectrum of BPM services in finance and accounting, procurement, customer interaction services and human resources leveraging collaborative models that are tailored to address the unique business challenges of each client. We co-create and execute the future vision of 400+ clients with the help of our 44,000+ employees.

The SVP - Client Relationships/ Senior Client Partner for Travel will be a member of the sales and account management leadership team at WNS UK and report into the Business Unit Head for the Travel Vertical. Candidates having Client Partner, Operations & Sales experience in Hotels, OTA, Cruise, Cars would be preferred for this role. This person will have overall responsibility of delivering and owning a high level of governance of client relationships for Travel.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Own the client relationship end-to-end, be the "voice of the customer" with all WNS groups, and "voice of WNS" with the client.
• Act in an advisory/consultant role with clients and strategise with them on 'best course' actions in achievement of their business objectives, where WNS can be an effective transformative partner.
• Peer with client leaders up to CXOs to understand their business imperatives and gain the trust of the client and be perceived as part of their extended team.
• Drive revenues, with an objective to meet and exceed established targets, by creating and championing high-value propositions for the client.
• Have business oversight of client relationships from all aspects including the account and delivery teams.
• Assist WNS senior management in early identification and articulation of client needs and help articulate WNS views to the clients' senior management.
• Work closely with offshore delivery team(s) to ensure all operations metrics are met.
• Manage client visits and accompany them to offshore delivery centres as and when required.
• Collaborate with WNS' solutions and capability teams to co-create transformative solutions (digital and/or process) that can be deployed for the respective client or collection of clients.
• Establish/lead suitable governance framework including, but not limited to weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual Business Review Meetings, ensuring progress to plan and flagging exceptions.
• Ensure contract compliance - both commercial as well as other T&Cs - both for client and WNS, and resolve variances.
• Lend subject matter expertise to other client partners and sales leaders to ensure overall BU objectives are met.

Qualifications:

• Degree level education - MBA Preferred.
• Work experience in travel specifically in either of the travel segments (OTA, Hotels, Cruise, travel aggregator or car rental industry).
• 10+ years of experience in managing client relationships and/or business operations/business development in travel industry - at least 3+ years of total experience should have been in a senior capacity.
• A track record of initiative, creativity and motivation to surpass challenging performance goals.
• Excellent analytics, presentation, storytelling and negotiation skills, able to create and deliver convincing arguments.
• Relationship builder, team player.
• Ability to manage conversations across strategic spectrum i.e. 10K feet view to 100K feet view.
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to build rapport and credibility quickly with an executive level audience.
• Superior time management skills and strong attention to detail.
• Willingness to undertake extensive travel, primarily within EMEA and US, and occasionally to India and other offshore delivery locations as needed.

Additional Information:

• 10 to 15 years of Client Relationship experience out of which at least few years should have been in a senior capacity ideally with one of the following: An offshoring company with operations in India, a knowledge services outsourcing company, any offshoring or outsourcing company but work experience in Travel.
• A track record of initiative, creativity and motivation to surpass challenging performance goals.
• Excellent presentation and negotiation skills, able to create and deliver convincing arguments.
• Entrepreneurial spirit.
• Ability to manage Client Relationship process and forecast with precision.
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to build rapport and credibility quickly with an executive level audience.
• Superior time management skills and strong attention to detail.
• Solid grounding in business concepts and dynamics.