Business Development Manager - Adriatic Territory

Business Development Manager

Adriatic Territory

The Business Development Manager is responsible for establishing relationships with large and medium sized businesses (customers/partners) on behalf of Fortinet as well as maintaining and growing business with install base partners/customers.

This role will sell the breadth of Fortinet’s capabilities, with specific focus on public cloud engagements, infrastructure and security services. The role holder will manage the engagement and development of significant deals and have an outstanding track record of selling

complex solutions and services in full collaboration with the in country/territory team of Major Account Managers, Channel Managers etc.

Over time, there will be more and more Fortinet partners/customers whom have legacy infrastructure to run their workloads, but want to transform into the new agile, digital world. To ensure there is a stronger “pull” towards new world over legacy (ensuring long term customer/journey and revenues), we would need a BDM whose primary focus is on the digital world but also has legacy world experience. From an outside perspective, this will look smooth and consistent to our partners/customers/prospects.

• Overall sales/technical expertise
• Has held various roles across numerous sectors and consultancy experience desirable
• Success track record in growing business in an international IT vendor
• Whilst big organization experience is desirable for our high growth ambition, we require other more important factors relating to a new, digital world BDM role: in our mind, a BDM whom specializes in Cloud and everything encapsulating

  the new, digital world must possess the following skills/experience/qualities because they will be engaging with our future partner/prospects/customers and selling the future digital vision:

  • Qualified and expertise in a public cloud such as AWS or Azure or GCP and most importantly, understand new world approach to fault tolerance, resilient architectures (high availability, fail over, DR) etc..;
  • Understanding of modern methodologies and movements such as: design thinking, agile and lean business models as this is even more important to partners/customers and proposals;
  • Understanding of current and in future technologies such as: AI such as machine learning, container security etc…;
  • Experience in big complex digital transformations
  • Understand Innovation, how to enable innovation (different approach for each partner/customer) and how this leads to differentiation and market disruption

Responsibilities/Accountabilities

• Lead the development of an effective portfolio business plan outlining the strategy for success and maximising revenues.
• Responsible for ensuring partner/customer satisfaction is maintained at the highest levels.
• Develop account plans that focus on client relationship development and account growth/retention within install base and net new customers/partners.
• Find and develop profitable new accounts and business opportunities within a channel driven mentality.
• Manage and develop a long-term sustainable pipeline of new deals, into both install base and net new parterns/customers.
• Map, build and deploy a long term relationship with the Public Cloud Vendors (Microsoft, Google, AWS, Oracle, Alibaba…)
• Achieve the revenue targets set out, build pro-active plans generating pipeline.
• Maintain close knowledge of the client’s business and Fortinets’ service portfolio to ensure alignment of appropriate up selling and cross selling of Fortinet solutions.
• Produce workable quarterly/annual business and activity plans for the region and/or market segment and develop profit improvement plans to justify the value of our solutions/services to our partners/customers.
• Record and maintain all relevant information regarding partner/customers and contacts, prospects and suspects in Salesforce.
• Ensure full communication of Fortinets’ sales & marketing objectives to all partners/customers/accounts.
• Ensure that the public cloud sales pipeline model is kept updated by providing timely and accurate forecasting and pipeline information.
• Develop and maintain partner/customer relationships at multiple levels including problem solving and formulation of response to immediate and future partner/customer requirements.
• Works with third party advisory organisations and attends third party vendor meetings.
• Prepare and deliver sales proposals and presentations.
• Prepare partner/customer/ alliance or account planning documents for specific services and solutions.

Skills/Experience

• Minimum 5-year demonstrable record of accomplishment in selling complex outsourcing and managed service solutions to the enterprise and mid-market within a channel driven mentality
• Strong understanding of workspace, cloud and managed service solutions.
• Proven track record of winning, leading and implementing complex deals
• Experience selling solutions incorporating cloud, connectivity and technologies.
• Ability to construct innovative deals that play to Fortinets’ strengths, both meeting and exceeding client expectations.
• Understanding of organisational navigation: ability to get things done in a complex environment both externally and internally.
• Strong problem solving and negotiating skills at Director level.
• Strong planning and organisation skills, and compelling presentation skills.
• Be used to working in high pressure environments, on your own and as part of a team.
• Broad understanding of the Information Technology marketplace.
• A proven network of senior level (Director and above) contacts
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to build trust and long-term relationships within the client organisation.
• Proactive change agent, able to understand both the client’s and Fortinets’ business requirements to achieve a win-win outcome.

Qualification/Certification requirements

• Graduate level (preferred) or through proven experience / reference
• Appropriate Sales and negotiation abilities
• Project Management experience would be beneficial.