Business Development Executive

Collinson is a global loyalty and benefits company, and this exciting role sits within the Insurance business, which incorporates our UK and EEA based authorised and regulated insurers and for Travel insurance a full claims administration and assistance business. We currently possess C. 20% market share of the UK travel insurance market, 30% share of all D2C travel insurance sold online in Italy via our Columbus Direct brand and our travel insurance is sold in 22 EEA countries today. We have exciting plans to grow our business further across Europe.

We use our expertise and products to craft customer experiences which enable some of the world’s best-known brands to acquire, engage and retain the most demanding and choice-rich customers. In particular, our unique expertise and insight into high earning, frequent travellers, allows us to create products and solutions for our clients that inspire greater customer engagement to drive more profitable relationships, enrich their travel experiences, protect what matters and assist in in times of need.

  While specialising in Financial Services, Travel and Retail, we also support clients in multiple sectors. We have worked with over 90 airlines, 20 hotel groups and more than 600 financial institutions and banks, with clients including Accor Hotels, Air France KLM, American Express, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Diners Club, Mandarin Oriental, Mastercard, Radisson Hotel Group, Sephora, Visa and Vhi.

We take our 30 years’ experience working with these kinds of household names in over 170 countries and help our clients to deliver the smarter experiences it takes to differentiate their propositions and help them win deeper devotion with their customers. 

Collinson is a privately-owned entrepreneurial business with 2,000 passionate people working in 20 locations worldwide.  Our solutions include Priority Pass, the world’s best known airport experiences programme, while we are also the trusted partner behind many of the leading financial services, airline and hotel brand’s reward programmes and loyalty initiatives. 

Purpose of the Job

This is an exciting role with OTE potential, which supports the development of major strategic new business opportunities across both Collinson Insurance and Columbus Direct - aligned to the achievement of wider team new business objectives.

The role will be a 50% split between Collinson Insurance and Columbus Direct. The primary objectives for this role are:

• Collinson Insurance, research, identification of profitable business opportunities, insights, and lead generation in the UK and European Multi-Lines market, typically insurers, brokers, insurtechs, affinities, corporate partnerships, utilities
• Columbus Direct, research, identification of profitable affinity business opportunities in the UK travel insurance market.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the use of our in-house underwriting capacity and in helping define our longer-term distribution strategies including proposition and partnerships development.

Collinson Insurance. 

Support key regional Business Development activities across the UK and European Insurance markets with a consultative approach:

• Identify target key decision makers and influencers across all prospect organisations and generate positive relationships and positive recognition of our group wide capabilities.
• Support awareness campaigns for creation and demand for new innovative and relevant Collinson Group products and services across the sector.
• At the request of account management colleagues, support the cross-selling of Group products and services collaboratively to existing divisional clients
• Provide input to new business processes including bid qualification, Deal-room, UPGC and pipeline reporting requirements
• Maintain accurate and up to date full accounts of pipeline records and sales lead activities in Salesforce
• Deliver on all financial and personal objectives set and initiatives in place

Collinson Insurance. 

Support the Co-ordination of the responses to significant sector bids and new business proposals including, but not limited to multi-divisional responses:

• Deliver all content to deadlines and ensure the quality of execution is compelling and at a credible level
• Support on an ad hoc basis where applicable to respond to contract renewals

Columbus Direct.

Research and lead generation of affinity markets within the UK travel insurance market

• Identify target key decision makers and influencers across all prospect organisations and generate positive relationships and positive recognition of our group wide capabilities.
• Support awareness campaigns for creation and demand for new innovative and relevant Collinson Group products and services across the sector.
• Maintain accurate and up to date full accounts of pipeline records and sales lead activities in Salesforce
• Deliver on all financial and personal objectives set and initiatives in place

What You'll Do:

General collaboration with key internal stakeholders throughout the new business process and sales cycle:

• Facilitate two-way interaction with your wider Collinson network to understand existing relationships

Effective and timely reporting standards and CRM utilisation

• Fulfilment of all regular and ad-hoc reporting in line with requirements set by line-manager
• Timely updates of all information gained/acquired/constructed within scope of role; including all new/revised client/prospect contact status updates, meeting minutes, actions, win strategies and NBP stages into Salesforce, the Groups’ chosen single CRM repository

What You'll Need:

• 2+ years’ experience within UK consumer insurance sector
• Strong commercial acumen, gravitas and self-motivation
• Consultative influencing and negotiation skills
• Strong proficiency in in research led lead generation
• Understanding of the UK speciality consumer lines and travel insurance market preferred but not essential

You might also have:

• Highly personable with strong networking skills
• Credible relevant evidential commercial awareness and business acumen
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Listens first, thinks and confidently presents ideas creatively in order to solve problems
• Strong academic background and evidence of exceeding personal targets in previous roles
• Use of own initiative, self-motivated, ability to hit the ground running
• Great team working ethics and personal integrity.
• Advocates and supports the development of others

Collinson is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes differences in all their forms including: colour, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, family status, age, individuals with disabilities and people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences as we strongly believe this contributes to our on-going success.

We are focused on continually evolving our purpose driven, high performing culture, providing an environment where our people have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and do interesting and meaningful work. Our company values are: Act smarter, Do the right thing, One team and Be insight led. These help guide everything we do internally in terms of how we think, act and interact, right through to how we deliver value to our customers and clients.

In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).

If you need any extra support throughout the interview process, then please email us at ukrecruitment@collinsongroup.com

We also have our very own Beacons (Domestic Abuse Advisors) supporting within each of our global offices. Our Beacons will be your point of contact if you or someone you know needs support.