Senior Sales Specialist, FTSE Russell (DACH+CEE Region)

Job description

ABOUT FTSE Russell, a division of LSEG FTSE Russell is a global index leader that provides innovative benchmarking, analytics and data solutions for investors worldwide. FTSE Russell calculates thousands of indexes that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally. FTSE Russell index expertise and products are used extensively by institutional and retail investors globally. Approximately $17.9 trillion is currently benchmarked to FTSE Russell indexes. For over 30 years, leading asset owners, asset managers, ETF providers and investment banks have chosen FTSE Russell indexes to benchmark their investment performance and create ETFs, structured products and index-based derivatives. ROLE PROFILE FTSE Russell is seeking an experienced and commercially driven Senior Sales Specialist to develop its business across the DACH and Central & Eastern European markets. Based in Germany, the successful candidate will take ownership of identifying, developing and converting growth opportunities across FTSE Russell’s asset-based and data businesses. The position will cover multiple client segments, including asset managers, asset owners, banks, wealth managers, ETF issuers, insurers, investment consultants, trading firms, platforms and other financial-market participants. This is a senior individual-contributor role requiring strong financial-markets experience, an established record of business development and the ability to create opportunities in markets where FTSE Russell’s client relationships and product penetration can be expanded. The individual will be expected to combine strategic territory development with hands-on sales execution. They will build senior client relationships, identify opportunities across complex customer organisations and coordinate FTSE Russell and wider LSEG resources to deliver solutions aligned with client requirements. The role spans two principal commercial areas: Asset-based business: index adoption and licensing associated with ETFs, index funds, mutual funds, institutional mandates, structured products, derivatives and other index-linked investment solutions. Data and subscription business: index and benchmark data, analytics, reference data, enterprise data rights and subscription-based solutions. Business Context DACH and CEE represent important growth markets for FTSE Russell. The region contains significant pools of institutional assets, established asset-management and banking sectors, sophisticated investment-product manufacturers and a growing ecosystem of wealth platforms, ETF providers and digital distributors. This region has traditionally received very little coverage due to the strategy being focused on other territories and even though we do have some existing relationships, this is an opportunity to build the book from scratch. We are looking to add additional resources to work alongside this role to have a local team and the ability to properly address the opportunity. ROLE SUMMARY Reporting directly to the Head of Continental Europe + MEA Sales (FTSE Russell), the Senior Sales will: Own and execute a comprehensive sales and business-development strategy for the DACH and CEE region, aligned with FTSE Russell’s EMEA commercial priorities. Translate the regional strategy into a structured territory plan covering priority countries, client segments, target accounts, buyer groups and relevant propositions. Assess the total addressable market and identify the areas where FTSE Russell has the strongest potential to generate sustainable asset-based and subscription revenues. Identify gaps in current market coverage and build a prioritised plan for new client acquisition, account penetration and expansion. Establish clear short-, medium- and longer-term priorities for the territory, balancing immediate revenue delivery with strategic market development. Develop senior-level relationships across the regional investment and financial-services ecosystem. Represent the requirements, commercial dynamics and evolving priorities of DACH and CEE clients within FTSE Russell. Provide regular market intelligence and recommendations to EMEA sales leadership, Product, Research and Marketing teams. Contribute to proposition development and go-to-market decisions by articulating regional client needs, competitive pressures and addressable opportunities. WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING Originate, qualify and convert new commercial opportunities across DACH and CEE & Establish relationships with prospective clients and open new buyer groups within existing FTSE Russell relationships. Build and manage a high-quality pipeline across asset-based and data opportunities. We are ideally looking for a hybrid profile, able to source opportunities both for the asset-based and data businesses. For the Asset-Based business side: Identify opportunities for the adoption of FTSE Russell indices as benchmarks or underlying indices for ETFs, index funds, mutual funds and institutional mandates. Develop opportunities with banks and issuers relating to structured products, derivatives and other index-linked solutions. Engage asset owners, insurance companies and investment consultants on benchmark selection, portfolio construction and custom index requirements. Identify opportunities across global equity, fixed income, multi-asset, climate, sustainable investment, thematic, real-asset and private-market propositions. Coordinate with Index Investments, Product, Research and other internal experts to progress technically complex opportunities. For the Data and subscription side: Identify opportunities to sell and expand FTSE Russell data, analytics, index and benchmark solutions across the region. Develop a detailed understanding of how clients use financial data across investment management, research, portfolio construction, valuation, risk, reporting, compliance, product development and trading. Identify opportunities to extend the client relationship into additional FTSE Russell datasets, index families and use cases. Balance new-business generation with the strategic expansion and protection of existing client relationships. Position FTSE Russell solutions against client requirements and commercial outcomes rather than relying on product-led or catalogue-led selling. Strategic client engagement Build credible, value-based relationships with senior decision-makers and influencers across priority regional accounts. Act as a trusted commercial partner, bringing relevant investment, market and competitive insights into client discussions. Lead senior client meetings, commercial presentations, solution workshops and negotiations. Maintain accountability for client follow-up and the internal coordination required to progress opportunities efficiently. Represent FTSE Russell at appropriate industry conferences, client events, roundtables and market forums. Coordinate with wider LSEG account and sales teams to identify cross-business opportunities and provide a consistent client experience. Take a One LSEG approach to relevant opportunities, connecting FTSE Russell solutions with broader client priorities where appropriate. Provide informal guidance and support to less experienced sales colleagues where appropriate. Promote disciplined execution, constructive collaboration and clear accountability across regional opportunities. WHAT YOU’LL BRING Entrepreneurial and comfortable building business in an underpenetrated market. Highly commercially motivated, with a strong focus on measurable outcomes. Proactive, resilient and persistent. Solution-oriented and able to move from analysis to execution. Comfortable operating with autonomy and accountability. Able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Organised and disciplined while remaining adaptable. Intellectually curious and committed to maintaining current market, product and competitor knowledge. Cult