Job Role: VP of Sales EMEA
Location: Central Bristol (Queens Square, Bristol)
Basic salary: £150,000 - £200,000 + Commission (OTE £400,000+)
About Us
GDS Group is a global B2B growth partner, delivering world-class insight, content, pipeline development and immersive event experiences across both virtual platforms and in-person environments.
With over three decades of expertise, we partner with the world’s leading enterprise brands to connect them with senior decision-makers through high-impact, insight-led experiences. Our mission is to drive meaningful business outcomes by bringing together targeted audiences and transformative solutions in dynamic, results-driven environments.
Operating internationally with offices in the UK, US and Europe, we are entering a significant phase of scale and are seeking a senior commercial leader to play a pivotal role in that growth.
The Opportunity
This is a strategic, executive-level leadership role for a high-calibre VP/SVP of Sales to lead and scale our UK-based sponsorship sales division.
You will take full ownership of a multi-million-pound revenue function, leading a large, high-performance sales organisation (up to 40 heads) responsible for delivering sponsorship revenue across our global portfolio of digital and in-person events.
This role goes beyond team management. You will be responsible for defining sales vision, driving commercial strategy and building a best-in-class sales engine capable of sustained growth.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Revenue Ownership
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Own and deliver annual revenue targets more than £10M, with full accountability for forecasting accuracy and commercial performance
- Define and execute a scalable sales strategy aligned with global growth objectives
- Partner with executive leadership to shape go-to-market strategy, pricing models and product positioning
- Identify new revenue streams, verticals and enterprise opportunities to expand market share
Sales Organisation Leadership (Up to 40 Heads)
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Lead, inspire and scale a high-performing sponsorship sales organisation of 30–40+ individuals, including Sales Directors and Senior BDMs
- Build a robust leadership layer, developing Sales Directors to drive performance at scale
- Embed a high-performance, metrics-driven culture focused on accountability, activity and results
- Drive continuous optimisation of team structure, territories and sales processes
Event Sponsorship Sales Excellence
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Oversee the full lifecycle of event sponsorship sales across a global portfolio, including in-person summits and flagship digital roundtables
- Ensure consistent delivery of high-value, multi-touch sponsorship packages to enterprise clients
- Elevate the quality of commercial conversations, ensuring teams engage confidently at C-suite and senior stakeholder level
- Maintain a deep understanding of client needs to align sponsorship offerings with measurable ROI
Talent Development & Performance Management
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Attract, hire and retain top-tier sales talent and leadership
- Implement structured coaching, training and leadership development programmes
- Conduct regular performance reviews, pipeline inspections and strategic deal coaching
- Create clear progression pathways to support internal mobility and succession planning
Operational Excellence
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Drive best-in-class use of CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) to ensure pipeline visibility, forecasting accuracy and data-driven decision-making
- Establish and refine KPIs, sales cadences and reporting frameworks
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Production and Client Success teams to ensure seamless delivery
Executive Stakeholder Engagement
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Act as a senior escalation point for key clients and strategic partnerships
- Build and maintain relationships with enterprise-level stakeholders and sponsors
- Represent the business externally as a senior commercial leader and brand ambassador
About You
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Proven track record of leading large-scale sales organisations (20–40+ people) in high-growth, fast-paced environments
- Demonstrated success owning and delivering significant revenue targets (£10m+ preferred)
- Deep experience in event sponsorship and solution-based sales
- Exceptional leadership capability, with a strong track record of building, scaling and transforming teams
- Highly commercial mindset with the ability to operate strategically and tactically
- Credibility and confidence engaging with C-suite stakeholders and enterprise clients
- Strong background as an individual contributor prior to leadership
- Experience with Salesforce or equivalent CRM platforms
What We Offer
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Market-leading compensation package with uncapped earning potential (OTE £400K+)
- A true executive-level platform to shape and scale a major revenue function
- Clear pathway to senior leadership progression within a global organisation
- Access to world-class training, leadership development, and coaching programmes
- Opportunity to work across international markets and global clients
- A high-performance, ambitious culture with no ceiling on growth or impact
