Business Development Leader, Director

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

The Business Development Leader at Visa is entrusted with the comprehensive management of Visa's relationship with specified large clients, emphasizing business expansion and client contentment. This role involves steering the formulation, direction, and execution of country-specific and business strategies, objectives, and plans within the assigned client base. The primary aim is to meet business targets by cultivating existing business relationships and uncovering new opportunities. This includes the introduction and deployment of innovative products and services.

Principle Responsibilities/Key Results Area

Strategic Planning

• Formulation and implementation of business development strategy for Georgia/Caucasus, aligned with the overall strategy for Visa.

• Contribute to strategic planning with respective Functions on the level of the market and key clients.

• Monitor the development of the banking and financial services industry in Georgia/Caucasus, analyze trends, and understand factors influencing current and potential business results.

• Identify success factors for progressive and dynamic business growth and present the development of business strategy accordingly.

• Ensure that the necessary Marketing plans are in place in good time and have sufficient justification for the required spend.

• Stay abreast of industry advancements and integrate innovative solutions and strategies into the business development plan

• Monitor, analyze and develop strategies to respond to competition

• Develop Visa's business in Georgia/Caucasus to meet or exceed targets established through the regional planning process, while operating within allocated budgets

Business Development and Relationship Management

• Manage and develop the relationship between Visa and designated clients

• Establish, develop and manage relationship with industry representatives in-country such as Vendors, Processors, Fintech, Payment Facilitators and other ecosystem participants

• Identify new business development opportunities and take accountability for and manage the project evaluation of these

• Focus on achieving business targets through growing existing business and developing new business opportunities.  Monitor business results of designated clients and anticipate challenges and take proactive measures to accomplish targets. 

• Ensure effective communication of progress to targets both within Visa and with Clients

• Develop, maintain and cultivate close relationships with decision-makers and senior management of designated clients, partner companies. Understand their business strategies, priorities, needs and business processes, present to them strategic ideas and share Visa’s views on industry developments and dynamics and advise them how Visa products can impact their results.

• Represent Visa to the clients by providing a point of contact to them, with permanent high-quality support on the Visa organization, products, systems and policies.

• Ensure the development of individual designated clients’ operational plans, with corresponding tactics and actions to achieve defined goals.

General

• Ensure all CEMEA departments are fully informed of actions that may affect them, support their objectives and business plans and seek to resolve conflicts which might occur.

• Actively contribute to the development of the team through sharing of information, coaching and support.

• Establish, maintain and develop good relationships with CEMEA colleagues, and staff in other regions to ensure that global initiatives and best practice throughout Visa are effectively introduced across CEMEA.

• Complete ad hoc project/research work and other initiatives as directed by senior management.

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Key Competencies
• Proven commercial acumen, encompassing prior profit and loss responsibility
• Exceptional analytical skills, enabling effective decision-making based on empirical data
• Excellent presentation and communication abilities, facilitating clear and concise information delivery
• Aptitude for generating innovative solutions in complex, dynamic environments, indicative of strategic management and creative thinking abilities
• Robust interpersonal skills, fostering productive working relationships within cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated drive and energy, with a consistent focus on achieving results
• Superior negotiation skills, leading to timely and mutually acceptable resolutions
• Proficiency in client relationship management, contributing to sustained business growth
• Self-directed and motivated, able to work with minimal management oversight

Required Experience & Skills
• 8+ years of continuous working experience (banking, processing center, other payments ecosystem player – will be considered an advantage)
• Solid experience in payments, technologically advanced
• Knowledge and understanding of banking operations and/ or electronic payment schemes, including products & services, business systems and processes
• Experience in sales and commercial orientation
• Leading meetings and effectively delivering presentations to large industry audiences, including conferences
• Ability to identify key strategic issues and to generate and deliver creative and innovative solutions to problems and opportunities
• Interpersonally credible, influential in their dealings and sensitive to a multicultural environment
• Ability to manage varied indirect reporting relationships at all levels of the Visa and member organization
• Candidate must have the ability to travel
• Proficiency in English and Russian languages, both written and verbal
• Native Georgian speaker

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.