Newcastle University

Matthew Charles

Programme Studied: BA (Hons) Marketing & Management

Year of Graduation: 2008

Current Job Title: Client Manager

Current Company: The Logic Group

 

Brief description of career since graduating…

Since graduating from the Business School I have worked for The Logic Group, joining in September 2008.

I joined the company as a Graduate Sales Executive, as part of a 12 month graduate programme. During this year I undertook different placements across the company's different departments (development, consultancy, support, marketing etc), various internal/external training courses, as well as being involved in various sales activities within our Major Client sales division.

In October 2009, I was promoted to a Business Development Executive, where my roles were split between managing relationships with Tier 2 clients in the travel and entertainment sectors, and winning new business within the same sectors.

Since January 2011, I have been a Client Manager (Transport, Leisure and Hospitality).

Your current role: What are your responsibilities, what is a typical day like, what are the highs and lows of the job?

My current core focus is to specialise in owning the commercial relationships and growing the revenue stream within more than 30 of the organisation’s Tier One and Tier Two clients in the Travel, Leisure and Entertainment markets. I also have been tasked to win business within a few key named prospective clients.

Key Responsibilities

My key responsibilities are split into three areas,

Client Facing

• Relationship management across IT and Marketing functions, being the main point of contact and escalation for the client
• Presenting the organisation’s various propositions and commercial proposals, occasionally to board level
• Help clients achieve strategic goals by implementing the organisations solutions and consultancy
• Commercial negotiations, both for new deals or renewals
• Increasing the organisation’s exposure across the client’s various business units
• Conflict /issue resolutions

Internal Responsibilities

• Manage and increase revenue streams within named accounts
• Be the “Client Champion”, ensuring that the client’s requirements are understood and realised by the organisation
• Management and coordination of large bid teams, taking ownership of responses to tendering projects. This requires managing a team of sales support, consultancy, marketing and project management representatives throughout the tender process, from proposals through to external presentations.

Mentor for graduate sales recruits

• Aid the development of new graduate recruits within the sales department

A typical date for me generally includes a lot of calling to existing clients (whether on the phone or face-to-face), writing sales proposal / presentations and strategic planning.

The obvious highs and lows of the role is winning and losing business!

What are your main memories of your time at the Business School?

The group projects undertaken during my stay at the Business School were my main highlight as they have provided me with key skills that I have taken to my career.

 

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