Partner, East Africa at Control Risks

This is a Business Leader role providing strategic, inspirational leadership and direction for the East Africa business, working closely with the other Sub-Saharan Africa partners and Service Line leads - and as a member of the Regional Partner team - to develop Hub strategies to achieve and exceed our business goals.

This is a client facing, business development and business management role, working across all boundaries (geographical and services) to ensure a client centric, solution oriented and consultative approach to managing and delivering work for key clients and opportunities across the East Africa business. The role is critical to driving top-line growth across our service lines and contributing towards the achievement of our group Strategic Vision & Goals.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Strategy
  • Develop and implement the business strategy across East Africa influencing and working with the Africa team, other Africa MD’s and service line heads to maximise regional success, top line growth, profitability, margin enhancement and consistency across all business areas. 
  • Proactively drive the integration of service lines and other business services in line with the hub business strategy by working effortlessly with service line leads across the region
  • Support the Senior Partner MEA in reinforcing a client centric and client solutions culture across the region and focussing on major projects across the region.
  • Consistently look for ways to develop and improve profitability and margins across the region, including new practice lines in region.
  • Promote Control Risks in the region and primarily East Africa to ensure the company is consistently presented in a strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders.
  • Reinforce status as provider of choice by being a thought leader on strategic risks matters in East Africa.
  • Gather intelligence on clients’ operations and on major new projects of interest to ensure opportunistic and informed business development operations.
• Leadership
  • Lead in sales, consulting, market development, driving business development and high performance in the region.
  • Ensure commercial opportunities are optimized and run smoothly.
  • Proactively contribute to the wider regional agenda prioritizing commercial opportunities.
  • Manage all employees in line with business plans and best practice in team development, training, talent, recognition and recruitment.
  • Provide inspirational leadership to motivate the high performing East African team.
  • Identify new markets and opportunities for strategic growth, with a particular focus on Libya, Uganda and Ethiopia
  • Work closely with Advisory Chair on identifying opportunities and exploiting existing relationships.
• Business development and client management
  • Drive, with colleagues across the business, innovative profitable client solutions and business development initiatives.
  • Be an ambassador for the East Africa region in conjunction with the Middle East & Africa Team and Regional Management team.
  • Influence, co-ordinate and work with senior management to generate and deliver against targets.
  • Work with the partners across the business to identify and nurture high impact potential clients and as appropriate be involved.
  • Ensure all managers underpin commercial activities with an accurately qualified scope and assured commercial model.
  • With the Regional management team, set business development targets that drive margin enhancement.
  • Proactively initiate and develop new and existing client relationships.
  • Participate in client presentations when necessary to secure client contracts.
  • Present at and attend external conferences / workshops as appropriate.
  • Closely collaborate with International SOS business leads and other Partners as well as selling all members within the joint ventures.
• Business Management
  • Drive overall growth in the East Africa business and ensure a tight grip on various business levers impacting income and profit levels
  • Lead the financial reporting assessing performance, forecasts, pipelines on a monthly, quarterly, six monthly and yearly basis.
  • Constantly challenge the financial viability of services and contracts and be diligent in identifying cost reduction and efficiency initiatives across the business, whilst balancing the longer term value proposition.
  • Monitor and evaluate commercial performance of the East Africa business to ensure that the financial return to Control Risks is as planned and manage any alteration in the financial expectations internally as well as externally with the client.
  • Consistently reinforce the ‘one firm’ philosophy ensuring collaboration with other Control Risks offices and regions to develop best practice.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Proven leadership ability operating successfully at a senior level, setting strategy and growing a business.
• Proven experience of having effectively worked across practice lines and regions to deliver set objectives.
• Proven strong commercial acumen and understanding of delivering higher value / margin services.
• Demonstrable experience of having developed key, high value, client relationships and accounts.
• Experience in operating in complex and diverse environments.