VP Sales EMEA

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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