Global Retention Lead

This role is based in our New York office

The LIONS Commercial Partnerships team is seeking a Global Partnerships Lead to join our NYC team. This role will report directly into the Global Head of Partnerships, Retention, and work with key accounts across the entire LIONS portfolio. 

The LIONS Commercial Partnerships team works directly with clients year-round and is responsible for driving revenue consistently against our 365 product portfolio. This role is responsible for managing a team of six high-performing sales professionals and delivering $30M+ in annual revenue through innovative brand partnerships across our festival portfolio.

We provide a full service, working with the client from initial introduction through signing a contract to delivering their partnership on site and digitally. We are looking for a strategic sales person and excellent manager, with an eye for creativity and new ideas.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned sales leader with 5-8 years of experience in sales, preferably within live events, entertainment, or media. They bring a proven track record of delivering $10M+ in annual revenue and managing high-performing teams. Exceptional leadership and communication skills are essential, along with the ability to negotiate complex, high-value deals. This role requires a strategic thinker who understands brand marketing and sponsorship dynamics, and who thrives in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments. A strong commercial instinct, collaborative mindset, and results-driven approach are critical to success. The candidate should be able to demonstrate consistently meeting and exceeding targets set over a number of years, as well as experience managing a high performing sales team. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of six direct reports to exceed individual and team sales targets.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, creativity, and collaboration.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, pipeline assessments, and strategic planning sessions.
• Own and deliver a $30M+ revenue target through strategic partnerships.
• Manage up forecasts, trading updates, and risk to the Global Head of Partnerships. 
• Develop and execute strategies that align with business objectives and market trends.
• Identify new revenue opportunities and optimize existing partnerships for growth and retention.
• Lead negotiations and close complex, high-value deals that drive mutual value.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, operations, legal, finance and other internal teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Provide accurate revenue forecasting and pipeline reporting to senior leadership.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity to inform strategy and positioning.
• Track and analyze performance metrics to continuously improve team effectiveness.
• Maintain accurate contact and activity information in Salesforce.
• On-site operational support during Festival period, including direct liaison with clients and suppliers. 
• Willing and able to travel for necessary event operations, site visits, planning to both our London, UK HQ office and Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France.