Country Sales Manager, Thailand & Vietnam

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Country Sales Manager (CSM) is responsible for leading the country sales activities, the sales team and all the country-related activities in order to contribute to Flight Plan anc Commercial Action Plan. He/She maximizes Air France KLM and partner airlines operated flights in terms of revenues and/or market share. The Country Sales Manager manages priorities, performance and acts as the Air France KLM representative towards clients, partners and authorities. The Country Sales Manager is a key stakeholder for local Finance, HR and Stations activities and coordinates country-related topics where relevant.

Thailand & Vietnam are part of the South East Asia region which offers a range of opportunities and challenges for businesses, with varying levels of economic development, and regulatory environments. With its large and growing population, strategic location, and increasing connectivity, South East Asia is an important market for Air France KLM.

The base location for this role is Bangkok, Thailand with a responsibility scope including Vietnam. Our regional headquarters is in Singapore. This job requires regular travel to Vietnam, Singapore, and on a less frequent basis to our Headquarters in Amsterdam and Paris.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVES:

Maxime country revenues with focus on Trade Agencies (B2T) and Corporate Accounts (B2B) and achieve the main commercial Key Performance Indicators (KPI) while maintaining cost control for the country/countries in their scope.

Manage country sales performance processes such as Regular Business Review (RBR), Country Performance Review (CPR) and any other meetings.

Lead the sales team to drive profitable growth in the market/markets in close cooperation with the regional Commercial team in Singapore.

Represent Air France KLM in the country ensuring compliance with guidelines and fostering long-term partnerships with customers and main stakeholders.

Contribute to SEAO Flight Plan priorities and transversal projects (e.g., roll-out of NDC, Sales Excellence, etc.).

Position within the organization

Thailand & Vietnam are part of the South East Asia & Oceania (SEAO) organization, with the regional office in Singapore. South East Asia consists of eight markets for Air France KLM, of which six are online markets (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia) and two are offline markets (Australia & New Zealand).

The markets in the region are divided among four CSMs, each responsible for driving sales growth and achieving business objectives in their respective markets.

Reports to the Regional General Manager (based in Singapore).

Main interfaces

Internal

General Manager (GM).

Commercial Director and regional Commercial team (DC).

Country Sales Managers (CSM).

Sales team.

Relevant Head Office stakeholders (e.g., Network, Interline, etc.).

External

Clients, Corporate, Trade and High-Value Customers (HVC).

Partners, including partner airlines.

Local authorities and suppliers/advisors.

KEY RESPONSABILITIES

Manage Sales Activities and Processes

Define the Country Sales Action Plan with focus on Trade (B2T) and Corporate (B2B) accounts by defining the sales strategy and segmentation, setting up Account Manager’s portfolio, allocating commercial budget and managing performance.

Implement action planning processes at country, portfolio and account level.

Manage the Trade & Corporate contracting processes and account target setting.

Ensure competitiveness and identify new revenue opportunities.

Build and maintain excellent relationships with all stakeholders.

Manage thoroughly all commercial budgets and forecasts.

Manage Priorities: Flight Plan, Sales Excellence & Commercial Priorities

Coach and develop the sales team in line with the company’s Sales Excellence program.

Set the example by being an expert user and coach on sales Management Information (MI) and sales tools (e.g., Salesforce, QlikView, etc.).

Implement key actions from the Flight Plan in the market.

Keep yourself and the sales team up to date on the Air France KLM products and services and contribute to the sales policies and priorities.

Manage performance and coaching

Provide follow-up to team members on results and key KPIs.

Provide intelligence on market trends and competition.

Run a clear country governance process and contribute to the regional governance process.

Hold regular sales team meetings to steer team performance and manage sales priorities.

Appraise direct reports in a timely cycle of target setting and ensuring strong performance management for the team in line with annual performance cycle.

Build the team through coaching, training and steering using the right Management Information (MI) systems, reports and tools.

Develop - and leads by example - a team culture where the sales team constantly hunts for new business opportunities.

Country Management

Represent Air France KLM in the market for official and commercial purposes.

Manage quality and effectiveness of internal controls to remain compliant and mitigate risks.

Identify & manage relationships with all key stakeholders in the market.

Key role in recruitment and selection of team members.

Foster team cooperation between local and other country sales teams as well as the regional support teams, share best practices.

Participate in Air France KLM events, client events, market events and partner events with the aim to build relationships, hunt for new opportunities and increase revenue.

The responsibilities and tasks of the position are not limited to the above mentioned and change might occur in concert with reporting Manager, these changes may include an extension of country scope.

Knowledge, experience and competencies

Knowledge and Experience

Minimum Bachelor degree (preferably in Business Administration, economics or similar), or proven capacity to work at this level.

At least 5-8 years of sales experience (or other commercial experience), preferably in the travel/airline industry and in an international MNC environment.

At least 2 years of experience in managing teams.

Fluent in English, and local market language is a plus.

Competencies

Strong understanding of the airline business, with PRM, Network, Distribution, or Digital experience as a plus.

Ability to build and maintain strong relationships and partnerships.

Skills in managing performance, coaching, and team building/developing.

Strong planning and organizational abilities with proactive initiative.

Analytical mindset with an entrepreneurial approach.

Excellent listening, empowerment, and fostering collaboration.