Chief Commercial Officer

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• ☒ Supervises: a variety of management roles, ranging from Vice President to Director to Manager, including an Executive Assistant
• ☒ Maintain staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, and supervising team members.
• ☒ Plan, assign, and appraise performance; reward and discipline team members, address complaints and resolve problems.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as a senior advisor to the President & CEO on all commercial matters
• Responsible for all commercial activities and related agreements for the Corporation; including but not limited to, naming rights and sponsorship sales (events and venues), business partnerships, and other corporate development initiatives
• Identifies areas of potential growth, new revenue streams, and new business opportunities that enhance the Corporation’s financial position.
• Evaluates opportunities for new long-term revenue streams that can provide additional resources for mission-related initiatives
• Oversees commercial aspects of major event bids for Houston, while working in collaboration with the Convention Sales team; this includes evaluating obligations of the host city, working with legal counsel on structures that best enable Houston to acquire event rights while doing so in a business-oriented approach that limits potential risk for the Corporation.
• Creates strategies and oversees plans for the execution of commercial structures for major event host committees (or local organizing committees) that ensure success for Houston as a host city.  Example: 2028 RNC Host Committee
• Travels to conferences or meetings across the country to represent the Corporation in furtherance of commercial strategies and to establish Houston’s reputation as one of the top major event destinations in the US.
• Develop plans and strategies that will create more effective internal alignment, collaboration, and support throughout the company to leverage, enhance, and maximize the Corporation’s commercial assets, rights, and related opportunities.
• Identifies, develops, and implements new strategic commercial business opportunities that grow revenues for the Corporation; including but not limited to, joint ventures, co-promotes, and/or major events with rights holders of existing and/or newly created opportunities.
• As directed by the President & CEO, builds a high-performing sales and/or commercial team(s) to execute end-to-end sales including outreach, prospecting, pitching, negotiating, closing, and execution /implementation of deals.
• Responsible for budgeting, forecasting and performance results of the Corporation’s commercial activities, while working with legal counsel to ensure that all commercial activities are adhering to applicable policies, laws, and regulations.
• Engages with and develops relationships with stakeholders and represents the Corporation at events and serves on committees and task forces as required or as assigned by the President & CEO.
• Monitors market trends and provides competitor analysis as required.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President & CEO.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree, or substantial executive experience required.
• 15+ years of executive-level experience in positions of commercial rights, business development, revenue generation, and/or corporate sales.  Sports and entertainment experience preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Ability to create, revise, read, analyze, and interpret budgeting and legal documents, including but not limited to financial reports, data and analytics, and complex contracts.
• Experience in navigating complex business arrangements and stakeholders and business partners to achieve optimal outcomes
• Proven track record of a diverse range of skills and experience to excel in a multifaceted role of delivering success results; focused on driving revenue, organizational growth, and overall company profitability.
• Highly motivated, goal-oriented, and a true self-starter; who demonstrates excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Creative, highly adaptable, and possess strong analytical skills and strategic thinking acumen.
• Can effectively formulate and execute short-term and long-term plans into successful and meaningful results.
• Exceptional at relationship management, networking, and contract negotiations.
• Able to successfully build and maintain lucrative partnerships with key strategic partners and industry stakeholders.
• Ability to identify, evaluate, and execute new viable business opportunities.
• Able to effectively build and execute successful plans, initiatives, and strategies for a wide range of diverse campaigns, programs, and events (regardless of size, scope, location, and purpose).
• Strong ability to prospect and manage senior-level relationships.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• ☒No major sources of discomfort; normal office environment
• ☒ Ability to work weekends, evenings, and nights regularly
• ☒ Extra hours are required occasionally to meet deadlines or work events
• ☒ Ability to travel to local/ tradeshows/conventions/ conferences/ training and development (less than 20%of the year)