Director, Travel Partnerships

About the Team / Role
The Director, Travel Partnerships is a key leadership role responsible for managing global partnerships and driving strategic initiatives in the travel sector. This role is pivotal in maximizing acceptance and creating new travel revenue opportunities through strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners across global markets. The role especially focuses on leveraging air payment opportunities and implementing strategies to educate and influence industry partners. The Director will lead and guide cross-functional teams in developing innovative solutions to complex acceptance challenges, and align strategies with both short and long-term business objectives and revenue/budget targets.

How you'll make an impact
The Director, Travel Partnerships is responsible for managing and driving key global business partnerships to maximize acceptance and unlock new revenue streams for WEX to ensure revenue and budget targets are achieved. This role is pivotal in delivering WEX's air strategy by advocating its comprehensive product range and B2B payment solutions, and fostering trusted relationships with airlines, agencies and channel partners around the world to support the execution of payment strategies.
The Director will lead initiatives to educate and influence the industry, linking B2B distribution strategies with payment solutions, and representing WEX at industry forums and events to shape key conversations. This role also ensures the seamless integration of WEX's solutions within travel agency workflows and leverages partnerships to drive strategic alignment and execution.
As the primary interface between supplier partners, as well as global and strategic customers, the Director will nurture these relationships to drive growth. This role requires close collaboration and constant interaction with ELT and business leaders/senior management within WEX Strategy, Product and Commercial across the business, providing a unique opportunity for cross-functional visibility and stakeholder engagement both within WEX and with key external partners. The Directorwill also work closely with major schemes and acquirers.
Experience you'll bring

• Proven extensive experience in a senior leadership role with the ability to influence and build confidence with senior management across the business and with executives at external stakeholders
• International commercial customer facing expertise in Travel at a senior level, engaging with stakeholders such as CEOs, CFOs, CPOs at customer/partner organizations
• Relationship focused with a strong customer orientation and a collaborative style
• Demonstrated ability to analyse situations accurately and quickly, grasping complexities, identifying key issues and using business insight to apply sound judgment to conclusions and decisions
• Proven ability to define and articulate strategy and manage a cross-functional team in implementation
• Experience in penetrating new markets to uncover new opportunities within the travel industry
• Exceptional negotiation and relationship management skills with the ability to turn difficult conversations into commercial opportunities
• Understanding of acquiring and scheme payment rails and other relevant partner networks
• Strong persuasive communicator with exceptional listening and presentation skills
• Outstanding verbal and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated capacity to apply a creative and flexible approach to responding to changing circumstances and solving problems
• Highly developed critical thinking skills, able to define strategic vision and priorities, analyze and evaluate key information and ideas, and present findings and conclusions in structured, coherent and concise formats
• Ability to influence at the Executive level
• Enterprising, innovative and strategic thinker, able to prioritise and manage multiple competing needs across a wide spectrum of activity
• Coaching and mentoring capabilities to develop and nurture other talent
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in the face of rapid change
• Skilled in developing creative solutions to complex challenges, with a focus on operational efficiency and market growth
• High level interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with outstanding ability to communicate complex information effectively to senior stakeholders and external partners
• Authoritative knowledge and deep understanding of the travel and payments sectors, with 12-15 years of travel industry experience and a proven track record in managing complex partnerships or customers
• Experience with financial services businesses and global business development
• Minimum 10 years in a team management role with direct and/or indirect reporting lines
• Analytical, financial, contract negotiation and reporting skills
• Proven experience in sales with strong competitive selling skills
• A track record of success in leading and winning complex deal negotiations
• Evidenced track record of exceeding KPIs and targets
• History of cross-functional working with internal stakeholders
• Highly competent and confident in group and individual presentations
• High level networking skills
• Strong ability to understand issues and develop creative solutions
• Business travel experience and availability
• Must pass background checks
• Desired: Graduate degree in Business
• Desired: Certificate in Sales and/or Business Negotiation