Managing Director

Founded in 2015, Wachsman is a leading global strategy and communications firm advising the next generation of companies in Web3, disruptive technologies, fintech and venture capital. With regional headquarters in New York, Dublin, and Singapore, additional offices in London and Geneva, and a distributed team across the United States, Wachsman has solidified its position as a trusted advisor to some of the most innovative companies around the world.

At Wachsman, we focus on helping businesses establish and defend their industry position, seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and achieve sustainable commercial success in fast-moving and complex marketplaces. We offer clients a unique blend of advisory services across public relations and strategic communications, business strategy and consulting, digital marketing and events, regulation, and public policy.

Wachsman is now seeking a Managing Director for the Americas. A Managing Director at Wachsman is a key member of the leadership team reporting directly to the Founder/CEO. The Managing Director is accountable for developing and delivering against the agency’s strategy and financial plan and will be responsible for leading the strategic direction of client accounts, driving growth, and maintaining and building business relationships with clients. In addition, the Managing Director will also hold a pivotal role in training, mentoring, and supporting team members at all levels in executing their roles effectively.

Core Responsibilities:

Leadership:

Act as an effective leader and role model across the business, seeking to develop, inspire, and motivate teams while demonstrating leadership qualities to ensure a stimulating and dynamic environment for the team.

• Building and managing high-performing, creative, and cross-functional teams and ensuring that work and service are delegated to the appropriate experience levels within the team structure.
• Supervising team members, providing ongoing feedback and professional development opportunities, conducting annual reviews and promotion nominations.
• Fostering an environment in which commitment to quality and client satisfaction is a top priority. Promoting progressive people development, restless thinking, valuing strategic and creative thinking, and supporting knowledge sharing.
• Ensure that Wachsman is a challenging and stimulating yet supportive environment to develop careers through a collegiate and collaborative leadership style. Identify clear opportunities for each team member’s personal growth and progression.
• Demonstrating a commitment to industry, agency, and clients by mastering industry knowledge and understanding clients’ businesses.

Business Growth:

Responsible for the firm's overall financial position across the entire portfolio of clientele in the respective region. Actively managing the P&L to ensure sustained and aggressive business growth from existing and new client mandates, demonstrating strong commercial acumen, and providing reliable financial planning/forecasting.

• Leading the pursuit of new opportunities that will contribute to business growth. Identifying new business opportunities and opportunities within existing accounts, driving lead generation through active networking, and leading new business pitches with winning approaches.
• Aligning reputation strategy into business strategy and advice on high-stakes moments, integrating reputation into risk decision-making and reporting, and setting the agency up for success.
• Working with the Operations and Finance teams to make financial decision-making analysis/tools/forecasts to support strategic plans, working capital management, and cost reduction initiatives to align resources with regional and global strategies.
• Analyzing the region’s financial position, including root causes of gaps between goals and performance, and developing recommendations with the Finance team for immediate and long-term financial management practices.
• Assuming responsibility for the region’s profit and loss.
• Directing and monitoring staff in the examination of budget expenditure requests and allocation requests.
• Proactively developing new ways to expand Wachsman’s offerings.
• Proactively identifying and building relationships with external leaders and influencers in various fields to drive business growth and enhance client engagement.

Client Service:

Support the retention and growth of clients by building strong, long-term relationships, taking the lead on client retention, and continuously adding value while shaping the organic growth of client accounts.

• Anticipate and plan for future impact/opportunities through deep knowledge of the client’s key business drivers, issues, and competitors, with the ability to influence client direction.
• Serving as a trusted adviser, providing new thinking/strategic insight to clients and across the consultancy, and communicating effectively with a strong personal presence and impact.
• Overseeing the full project life cycle of client accounts, with an emphasis on scope development, account resourcing, strategy, and implementation.
• Developing comprehensive communications solutions to address issues on behalf of clients. Providing counsel and strategic guidance for branding, reputation management, and crisis communications.
• Managing and responding to challenging technical inquiries from clients, new businesses, and external organizations effectively.
• Leveraging the internal and external expertise of others to advise confidently and authoritatively on client opportunities.
• Maintaining a thorough understanding of the dynamics and workings of the agency’s process as it relates to the client’s business.

Skills & Requirements:

• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience conducting media relations, strategy, resourcing, account management, and business development at increasing levels of responsibility.
• PR agency experience is required, along with agency P&L management.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience working with clients in financial technology, B2B technology, or similar industries.
• Experience leading client accounts, from strategy development to implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to organically grow client accounts along with identifying new business opportunities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: developing client rapport and building and maintaining strong working relationships.
• Exceptional communicator; clearly defining roles and responsibilities on each account, setting and managing expectations for clients and account leads.
• Experience building and managing high-performing account teams, ensuring work is delegated to the appropriate level of experience within the team structure.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and lead high-performing team members of every level, supporting them in professional development and career progression.
• Aptitude for thinking creatively and sharing effective, creative ideas with clients.
• Excellent knowledge of the media landscape. Must be able to understand the technology and business media landscape inside and out.
• Professional, client-ready demeanor and presence in all communications and interactions (video, email/slack, in-person when applicable).
• Strong strategic-thinking skills; demonstrated ability to handle and tactfully manage stressful situations.
• Demonstrates strong decision-making abilities and accountability.
• Displays integrity and sound judgment when working with colleagues and clients.
• Proactive problem-solving & solutions-oriented in internal and external matters.
• Exceptional work ethic and motivation to excel in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to maintain high social, organizational, and professional standards in job-related activities.
• Experience working within the blockchain industry is a plus.