Managing Director, Retail Industry Advisor

Salesforce•Toronto, ON

12d•$254,030 - $304,030•Remote

About The Position

Salesforce is seeking a visionary and experienced Industry Advisor to join their Canadian Retail accounts team. This role involves a beginner's mindset to drive growth in retail, consumer goods, telecommunications, and travel/hospitality for Salesforce Canada. The individual will deeply understand how business leaders innovate and make decisions. Responsibilities include partnering with sales, product, professional services, and partners to drive growth strategies in both Enterprise and Commercial spaces. The primary focus is on driving cross-functional growth strategies aligned with Sales leaders, accelerating deals through customer-facing engagements, and supporting thought leadership and industry events with global counterparts in the Retail center-of-excellence. The ideal candidate will collaborate effectively, build trust with Sales and other Industry Advisor leaders, possess strong executive presence, and have a robust network within the industry. This senior role requires the ability to present to any level within Salesforce or a customer organization, coupled with resilience and a start-up mentality to get work done.

Requirements

Minimum 15 years combined experience at Dir+, VP, or C-Suite Level in Fortune 500 enterprise software vendor, credible professional services firm, or iconic and respected retail/telecommunications/hospitality companies.
Deep expertise in direct-to-consumer with a point of view of sub-verticals and growth areas.
Extensive C-suite level connections within the retail industry in Canada and abroad.
Experience with deploying or using innovative technology solutions with a hardworking vision for how we can change the industry in the age of AI.
Consistent record of building and running robust teams.
Outstanding written, verbal communication, presentation skills in front of audiences ranging from small executive meetings to very large keynote presentations.
Self-starter with ability to multitask in the fast-paced and high-pressure work environment of a start-up paced software company.
Strong customer orientation and results-driven leader.
Strong understanding of Salesforce products and their industry fit.
Outstanding problem solving and analytical skills; demonstrated ability to structure complex problems, develop hypotheses, and present well-supported solutions.

Nice To Haves

10+ years of retail/telecommunications/hospitality industry specific experience, or 10 years of high tech company experience and/or large system integrators supporting the above industries.
Undergraduate degree, advanced degree preferred.
Hands-on leader, "get it done" operating style, and participant in industry associations.
Validated ability in leading digital transformation and large-scale change management efforts.
Strong understanding of AI and the potential to transform the retail industry.
Ability to influence across a broad spectrum of individuals and functions.
Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data for value based discussions.
Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, flexible and innovative approach to operational management.
Ability to engage and motivate teams.
Ability to lead through organizational change in a virtual environment.

Responsibilities

Work directly with key clients across direct-to-consumer businesses, bringing strong industry understanding, structured problem solving, strategic clarity, executive presence (verbal and written) and create pathways forward to deliver growth.
Represent Salesforce at key industry events, identifying new growth opportunities and building relationships with key industry stakeholders.
Serve as a co-lead of our Industry Councils, executing towards key deliverables, such as our Operating Plan, Industry North Star, and Market Imperatives, designed to align our cross functional partners in the business to meet our business objectives.
Develop competitive analyses designed to position Salesforce against strategic competitors in the retail industry.
Influence industry solutions creation to help educate and enable sales, pre-sales, and customer success teams so they can speak the customer's language.
Analyze internal and external data, analysts' reports and more to create points of view on market trends, performance, risks and opportunities. This work informs how Salesforce will navigate headwinds, prioritize solutions in the market, and position capabilities with clients. It is also the fuel for thought leadership externally to build market credibility.
Co-lead industry long-term strategy and drive cross-functional growth outcomes.
Prioritize key accounts and customer relationships to remove friction from deal cycles and drive trust, relevance, and credibility with customers at the VP+/C-Suite level.
Partner cross-functionally on relevant content for events, marketing materials, and partner GTM activities.
Support partner & sales enablement content creation & activities.
Support market-ready solution direction & growth strategy execution.
Represent Salesforce at industry events, building relationships and growing the brand.
Develop go-to-market strategies specifically designed to compete with dominant players in the retail technology market.