Country Manager at TransUnion

Dynamics of the Role

We’re looking for a dynamic individual to lead the Malawi business. The role involves strategy development, execution and management of TU Malawi business operations to drive growth and expansion of TransUnion services and market share. The focus is on delivering on our growth agenda and requires a diverse approach to the establishment/identification of traditional and non-traditional business development opportunities that expands and entrench TU in the market. A passion for data, solutions, and creating value for clients is a key characteristic of this role. Being successful requires an entrepreneurial outlook; working with emerging industries beyond Financial Services and creating multi-dimensional relationships impactful in establishing business and ensuring growth within a competitive environment. The role also involves TU Malawi business operations leadership and management. Critical is providing active leadership and direction to the team, as well as improving integration with respective Kenya and South Africa ‘hubs’.4

The Team’s Focus

You will be joining an exciting and dynamic team that is focusing on extending our Africa footprint and expand the business even further through new start-ups and acquisitions. Core markets currently include Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana and eSwatini.

How You Will Contribute:

• Define the Malawi’s three/five year strategy with transformational ideas to achieve the growth agenda. Work within the broad framework of the Rest of Africa strategy and overall enterprise strategy to achieve aligned objectives and ensures proper execution in region.
• Possesses a sophisticated knowledge of the external environment in which clients and competitors operate including deep nuanced awareness of the intricacies, trends, challenges, and using this knowledge to spot and exploit commercial opportunities. Focusing on maintaining sustainable and scalable competitiveness for the business.
• Drives delivery of monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue targets, actively seeking out new opportunities, improving TU penetration into existing clients, and expanding from the traditional customer set, working with new clients and partners.
• Develop revenue and cost forecasts for assigned areas and direct reports. Manage actual expenses according to projections. Develops plans for transforming operations and increase existing resources focus to drive impactful sales activities. Drive activities throughout the sales cycle by using own network of contacts to identify prospects; leveraging own understanding of the bigger picture; drawing on depth of experience to strategise account plans; and, ultimately, helping to close business. Manage, coach and develop sales team to expand TU’s value proposition and drive growth. Strategise and implement sales plans for specific key accounts where cultivating relationships, identifying opportunities, and account management skills are critical.
• Skillfully intervenes in contentious customer interactions, targeting conflict resolution in a way that satisfies the customer and preserves the salesperson’s account relationship. Meet with key clients, assisting sales representatives with maintaining relationships and negotiating and closing deals.
• Review and direct the development of new market opportunities and requirements for existing and new products. Work with the Regional and International CoE’s to leverage product opportunities.
• Manage and maintain media and industry association relationships, driving the TU brand and value proposition in traditional and non-traditional areas.
• Champion a clear channel of communication and coordination between functional counterparts in relation to all functional dependencies and requirements relating to country operations – responsible for cross-functional coordination and specification of effective processes and standards for support departments.
• In terms of TU Group requirements, ensure operational procedures, systems, processes and financial controls are effective, efficient and aligned to TU Group standards, with particular emphasis on IT and data security
• Drive and ensure the Region’s absolute compliance with all applicable internal and external policies and regulations and drive sound business ethics and corporate governance.
• Manage for a high performance team through measurement and accountability, utilising the mediums of performance contracting and management, one on ones and performance reviews. Ensure appropriate staff development and talent management to secure succession and appropriate resourcing
• Direct and develop an effective sales force to accomplish current sales, operational and marketing goals by appropriate assignment of job responsibilities, maintaining a positive work climate and providing training and development opportunities
• Performing other duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring:

You’ll bring your tenacity and leadership expertise along with at least 5 – 8 years’ experience in financial services or technology industry, as well as a proven risk, strategy, marketing and people management experience, with an emphasis on sales and business development.

• A good technical understanding of the role of data and analytics in the risk management space.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting, or related management field is required. This position requires a strong background in sales, business market development and marketing in information services related industry plus in-depth experience in finance fundamentals.
• Proven track record of successful P&L ownership and growth.
• Proven experience working with strategic partners and, ideally, government
• A solid understanding of the credit bureau and data businesses
• PC Literacy
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
• Strong leadership and coaching, skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across geographies
• The position requires creativity, an entrepreneurial flair, strong strategic vision and the ability to make the vision reality i.e. execution.
• Quick thinker, experienced in unconventional problem-solving. Demonstrated ability to seek out opportunity within ambiguity.

Who We Are

As a global leader, TransUnion offers a wide range of specialist resources, agile, innovative technologies enablers and international perspectives and experience. We work hard to create advantages for millions of people in the African market and around the world, through gathering, analysing and delivering information.

TransUnion’s global headquarters are in Chicago, U.S.A. The company works with approximately 45,000 businesses in more than 30 countries, maintaining credit histories on about 500 million customers worldwide. Currently, our African footprint extends through Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, eSwatini, and Zambia

TransUnion maintains credit histories on more than 28 million customers in Africa, and more than four million credit-active businesses. With 700-plus employees through the region, we specialise in combining comprehensive data intelligence, advanced analytics and decisioning, enabling both customers and businesses to achieve their financial ambitions.

Why TransUnion?

At TransUnion, we believe we all have rights and responsibilities. We value integrity, honesty, transparency and trust. We strive to deliver for our customers by making their goals our goals. We value innovation, and in offering tomorrow’s solutions today. We respect our people as essential to success, and we celebrate the value of diversity. We believe in accountability, open and honest communication, and providing each and every one of us with the tools to innovate and inspire the people we work with.

This is a hybrid Position and involves regular performance of job responsibilities virtually as well as in-person at an assigned TU Office Location for a minimum of two days a week.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.