Company and Job title:
Fitch Ratings, Director Business and Relationship Management

Sector:
Financial services

Background:
French and Business Management degree from the University of East Anglia, including a one year work placement in France.

Language skills:
French and German A Levels; Italian at A Level standard.

How would you describe your job?
Essentially my role is a relationship development role, and my primary aim is to encourage Insurance companies to pay Fitch to receive a rating. This is done through a variety of ways of communicating, but face to face meetings and pitch presentations are the most common. The region I cover is Northern Europe (UK, Ireland, Netherlands & Scandinavia) so I travel frequently to these countries to drum up new business and to visit companies that are currently rated by Fitch.

What do enjoy most about your job?
Face to face interaction with key market participants and European travel

What other skills and qualities do you need?
Good written & communication skills, marketing strategy experience and the ability to work independently and to take initiative.

What's a typical day for you?
If I am travelling then I will be meeting with 3 or 4 companies within a day. Either pitching for new business, meeting existing clients or meeting other key market participants such as investors and bankers who also influence the buying decision. I am always looking for new ways to raise the profile of Fitch as a whole or the Insurance team in particular.

If I am in the office, I am writing meeting notes following a recent trip, arranging the next trip, or sending emails/making phone calls to initiate contact in order to win new business.