Nicolas SOUL

Lead sales strategy and manage development sales teams in France – Expand American Express Merchant Network (3 000 new merchants, 70 M$ new business per year) by cards acceptance contracting.

Main Missions:
 Drive key negotiations to close contracting and long term relationships with strategic prospects
 Active player in network multi level strategy (level CEO, CFO, Marketing Director, Senior AXP leaders, cards issuer decision makers, regional/local key stakeholders ...).
 Set innovative merchant value package to drive signing ratios and merchant value perception
 Coordinate multiple transversal projects on European/International level
 Manage people: 1 sales manager, 8 sales executives reporting directly. Dotted line on 1 sales manager, 4 telesales based in Madrid (Spain). Coordinate support teams : Local Trade Marketing and IT support based in Paris (France), Central Prospecting, Coverage research, Pricing and sales tools teams based in London (UK)
 “Acting as” Head of Acquisition France : Boarding committee, Acquisition council, AXP Senior Management meeting

Key Achievements:
 Aggressive targets delivered on the last 3 years :
o 80% of the team on or over targets thanks to supermarkets initiatives and Key prospects signed
o Increased by CAGR 30% new business from 50M$ to 70M$ by deep diving in Paris and Côte d’Azur

 Succeed in significant negotiations on key stakeholders :
o Integrated B2B prospects (dental labs industry) into portfolio
o Active player in “Formula 1 strategy “ : 0ffers based on pricing / marketing value / decision boosters
o Secured relationship for market key IT supplier – POS Technical set up (Acticall)
o Built complex offers (cards acceptance, innovative pricing, private sales, IT/MKTG investments
o Implement European PSD/SEPA legal framework on the French market

 Successfully managed transversal project on European or international level
o Market prospecting plan coordinator
o New signings local process expert (legal, IT, compliance)
o PSD/SEPA Market Implementation Coordinator (2009)

 Involve people by unlocking their potential
o Defined optimized sales processes, built expert sales speeches used by senior sales, implemented tools to track performance and efficiency (Salesforce.com – Market Expert, internal signings set up system)
o Created new marketing tools (Top Prospects paper guide) and innovative approach (franchisees / Top ski stations platform) by stimulating team innovation
o Ensure management process with goals settings, mid-year, year appraisals and individual development plan

Oct 2005 – Dec 2007: Sales Manager – Global Merchant Services – Acquisition France
Manage sales team in strategic American Express areas (Paris, Nice, Cannes, Monaco)
Main Missions:
 Drive key negotiations to close contracting in Paris, Côte d’Azur and Monaco.
 Decline long-term strategy to short term goals
 Define yearly action plan and coordinate marketing plan
 Manage 4 sales executive including goals settings, mid-year, year appraisals and individual development plan

Key Achievements:
 Set, presented and validated 3 year-strategic development plan to Top Management
 System U renegotiation after 1st year of enrolment : 70% of the group affiliated in 1 year
 Umbrella agreement Spell Holding (Milliardaire, Regine, Opéra Garnier, Le Findy, Le show Case, …)
 Rebuilt Team through change management processes and redefined missions, roles and responsibilities