Account Manager, Middle East and North Africa

Location: Geneva

Please Note: This role requires the ability to work on site 3 days per week per company policy.

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the international organization for public-private cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Why we are recruiting

As a partnership organization and through the Business Engagement teams, the World Economic Forum engages the private sector to address industry, regional and systemic issues. Partners (accounts) benefit from and contribute to the global knowledge base through working closely with the Forum to set the intellectual agenda of Forum gatherings, drive the insight agenda of its publications and steer the impact of its initiatives.

Structured geographically, the Regional Business Team is responsible for building and managing the world’s premier communities of business executives.

We are currently seeking an Account Manager for Middle East and North Africa (internal title Senior Account Associate, MENA), who will be tasked to manage a portfolio of Partner accounts and engage relevant executives in the Forum’s events, initiatives and communities. The role will serve as the primary point of contact for assigned organizations; develop and implement tailored engagement strategies plans that strengthen relationships with CEOs and C-suite executives and identify opportunities to strengthen the engagement with the Forum.

Reporting Lines and Interactions

The Account Manager will interact with the Regional Head and across multiple teams ranging from Centres, Business Operations, other regions and industries, Government engagement among others. The person will report to the Senior Manager, MENA.

Main responsibilities

Partner relationship management: Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior Partner representatives; lead regular engagement with Partners to understand their strategic priorities; collaborate with relevant internal stakeholders to deliver a seamless Partner experience. Engage partners in relevant industry work.

Portfolio growth and account management: Monitor Partner engagement, business developments and overall account health to identify opportunities for partnership growth and expansion; proactively identify partnership risks and develop retention strategies in collaboration with the Head of Region to maximize long-term Partner value.

Partner engagement and event strategy: Develop tailored engagement plans strategies for Partners; shape executive agendas identify relevant opportunities for executive participation, speaking roles and leadership interactions and ensure effective follow-up to maximize engagement outcomes.

Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with Industry, Regional, Centre, Event, Finance and Partner Development teams to coordinate Partner activities; provide strategic guidance to Account Associates on operational delivery and ensure high-quality execution across the Partner lifecycle.

Success in this role will be measured by

• Partner engagement: Strong and trusted relationships with senior executives, reflected in sustained engagement across Forum activities.
• Partner retention: High retention rates and proactive management of at-risk accounts through effective engagement strategies.
• Cross-functional delivery Collaboration and leadership: Effective coordination across internal teams, enabling a seamless Partner experience and consistent knowledge sharing.

Preferred Requirements and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business, Economics, Management or another relevant field.
• Knowledge and understanding of the business and political landscape of XX companies.
• 4+ years of full-time experience in a business development or relationship management role in a fast-changing professional environment. Working knowledge and experience of sales cycle management, account management, market research is a must.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationship with partners that enable the Forum to drive new business opportunities
• Excellent organizational, project and time management skills, a strong work ethic, and high attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate with and manage expectations of senior stakeholders
• Agile team player who enjoys working in a highly collaborative, culturally diverse, fast-paced, and rapidly evolving environment.
• Deep passion for the future of the business in the emerging world, the role it plays within the global context, and its potential impact on society and the individual
• Responsible, independent, and self-driven with a learning mindset and a positive attitude
• Proficient in working with MS Office and Salesforce, experience with other CRM tools a plus.
• Proficiency in working with AI solutions – knowledge of Chat GPT and Slack a plus.
• Why join us?
• Join an independent and impartial organization with over 55 years of connecting leaders to make sense of global challenges and move the world forward together.