Vice President, Business Development

Vice President, Business Development – Midwest Region, onsite in Chicago with periodic travel, partnering with BDT & MSD Partners to strengthen regional client relationships and cross-firm collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of the Midwest regional commercial strategy in collaboration with Regional Leadership and key stakeholders.
• Work with coverage professionals and regional leadership to refine the integrated relationship coverage model, clarifying coverage, priorities, and next steps across shared clients and prospects.
• Develop a comprehensive map of the firm’s relationships in the region and identify opportunities for cross-platform collaboration and partnership.
• Plan and enable high value client engagements, coordinating between coverage professionals and platform strategies to deliver a full-suite offering.
• Proactively surface challenges and opportunities, anticipating issues before they arise.
• Collaborate with peers in other regions to share best practices, exchange insights, and boost regional development.
• Support coverage professionals’ business development efforts across client management and internal operations to ensure seamless execution.
• With regional leadership, craft actionable relationship and business development plans with clear metrics and KPIs for regional and firm-level reporting.
• Partner with coverage professionals to support and drive KPI achievement.
• Oversee the Midwest region CRM system in partnership with coverage professionals and Business Development, ensuring accurate relationship mapping, pipeline tracking, and reporting.
• Utilize CRM tools to maintain ongoing follow-up and touchpoints with priority relationships.
• Serve as a central connector across the business, translating vision into coordinated action across commercial and functional teams.
• Build and sustain trust-based relationships across commercial, operational, and functional teams to drive alignment and accountability regionally.
• Draft bespoke client communications reflecting the firm’s high-touch relationship approach, leveraging appropriate resources and expertise.
• Prepare presentations and content for meetings with target companies, founders, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals, highlighting their needs and the firm’s history with them.
• Communicate regional progress and status, acting as connective tissue across the firm (Merchant Bank, Credit, and Real Estate) with strong emotional intelligence and culture-building orientation.
• Coordinate with professionals across the firm to ensure regional clients benefit from the full suite of capabilities, bringing the right participants into conversations and events.
• Plan and prepare to maximize the effectiveness of Partners and coverage professionals visiting different Midwest geographies with key clients and stakeholders.

Requirements

• 7–9 years of experience, ideally in financial services or management consulting.
• 5+ years of project and change management experience, including at least 3+ years in client relationship management or leadership roles.
• Proven track record in a fast-growing organization in a strategic or business operations leadership capacity.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to simplify complex concepts for diverse audiences.
• Excellent analytical capabilities paired with strategic thinking to translate complex problems into actionable frameworks.
• Ambition and ability to raise productivity through technology and process improvements.
• Discretion and maturity for handling sensitive information with confidentiality.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Advanced proficiency in G Suite and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Curiosity about AI tools; experience using AI-powered platforms to enhance research, communications, or workflow efficiency is a plus.

Technologies

• G Suite
• Microsoft Office Suite
• AI tools
• AI-powered platforms

Benefits

• Performance-based bonus
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• Career development opportunities

What to Expect From Our Selection Process

• Vannin Chief of Staff Predictive Index Assessment
• Screening: 15-minute phone interview and 30-minute video interview
• First Conversation: Firm introduction with BDT & MSD Talent Partner
• Second and Third Conversations: Meetings with Co-Heads of the Midwest Region
• Take-Home Case Study
• Case Study Presentation
• In-Person Super Day: Chicago office with Partners, coverage professionals, and senior stakeholders
• Final Conversations: CHRO and additional firm leaders as appropriate

Compensation

Compensation range: $250,000–$400,000 USD total annual compensation (salary + bonus), commensurate with experience.