Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons is a leading international law firm offering a full-service capability across all major areas of commercial law.
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Role title: Head of Marketing & Business Development, APAC
Department: Marketing & Business Development
Location: APAC – the role can be performed from any of the firm’s Asia‑Pacific offices, preference is from Singapore or Hong Kong
Reports to: Global Head of Practices & Markets (Melisa Rojas)
Overview of role:
The Asia‑Pacific platform is a strategically important region for the firm, presenting both significant growth opportunities and complex market dynamics. The core purpose of this role is to strengthen and accelerate the firm’s APAC offering by:
• Deepening alignment between global Simmons programmes and regional APAC priorities.
• Supporting and scaling successful local initiatives across the region.
• Developing a strong, differentiated regional market profile that supports global ambitions.
• Driving a cohesive, client‑centric marketing and business development strategy across APAC markets.
A key priority of the role will be the development and execution of a regionally nuanced APAC M&BD strategy, co-created with the Head of Asia, regional Partners, and central stakeholders, and fully aligned with the firm's global strategy.
The Team:
• Is part of: The Extended M&BD Leadership Team and engages regularly with the Global M&BD Leadership Team.
• Leads a senior team of M&BD professionals across the Asia‑Pacific region, operating with a high degree of autonomy and maintaining strong relationships with local office and country leadership.
Regional leadership and strategic integration:
• Act as the senior M&BD lead for APAC, representing the region within global M&BD leadership forums.
• Ensure effective two‑way communication and collaboration between APAC offices and central teams.
• Translate firmwide strategy into practical, market‑relevant initiatives across the region, while ensuring global consistency with local market nuance, regulatory environments, and cultural differences.
• Support and coordinate regional and global marketing campaigns to strengthen the firm’s profile across Asia‑Pacific markets.
• Marketing, profile and campaigns.
• Work closely with external communications teams and local PR agencies to deliver aligned and impactful messaging.
•Drive engagement with the firm’s Client Programme across APAC, ensuring consistency while sharing best practice between markets.
• Support adoption of marketing technology and data initiatives.
• Support development and articulation of regional delivery, cross‑border propositions, practice and sector‑led offerings relevant to APAC markets.
Client development and relationship growth (APAC focus):
The Head of M&BD, APAC plays a critical role in strengthening client relationships and driving sustainable revenue growth across the region. Key responsibilities include:
• Partnering with Client Partners, sector leaders and international practice groups heads to grow and expand key regional and global client accounts from an APAC perspective.
• Supporting the identification, prioritisation and development of strategic APAC client opportunities, including cross‑border and multi‑jurisdictional work.
• Embedding a client‑centric mindset across the regional M&BD team, promoting proactive account planning and practical commercial insight.
• Driving improved collaboration between APAC offices and other regions to maximise global account penetration and share intelligence.
• Leveraging client data, insights and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities and inform client strategies.
• Supporting partners in deepening client relationships, including preparation for client meetings, pitches, panels and strategic conversations.
• Ensuring regional client insights feed into global client programmes and firmwide account strategies
Team leadership and culture:
• Build and lead an integrated, innovative and high‑performing APAC M&BD function.
• Foster a “one team” culture across the wider M&BD function and diverse markets, encouraging collaboration, trust and shared accountability.
• Invest in talent development, coaching and succession planning to deliver careers, not just roles.
• Champion the firm’s three M&BD strategic priorities:
- Becoming more advisory, client‑facing and revenue‑generating.
- Adopting AI application, and in general, a digital mindset, across the Asia M&BD function to drive efficiencies and improve output quality.
- Operating as one borderless, globally connected team.
Education, experience and qualifications:
• 10+ years’ experience in marketing and business development. Experience in professional services strongly preferred.
• Proven experience working across multiple jurisdictions or regions.
• Experience managing external agencies (brand, digital, PR).
• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Confident decision-maker, strong problem‑solving and execution capability.
• Commercial awareness and client focus.
• Skilled coach and people developer.
• Resilient, adaptable and comfortable with complexity.
Other requirements.:
• Flexibility and willingness to travel regionally and internationally.
• Willingness to work additional hours periodically, as required.
• This role is full‑time.
The successful candidate will be someone who:
• Embraces a one‑team, international mindset.
• Has a strong track record of leading and developing high‑performing regional or global teams.
• Demonstrates empathy, cultural intelligence and strong influencing skills.
• Brings gravitas and credibility when working with senior partners and firm leadership.
• Thinks commercially about clients, markets and growth opportunities.
• Approaches marketing and business development from a digital‑first, data‑led perspective.
• Is comfortable constructively challenging the status quo to drive improvement.
• Values collaboration over politics and believes in the power of diverse teams