Purpose & impact

Fuelling small business growth across EMEA: Inside Airwallex’s EMEA SME Sales Team

The Airwallex SME & Growth Business team is a passionate group of collaborators and business champions dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized businesses to grow beyond borders.

Based across Amsterdam, London, Paris and Tel Aviv, the EMEA SME Sales team comprises a number of Account Executives, Account Managers and Sales Development Representatives. Together, they support modern businesses with up to 500 employees with tailored solutions for managing their cross-border financial operations, such as collecting, holding, spending, converting, or transferring money.

Read on to find out more about what it’s like to be part of the team.

Fun facts about the EMEA SME Sales team

  • The EMEA SME Sales team works on a hybrid arrangement, with the UK team coming in at least three times a week at the London office.
  • Team members in Amsterdam, Paris and Tel Aviv are encouraged to head to the London office for work at least once every six months to reconnect face-to-face.
  • The team in France are newly set up – and plans for an office space are in the works!
  • Three words that Immy Spence, Head of SME & Growth Sales for EMEA, would use to describe the team: Curious, hungry, and executors!

A day in the life of the EMEA SME Sales Team

It’s no secret that an Account Manager or Account Executive’s typical day revolves around building and maintaining strong customer relationships.

So, what does a member of the Airwallex SME Sales team do on a typical day or week?

“As an Account Manager, you may have some planning to do, such as business reviews with one of your strategic customers, digging into product data and in some cases, working with the Data Science team to work out better ways of serving customers,” shares Immy Spence, Head of SME & Growth Business Sales, EMEA.

“The name of the game for Account Executives is to build pipelines,” he adds.

Account Executives work closely with Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) to shape the strategy for engaging potential customers – whether through a call, an email, or even attending an event where key decision-makers will be present. 

From there, Account Executives build tailored outreach strategies and tactics to consistently engage potential customers. Once a client shows interest, the next phase begins: hosting meetings, getting them excited about what Airwallex can offer, and guiding them towards a partnership.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to work directly with customers and help them achieve real results,” says Noa Gastfreund, who manages a portfolio of SME clients in Israel and the Middle East. 

“Whether it’s solving a major pain point or helping them save time and money, you’re genuinely adding value to their business.”

Noa Gastfreund (top row, second from the right) with the team in Tel Aviv.

Celebrating wins, big and small

As one might expect in a Sales team, celebrating wins is a big part of the team’s culture. Sales bells, team announcements, and shared success stories are all part of the job. But for the Airwallex SME Sales team, celebrating isn’t only about closing deals. Immy highlights the importance of recognising all wins, no matter the size.

“Closing a deal is obviously great, but just getting a meeting with a prospect is also an amazing accomplishment as well, and it shows good momentum,” he explains, adding that such wins are announced on internal communication channels with the entire commercial team who always gamely, as Immy puts it, “gives them props”.

Celebrating with the EMEA crew in London.

Building meaningful bonds beyond work

Targets and KPIs aside, the team really knows how to unwind and have fun together – from summer parties, cultural celebrations to after-work hangout sessions.

Immy recalls a particularly memorable gathering: a Formula 1 simulator experience. Airwallex is an official partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team and to celebrate the British Grand Prix in July, provided employees and customers with access to a racing car simulator to experience what it’s like to race in the hot seat.

“It was a funny experience. One of our account managers was unexpectedly great while others, like myself, were quite terrible,” he quips.

The fun doesn’t stop there. “We also have ‘Bring Your Kids to Work’ days,” Immy adds. “At the last one, some team members dressed up as furry animals!” 

In Tel Aviv, the team enjoys bonding and socialising with colleagues from other departments, including the Enterprise Sales team, through shared outings.

Recently, they visited a ‘rage room’ together where they could blow off steam by smashing unwanted items like old computer equipment and broken ceramics in a safe environment. But it’s not all about letting loose—team lunches and day trips to wineries are also favourite activities that bring everyone together.

“It’s really nice to have the opportunity to collaborate and socialise with multiple functions across the organisation,” shares Noa.

“You get to meet very quickly many people at the company who are from different cultures and are very nice people.”

Looking ahead

The team has exciting plans to expand across Europe and the Middle East. This includes opening a new office in France and starting operations in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

As the team continues to grow, Immy highlights the importance of finding talent who can bring more than just good sales skills to the table. “It’s not just about being good at closing sales”, he says.

“We’re looking for people who can also manage complex deals and have a deep understanding of the markets they work in. It would be a plus if they’re able to take initiatives in areas such as driving strong go-to-market strategies and confidently representing our company at events,” he explains.

As the team continues to evolve, there’s also potential for specialisation as it moves further upmarket. “In the future, we might see teams dedicated to specific products, like payments or card issuing, or even vertical-specific groups,” Immy shares.

For Noa, being on the Airwallex SME Sales team means representing the company directly to customers, which empowers her to grow professionally and make a real impact. “As the face of the company, you have the platform to shine and make your mark, especially when you have a supportive manager behind you,” Noa explains.

“It’s a role where you can truly grow, build your presence, and leave a lasting impact on the market.”

Explore career opportunities with us

Interested in a fintech sales job in the EMEA region? If you’d like to be part of the Airwallex EMEA SME Sales team, check out our open roles here.

We’re always looking for the brightest and most ambitious people to join us!

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