Sanchia Kirkpatrick
Head of Account Management
Experience
Head of Account Management
Expectation State
- Led consultative engagement with business and industry representatives, managing and strengthening investor and stakeholder relationships to drive sustainable investment and economic growth in focus states and regions.
- Designed new market and sector strategies, conducted data analysis, lead generation, investor relations, aftercare, policy advocacy, and process development for IPAs.
- Provided hands-on training in FDI and digitalisation best practices and led event management.
- Played a key role in the launch of Tunisia’s Private Sector Support Unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, mapping the Tunisian investment landscape to shape national policy recommendations.
- Led a strategic investment attraction initiative in the UK and delivered capacity building for the Jordan Ministry of Investment in 2022/3.
- Worked with key government clients including FIPA Tunisia, the Tunisian Investment Authority, the Jordan Ministry of Investment, GIZ, EBRD, and the FCDO.
Independent Consultant
Rise Global Development
- Facilitated meaningful engagement between government, industry, and business stakeholders to nurture lasting relationships and increase two-way trade and investment flows.
- Concentrated on the digital/startup sectors and sustainable development, spanning FDI strategy development, perception studies, training, and lead generation.
- Collaborated with governments and national think tanks to gather insights into forces shaping the global trade and investment landscape, such as Brexit, the adoption of new FTAs, ESG, and smart cities, to inform and evolve investment attraction strategies.
- Co-designed and delivered the "Agile FDI" Training & Mentoring Programme for IPAs in partnership with MCJ Lemagnen.
- Negotiated incentive packages and promoted site selection services for expanding firms.
- Actively supported Scottish interests in Spain as a recognized "Global Scot" alongside Scottish Enterprise.
Global FDI Operations Director
WAVTEQ
- Headed the FDI client services division and managed special consulting projects globally from London.
- Oversaw a 40+ global team across Greater China, Japan, South Korea, India, the UK, EU, and North America.
- Prepared, led, and delivered almost 100 economic and international development contracts, resulting in over 20 realised FDI projects worth approximately $10 billion and creating thousands of new jobs.
- Contributed significantly to the product development of data and AI software products related to investment, such as FDI Amplify, Incentive Monitor, country trackers, and bespoke CRM systems for economic developers.
- Worked with clients including Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi, Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, Invest in Sharjah, Jordan Investment Committee, Qatar Financial Centre, Rwanda Development Board, CAIPA, Invest Ontario, Inter-American Development Bank Group, IFC World Bank, and Tshwane Economic Development Board.
Strategic Relationship Manager, Gulf, Institutional Investment & Infrastructure
UK Trade & Investment
- Marketed large-scale, high-value opportunities in UK infrastructure, including energy, transport, regeneration, technology, and innovation, to institutional investors, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds.
- Developed and maintained wide networks of senior contacts in the Gulf, China, Canada, and the UK in coordination with Whitehall, British embassies, and Posts.
- Established and led the project management of a private sector investment team in the Gulf.
- Led briefing and coordination of inward and outward Senior Ministerial missions for the Treasury's Commercial Secretary on implementation of the 2012 Olympic Legacy in smart cities, transport, and regeneration.
- Served as the department's CRM systems trainer, handling change management for new systems integration and delivering workshops and on-the-job training within a national IPA context.
Commercial Partnerships Manager
PA Consulting
- Part of the start-up team creating bilateral partnerships with organisations in the FDI supply chain to support inward investors in the UK.
- Organised and presented at various events and round tables across the country to raise the UK's profile as an investment location.
- Served as a core member of the UKTI project management and No10 stakeholder engagement team during British Business Embassy sector and country events for London 2012.
- Worked on events for the UK's Presidency of the G8, including the Global Investment Conference, G8 Innovation Conference, and the World Islamic Economic Forum.
- Led in-house training for the Public Sector division on courses such as Connecting People, Train the Trainer, and Essentials of FDI.
Head of Production
Financial Times
- Led fDi Markets within the fDi Intelligence division, managing a large team of researchers and analysts.
- Responsible for editorial and technical quality control and project management of system development and upgrades to improve data collection, user interfaces, and product efficiency and accuracy.
- Initiated the fDi Data Exchange programme with global IPAs and EDOs and spearheaded development of an Investor Signals module tracking M&A, funding rounds, and new market trading.
- Managed cross-unit research reports and contributed to a weekly Trend Tracker for global publication in fDi Magazine.
Senior Investment Analyst
OCO Global
- Researched foreign direct investment projects globally in French, Spanish, and Italian.
- Worked on research and strategy consulting projects for clients in site selection, investor targeting, and trade promotion.
- Carried out translation work for the company website and client reports.
Summary
With over 18 years of professional experience spanning international development, strategic consulting, and public-private partnership, Sanchia brings a proven record of supporting governments and private sector stakeholders in economic transformation, investment attraction, and industry engagement. Career highlights include leadership in complex, multi-stakeholder projects, delivering both effective strategies and operational execution within international contexts, including transition economies. Sanchia has the ability to navigate both the internal complexities of companies and governments, as well as the broader dynamics of the global economy, to deliver real-time solutions that support long-term, sustainable growth.
Skills
Strategic Planning & Operations: Led Development And Implementation Of Multi-year Strategies Within Developed And Developing Economies Including Governance Frameworks, Incentive Packages, And Operational Guides. Delivered Strategy And Operational Support For Fdi Attraction, Investor Facilitation, And Workforce Development.
Project Management & Capacity Building: Managed Large-scale, Interdisciplinary Teams Across Multiple Geographies For Project Delivery, Including Fdi Operations, Event Coordination, Digital Government Change Management, And Reporting To Senior Management And Donors (Ebrd, Giz, Fcdo, World Bank).
Investment Attraction: Secured Over $13 Billion In Investments, Delivered Lead Generation And Investor Onboarding For Multiple Sectors. Coordinated International Promotional Events, Business Missions, And Investor Relations. Supported Implementation Of Global Benchmarks And Practices For Sector Competitiveness.
Communications & Interpersonal Skills: Strong Verbal And Written Abilities, Experienced In Multicultural Stakeholder Environments; Led Presentations To Government Agencies, Senior Investors, And International Audiences. Designed And Delivered Training Programs In Fdi Best Practice, Digital Government, And Event Management.
Analytical Skills: Known For Rigorous Data Analysis, Critical Evaluation, And Pragmatic Solution Development Directing Research Teams At The Financial Times And Oco Global, And Producing Policy-aligned Insights For Government Clients.
Languages
Education
University of Ulster
BA Hons, International Business · International Business · United Kingdom
Certifications & licenses
Certified FDI Consultant
Chartered Institute of Management Consultants
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