Vice President of Strategy

Vice President of Strategy and Business Development

•  Direct, execute, implement the company’s business and corporate development strategy through successful mergers & acquisitions, integrations, divestitures, JV’s, and alliances. 
• The right candidate will regularly interact with other senior executives. 
• He/she will be responsible for helping to formulate and, in some circumstances, implement strategic initiatives within the organization. This includes working with the senior leadership of the company to identify key strategic issues and then frame, analyze, present and recommend courses of action and help execute those recommendations.
• The VP will also provide strategic support for other functions, such as coordinating activities among different operating units on key strategic matters; evaluating the strategic implications of potential M&A transactions; providing input into internal and external communications; providing input into the financial planning process; and providing context about industry trends or the companies overall corporate strategy.
• He/she will also mentor and manage junior-level staff within the group. 
• VP, Strategy must demonstrate a thorough understanding of industry trends an operations; be knowledgeable of strategy tools and processes; be capable of managing multiple complex projects simultaneously; be able to forge relationships with senior leaders throughout the company and have excellent oral and written presentation skills, including the ability to present in a compelling way to key senior management; and provide guidance to junior staff. 
• In general, a VP, Strategy will be required to stay in the flow of information, both external and internal, to help identify the key issues (the “situational analysis”) facing the company.
  
• He/she will be responsible for developing high level strategic assessments of the associated opportunities and risks. This involves coordinating teams within and outside Strategy to:
  1) Outline the impact of the issue
  2) Assess the range of potential options
  3) Identify the pros and cons for each option
  4) Recommend a course of action 

Project Management and Presentation: 

• The VP will also be responsible for managing the concurrent workflow of multiple major projects from initial engagement through to completion. In some cases the projects will involve rapid turnaround. These projects may be sourced from multiple points, including ideas generated within the strategy group, from senior executives or from front line operating executives.
• At multiple points in the project and at the conclusion, the VP is expected to be able to present, in a professional, clear and compelling manner, the work and findings to senior management and other key clients within and outside the company. 

Management of Staff:
 
Vice Presidents are also responsible for managing staff and helping recruit, train and retain talent. This involves:
1) Participating in the identification of talent.
2) Providing guidance to junior staff.
3) Establishing processes for skill and career development of employees within the group.
4) Structuring teams in a manner that allows members to contribute their strengths to a particular project and optimizes the team dynamic.
5) Setting goals, managing performance, and participating in decisions regarding hiring, compensation, termination, and other personnel actions.