Executive Head: Strategy at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role purpose:

• Vodacom is embarking on an exciting journey to redefine its business and reinvent the face of telecoms in South Africa. This journey will include the development of new revenue streams, business models and digital innovations, including IoT, Digital Media, ICT, Financial Services, and digital/ICT applications across various industry verticals. Vodacom’s Group Strategy and Innovation team is a high-performance team that is leading this journey by providing insight, thought leadership and strategic direction to the Group.
• The Group Strategy and Innovation team is looking for an experienced strategy executive to help accelerate our ambitious growth as Executive Head of Department: Strategy (“EHOD”) – Vodacom International and Group Functions. The EHOD will work within the Group Strategy team to develop, communicate and implement the long term strategy for Vodacom Group.
• The EHOD will be responsible for strategy formulation and delivery of priority strategic projects. The incumbent will play a leading role in developing group strategy. The EHOD will lead and deliver on special strategic projects and drive the thought leadership agenda for Vodacom group – with strong understanding of global technology and telco trends. The EHOD will need to develop a strong understanding of the global strategic priorities from Vodafone, translate them into local imperatives and communicate the implications for Vodacom.
• The role requires the EHOD to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring consistent high-quality delivery and stakeholder engagement. The incumbent is expected to have considerable interactions with EXCO and senior leaders within Vodacom and is expected to have exceptional communication skills. The EHOD must be an influential thought leader, who is able to effectively work in and lead teams to drive high-performance and effort, and lead by living the values in the Vodacom Way.
• The EHOD will also need to work closely with the Managing Executive in driving the Transformation Agenda.

Key attributes of the role:

• Transformation Strategy Development: Lead the development of transformation strategies as required by the business within Group and across our 8 markets. This will include issue diagnostics, initiatives design and recommendations, communication and acquiring necessary key stakeholder buy in and development of the implementation roadmap
• Establishment of Execution Excellence Capability: Support markets in establishing capability to drive and monitor the execution of key strategic projects.
• Group Wide Major Strategic Projects Oversight: Create visibility on the execution of major strategic projects across the organisation to ensure diligent and disciplined execution as per ambitions stated in our Strategy
• The role requires the incumbent to effectively deliver multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring consistent high-quality results and effective stakeholder engagement. The incumbent is expected to have significant and interactions with EXCO and senior leaders within Vodacom and is required to have exceptional communication skills.

Your responsibilities will include:

Impact to the business

• Lead strategic projects within Vodacom Group
• Formulate business issues into robust and quantified decision frameworks to identify options with preferred solutions
• Identify and analyse business trends and understand significance and business implications
• Identify and develop the supporting business case underpinning strategic opportunities
• Provide information and analysis to support key strategic decisions and long term planning implementation

Customers, Suppliers & Third Parties

• Manage suppliers effectively to deliver results (including advisors/consultants, lawyers and financial institutions)

Teamwork

• Lead and coordinate multi-functional teams (Commercial, Technology, Finance etc.)
• Execute and drive projects towards clear conclusion, results and recommendations
• Work effectively within the organization to build consensus and ideas

Innovation and Change

• Maintain personal motivation and drive to take ideas from conception to implementation
• Drive new thinking and innovative thinking in the business
• Take personal risks to ensure issues addressed properly and fully
• Be willing to make important decisions under pressure, sometimes without full information being available

Communication

• Communicate effectively at all levels, from staff to CEO level
• Conduct a systemic evaluation and presentation of business opportunities that highlights key risks/opportunities
• Structure ideas, recommendations and written arguments into compelling storylines that facilitate effective decision-making

Leadership

• Bring best-practice management and thought leadership to influence teams’ output
• Direct multi-functional teams on best practice & alignment with Vodafone strategy requirements
• Ensure activities of team are aligned with Group strategy

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• Postgraduate qualification in a financial/numerate discipline – MBA/CA(SA) or SAQA accredited equivalent.
• Established, executive leader with strong strategy or business development experience at senior management level
• Min 5 years’ senior management experience in a corporate strategy function in an established corporate

AND / OR

• Min 5 years’ experience in management consulting at a leading consulting/advisory firm

AND / OR

• Minimum of 5 years’ senior management experience leading and delivering new business opportunities

Technical / Professional Expertise

• Understanding of Strategy process and best practice – including strategy development, implementation and communication
• Understand market structures, competition dynamics and consumer behaviours
• Working knowledge of the market, players and trends in Telecoms industry
• Background in Management Consulting, or relevant experience in a senior corporate strategy role

Competency / Performance Drivers

• Strong analytical skills
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills (presentations, report writing, etc.)
• Research ability (‘curious & questioning mind’)
• Strong project management
• Effective teamwork
• Excellent influencing & negotiation skills