Director Strategy & Business Development

Leadership gateway position. Transition from strategy consulting at Principal/Director level into line management with heavy people management responsibility. Team of 20 consultants. Trajectory into senior line management within 2-3 years. This position is the strategic compass and lever for the board. Keeps the company ahead of the curve on new businesses, developments, technological innovations and trends. Focus on execution.

Largest online retail tech platform in the Benelux

Bol.com is is no longer just an online bookstore, selling tens of millions of items. However they feel like they’re still just at the beginning. They continue want to improve their platform with the help of partners and for their customers.

Bol.com is selling more than 21 milion products to more than 11 milion customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. Together with 30.000 partners selling products on their platform and with a team of more than 2000 colleagues they have become the largest online retail tech platform in the Benelux.

Back in the days, being the first European online bookstore, ‘better’ meant having acces to an unprecedentedly  wide range of items without having to leave the house combined with the possibility to pay later and super-fast delivery within two days. It was unprecedented at the time. The ambition to improve on every level runs deep at bol.com. They  kept researching what works and what does not, all for improving the experience for their customers. And for changing retail to make everyday life easier.

Award winning

The succes of their approach is underlined with the impression range of awards that bol.com has won in the last years, ranking in the top-5 of most customer friendy companies in the Netherlands, the most influential brands on social media and the strongest retail brand.

Vacancy: Director Strategy & Business Development

This position is the ideal landing spot for a senior strategy consultant at  the verge of making Partner, but opting to exit consulting. Board member, Platform Director and hiring manager Margaret Versteden (ex-Partner at Bain & Company) has an excellent track record of bringing in senior professionals and coaching them into an executive line management position within bol.com.

The role of Director Strategy & Business Development has many similarities with the content of consulting. She/he leads a team of 20 consultans that supports both the board and the organization with the strategy development and implementation.

But there are also many differences. Add-ons that will prepare the candidate to move into a line management position. This role is not a good fit for those who desire a career in (corporate) strategy as it increasingly requires operational & people management skills.

The broadness of the role will help develop a strong understanding of the full bol.com business from beginning to end to grow a general management perspective.

The role has three core responsibilities:

1. Inspire – the Director Strategy & Business Development ensures that bol.com remains ahead of the curve on new businesses, developments, technological innovations and trends that will affect the business. She/he is a source of inspiration to the board and enages the team of Directors and the organization as a whole in the strategy.
2. Lead – leadership in the new economy is all about content. Bol.com is the perfect example. An non-hierarchical organic organisation, a scale-up at scale. Traditional laws of management do not apply. To lead people you need to provide them with crystal clear perspective but free them to choose their operational direction themselves.
3. Support – the Director Strategy & Business Development acts as a right hand to the Platform Director, helping with processes and coordination that benefit the whole platform team.

Tasks

The Director Strategy & Business Development provides strategic support to the board. She/he

• helps to ensure there is a clear, up-to-date strategic direction in the constantly changing and evolving world of a retail-tech platform;
• works in close collaboration with Finance on the long-term plan and financial models to secure resources for growth with Ahold Delhaize;
• works together with Ahold Delhaize to help bring a combined view on strategies and projects that would benefit the group: is open and embraces opportunities for bol.com to help and benefit from the Ahold Delhaize Group;
• continuously translates the strategy into the most important next move given the competitive landscape, market growth, size of the prize and ability to Helps ensures clear choices are made in the myriad of opportunities;
• with the support of the Ahold Delhaize M&A team investigates new partnerships and acquisition opportunities that strengthen or accelerate the strategy

“More than 50% of our revenues is generated through our partners and is highly scaleable. The current momentum in the digital transformation of retail is unprecedented. There is an opportunity under every stone you turn.” – Margaret Versteden, Director Platform at bol.com

The Director Strategy & Business Development executes strategy to get new innovations and businesses. She/he

• develops a 70/20/10 (future/tomorrow/today) pipeline of strategic initiatives through an agile process of continuous review and adaptation;
• prioritizes key projects to be further developed by the business development team.

The Director Strategy & Business Development explores opportunities and brings them from investigation to concept to implementation. She/he

• utilizes the Business Development team to investigate key new business opportunities across the business and turns them into operational extensions;
• ensures resources are focused on the right topics given the high demand from the organization for help from the team;
• manages the portfolio of projects from concept to implementation, including hand over to the business;
• oversees senior commercial negotiations and involves Finance, Legal, others teams and the board when needed.

People management is a vital part of the role. She/he coaches, recruits, manages and inspires a top class business development team with a broad set of skills in both strategy and implementation. Ensures that this team is a breeding pond for bol.com’s next talents. Proactively recruits and takes chances on young superstars.

The team

The Business Development team currently consist of 20 consultants, divided into Business Developers and Proposition Developers.

Bol.com works with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, contact Roland Vetten at roland.vetten@topofminds.com.