As the Head of Business Expansion & Acceleration, you will be spearheading the identifying the right strategic partners globally for Mashreq to work with to build a great ecosystem for the Retail Banking Group.
You will be responsible for leading and driving sustainable growth & long-term value creation by expanding the bank’s reach through innovative, high-impact partnerships across emerging industry players, fintech, technology, & digital platforms and other banks.
You will lead the end-to-end partnership lifecycle—from market scanning & opportunity assessment to negotiation, execution, & relationship management - ensuring all initiatives are tightly aligned with the bank’s strategic goals. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, Senior executives & external partners to transform ideas & partnerships into actionable solutions that drive business growth & enhance customer experience. A key responsibility will be driving the acceleration & scaling of new products & services through strategic alliances, with a focus on accelerating adoption, market penetration, & profitability.
You will play a pivotal role in shaping the bank’s innovation roadmap by continuously scanning the external landscape for emerging trends, disruptive business models, & new opportunities, importantly through key strategic partnerships, positioning the bank as a leader in BaaS/PaaS & ecosystem-driven growth space
- Lead the strategic identification, evaluation, & execution of high-impact partnerships with fintech’s, telcos, other industry players, technology providers & digital platforms to accelerate the bank’s growth & ecosystem development in Retail Banking Group.
- Design & implement scalable digital solutions that can be rapidly deployed across Retail Banking Group markets within Mashreq &, where applicable, across the broader bank.
- Develop & execute a cohesive expansion & acceleration strategy, aligned with the bank’s agenda, business objectives, & local market needs.
- Drive the end-to-end lifecycle of Strategic partnerships—from market scanning & commercial due diligence to deal structuring, onboarding, activation, & value realization.
- Co-create & commercialize partner-enabled or co-developed propositions, ensuring seamless delivery in collaboration with internal teams including product, technology, marketing, compliance, & operations.
- Engage product partners & business managers/peers, alongside operations & technology teams and other stakeholders, to support the design, development, & launch of solutions that deliver superior customer service & efficient operating models for Strategic partners.
- Build & lead a high-performing team of experts, fostering a culture of innovation, performance, & cross-functional collaboration to support frontline operations, digital marketing, & customer-centric solutions.
- Drive best practice change management across digital acceleration, ensuring adoption, alignment, & capability-building within the business & frontline teams.
- Collaborate with the Global Head of Digital Strategic Partnerships to shape & adapt the global partner strategy for local markets, ensuring alignment with customer needs, market dynamics, & regulatory environments.
- Leverage internal data & market intelligence to conduct strategic analyses on value propositions, pricing, positioning, benchmarking, & forecasting—including data monetization initiatives & the creation of insights-based offerings.
- Monitor & analyze KPIs, user feedback, & market trends to assess the performance & impact of partner initiatives & recommend strategies for continuous improvement & innovation.
- Oversee the ideation, prototyping, & implementation of partner initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives, user needs, & industry best practices.
- Establish & maintain strategic alliances with technology vendors, startups, accelerators, & ecosystem partners to access cutting-edge technologies, capabilities, & innovation networks.
- Act as a senior representative of the Partnerships & innovation agenda, actively participating in industry forums, conferences, & partner events to promote the bank’s brand & thought leadership.
- Ensure robust governance, tracking, & performance management for all partnership & innovation initiatives, aligning results with business KPIs & value realization metrics.
- Demonstrate strong analytical & problem-solving skills, applying sound business judgment & communicating effectively with senior cross-functional stakeholders.
- Drive localization & customization of partnerships propositions (where possible), ensuring relevance across different geographies, regulatory environments, & customer segments in Retail Banking Group.
- 15–20 years of experience in Strategic partnerships, business development, or Growth/acceleration strategy within top-tier financial institutions or reputable organizations, demonstrating a consistent record of delivering exceptional results in collaboration with Senior leadership.
- Proven leadership in driving business expansion & forging strategic alliances, preferably within large banking organizations or financial consultancies, with a focus on Retail Banking Group & Partnerships.
- Comprehensive understanding of banking products & services, fintech innovations, & emerging technologies & their application in enhancing customer value & driving growth for the bank.
- Demonstrated success in identifying, evaluating, & establishing strategic partnerships that have led to tangible business outcomes & market expansion.
- Exceptional leadership & team management skills, with the ability to inspire, mentor, & lead cross-functional teams towards achieving ambitious goals.
- Strategic-thinker with strong analytical capabilities, adept at identifying growth opportunities, solving complex problems, & making data-driven decisions.
- Excellent communication & stakeholder management skills, capable of effectively influencing & collaborating with senior executives, business leaders, & external partners.
- Experience with agile methodologies & design thinking, utilizing rapid prototyping & iterative approaches to develop & refine partnership strategies.
- Strong business acumen, with the ability to translate strategic partnerships into measurable business value & competitive advantage.
- Passion for innovation & continuous learning, staying abreast of industry trends & seeking opportunities to drive the organization's growth agenda.
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