Senior Vice President, Head of Business Expansion & Acceleration

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 spaceLead 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.The leading financial institution in MENAWhile more than half a century old, we proudly think like a challenger, startup, and innovatorin banking and finance, powered by a diverse and dynamic team who put customers first.Together, we pioneer key innovations and developments in banking and financial services.Our mandate? To help customers find their way to Rise Every Day, partnering with them throughthe highs and lows to help them reach their goals and unlock their unique vision of success.Delivering superior service to clients by leading with innovation, treating colleagues with dignity and fairness while pursuing opportunities that grow shareholders value.We actively contribute to the community through responsible banking in our mission to inspire more people to Rise.