Job title - Chief Business Strategist (CBS)
Reports to - Group Chairman / President
Direct reports - Managing Directors Business Unit Heads Functional Leaders Project Teams (as assigned)
Location - Nigeria
Job summary
The Chief Business Strategist (CBS) is responsible for driving the strategic direction growth transformation and long-term sustainability of the Groups diverse portfolio of businesses. The role serves as the Chairmans strategic adviser and execution partner ensuring that each business operates profitably while pursuing new growth opportunities.
The CBS provides strategic oversight across multiple subsidiaries including logistics gas distribution microfinance banking courier services security printing and future investments. While each business maintains operational leadership the CBS ensures strategic alignment performance optimization operational excellence innovation and disciplined execution of the Groups overall vision.
The role combines corporate strategy business transformation investment management operational excellence market expansion and executive leadership.
Key responsibilities
1. Group Strategic Leadership
- Develop and drive the Groups short medium and long-term strategic plans.
- Translate the Chairmans vision into actionable business strategies.
- Ensure alignment of all subsidiaries with the Groups corporate objectives.
- Review and refine business models across all companies.
- Identify emerging opportunities for diversification and expansion.
- Lead annual strategic planning sessions across the Group.
2. Business Portfolio Management
Provide strategic oversight for one or more of the Groups businesses including:
- Logistics
- Freight forwarding
- Haulage
- Courier services
- Gas plant operations
- Microfinance banking
- Security printing
- Future investments and acquisitions
Responsibilities include:
- Monitoring business performance.
- Supporting business turnaround initiatives.
- Identifying operational improvements.
- Driving profitability.
- Monitoring market competitiveness.
- Ensuring strategic milestones are achieved.
3. Business growth & expansion
- Identify new markets and revenue opportunities.
- Lead market entry strategies.
- Develop growth initiatives across all businesses.
- Drive diversification projects.
- Identify strategic partnerships and alliances.
- Evaluate mergers acquisitions and investment opportunities.
- Develop expansion strategies both locally and internationally where applicable.
4. Corporate performance management
- Establish Group-wide KPIs.
- Develop performance dashboards.
- Monitor business performance against agreed targets.
- Review financial and operational reports.
- Hold periodic business performance review meetings.
- Recommend corrective actions where necessary.
- Ensure accountability across subsidiaries.
5. Business transformation
- Lead business transformation initiatives.
- Improve operational efficiency.
- Drive process optimization.
- Champion digital transformation initiatives.
- Improve customer experience.
- Lead organizational redesign where necessary.
- Introduce best business practices across the Group.
6. Financial strategy
Working closely with finance leadership the CBS shall:
- Evaluate profitability across business units.
- Improve return on investment.
- Recommend capital allocation priorities.
- Support budgeting and strategic financial planning.
- Monitor investment performance.
- Evaluate new capital projects.
- Improve shareholder value.
7. Leadership & executive support
- Serve as strategic adviser to the Chairman.
- Mentor Managing Directors and Business Heads.
- Facilitate collaboration between subsidiaries.
- Build leadership capability across the Group.
- Participate in Board strategy meetings.
- Prepare strategic reports for the Board.
8. Market intelligence
- Monitor industry trends.
- Conduct competitor analysis.
- Identify disruptive technologies.
- Recommend strategic responses to market changes.
- Track government policies affecting the businesses.
- Monitor economic indicators influencing Group performance.
9. Corporate governance & risk
- Ensure strategic decisions comply with regulatory requirements.
- Strengthen enterprise risk management.
- Ensure governance frameworks are effective.
- Monitor strategic risks.
- Develop business continuity strategies.
- Promote ethical business practices.
10. Stakeholder management
- Build relationships with regulators.
- Engage investors and strategic partners.
- Represent the Group in high-level meetings.
- Foster relationships with financial institutions.
- Support business development initiatives.
- Build strategic alliances.
Key deliverables
The CBS shall be responsible for delivering:
- Group strategic plan
- Annual business growth plan
- Portfolio performance dashboard
- Business transformation roadmap
- New business development strategy
- Market intelligence reports
- Quarterly board strategy reports
- Investment evaluation reports
- Expansion roadmaps
- Performance improvement initiatives
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Strategic growth
- Revenue growth across assigned businesses
- EBITDA growth
- Market share improvement
- New business opportunities identified and executed
- Successful expansion projects
Business performance
- Profitability improvement
- Cost optimization
- Operational efficiency gains
- Customer growth
- Customer retention
Strategy execution
- Percentage of strategic initiatives completed
- Achievement of annual strategic objectives
- Successful implementation of transformation projects
- Speed of execution
Financial performance
- Return on Investment (ROI)
- Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)
- Revenue diversification
- Budget performance
Leadership
- Leadership effectiveness
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Employee engagement
- Talent development
Governance
- Compliance score
- Risk mitigation effectiveness
- Audit findings resolution
- Policy implementation
Key competencies
Strategic competencies
- Corporate strategy
- Business transformation
- Business development
- Portfolio management
- Growth strategy
- Market expansion
- Corporate planning
- Investment analysis
Leadership competencies
- Visionary leadership
- Executive presence
- Decision making
- Influence
- Negotiation
- Change management
- Stakeholder management
- People development
Business competencies
- Financial acumen
- Commercial awareness
- Data-driven decision making
- Project management
- Risk management
- Innovation
- Operational excellence
- Performance management
Educational qualifications
- Bachelors degree in Business Administration Economics Finance Engineering Management or related discipline.
- MBA or Masters Degree in Strategy Business Administration Finance Economics or related field is strongly preferred.
- Professional certifications such as PMP CFA CIBN ACCA ICAN CILT CIM or relevant executive leadership qualifications will be an advantage.
Experience
- Minimum of 15 years progressive management experience.
- At least 8 years in executive leadership or strategic management.
- Proven experience managing multiple business units or diversified business portfolios.
- Strong experience in corporate strategy and business transformation.
- Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth and business expansion.
- Experience working directly with Boards or business owners.
- Prior exposure to logistics financial services manufacturing oil & gas or infrastructure sectors will be an added advantage.
Relationships
Internal
- Chairman
- Board of Directors
- Group Managing Director
- Managing Directors
- Executive management
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Operations
- Commercial teams
- Internal Audit
- Legal & Compliance
External
- Regulatory authorities
- Investors
- Banks
- Development finance institutions
- Strategic partners
- Consultants
- Government agencies
- Industry associations
- Key clients
Success profile
The ideal Chief Business Strategist is an enterprise leader who can seamlessly transition between boardroom strategy and operational execution. They possess the commercial acumen to oversee mature businesses while building emerging ventures into profitable enterprises. With a strong analytical mindset exceptional leadership capabilities and a proven track record in managing complex multi-industry portfolios the CBS serves as the catalyst for sustainable growth innovation and long-term value creation across the Group.
Ideal candidate profile:
- Entrepreneurial mindset with the discipline of a corporate executive.
- Experienced in managing diversified business portfolios rather than a single line of business.
- Strong understanding of the Nigerian business environment regulatory landscape and investment climate.
- Comfortable engaging with Boards regulators investors and senior executives.
- Able to identify synergies across businessesfor example leveraging the logistics and courier operations to support the gas business using the microfinance bank to deepen customer relationships or creating shared services to improve efficiency across the Group.
- Capable of stepping into underperforming or newly established subsidiaries stabilizing operations and positioning them for sustainable growth while maintaining strategic oversight of mature businesses.
Required Skills:
Financial acumen Commercial awareness Data-driven decision making Project management Risk management Innovation Operational excellence Performance management
Required Education:
Bachelors degree in Business Administration Economics Finance Engineering Management or related discipline. MBA or Masters Degree in Strategy Business Administration Finance Economics or related field is strongly preferred. Professional certifications such as PMP CFA CIBN ACCA ICAN CILT CIM or relevant executive leadership qualifications will be an advantage.
Employment Type : Full Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1
