UK

United Kingdom · Corporate strategy · C-Suite (20+ years)

VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandC-Suite (20+ years)
  • Direct reports25-100+ reports
  • Reports toChief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) · Head of Corporate Development & Market Insights · Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning · Chief Market Intelligence Officer

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 2 of 2 standards
NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science NCC Education Limited · Level 5 · covers 1 of 2 standards
Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 2 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 1 of 2 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 1 of 2 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science
Data-led Decision Making Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making
Apply the Concepts of Data Science to Computer Engineering NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Computer Engineering (Information Technology and Data Science)
Data Analytics Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner
Change Fluency taking people through change
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 2 standards Level 7
  2. Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Limited · covers 1 of 2 standards Level 5
  3. Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 2 standards Level 6
  4. Apply the Concepts of Data Science to Computer Engineering NOCN · covers 1 of 2 standards Level 5
  5. Data Analytics Pearson Education Ltd · covers 1 of 2 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sense-Making
  • Ecosystem Strategy & Platform Economics
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

This role tracks where markets are heading, what competitors are planning, and how a company should respond. You work closely with senior leaders on enterprise strategy, using research and analysis to guide big decisions.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Syndicated Data Platforms (Capital IQ, PitchBook, Factiva) Strategic

Manages vendor relationships and budget for these platforms. Evaluates and selects new data sources based on evolving strategic priorities and ensures the team is extracting maximum value.

Data Analysis & Modeling (Excel [Power Query, VBA], SQL) Strategic

Scopes complex analytical requirements for the entire team. Understands underlying data architecture to request new data warehouse views from Data Engineering that support enterprise intelligence initiatives.

Data Visualization & BI (Tableau, Power BI) Strategic

Defines the enterprise-wide BI strategy for market intelligence. Manages access, governance, and publishing on Tableau Server/Power BI Premium, ensuring data is democratised and actionable for executives.

Strategic & Financial Planning (Anaplan, Pigment) Advanced

Acts as a key stakeholder, providing market models, TAM forecasts, and competitive assumptions that serve as primary inputs into the company's multi-year financial plan and strategic budget allocation.

Competitive Intelligence Platforms (Crayon, Klue) Expert

Selects, implements, and drives organisation-wide adoption of the CI platform to democratise intelligence. Ensures the platform is a central repository for all competitive insights, accessible to all relevant teams.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Enterprise Strategic Direction N/A N/A N/A
M&A Target Identification & Due Diligence N/A N/A N/A
Departmental Budget & Resource Allocation N/A N/A N/A
External Communications (Investor/Media) N/A N/A N/A

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Strategic Growth Initiatives Success Rate
The percentage of major strategic growth initiatives (e.g., new market entries, M&A integrations, significant product pivots) that meet or exceed their initial business case targets.
Target · ≥80% of initiatives meet or exceed targets within 24 months.

If we launch three major new product lines based on your market analysis, and two hit their revenue and adoption goals within two years, that's a 66% success rate. We're aiming higher, of course.

Market Share Gain in Strategic Segments
The year-over-year percentage increase in our market share within the key strategic segments identified by your team.
Target · Achieve a minimum of 2% market share gain annually in identified strategic segments.

If our market share in the 'Enterprise AI Solutions' segment goes from 10% to 12% over a year, that's a 20% relative increase, showing our strategy is working.

M&A Deal Value & Integration Success
The total value of M&A deals successfully identified, executed, and integrated, where market intelligence played a pivotal role in target selection and post-merger strategy.
Target · Identify and support the successful integration of £10M+ in M&A deal value annually, with post-acquisition synergies realised at ≥90% of projected value.

Your team identifies a key acquisition target, provides the strategic rationale, and helps guide the integration. If the acquired company hits its revenue targets and cultural integration is smooth, that's a win.

Long-Range Forecast Accuracy
The accuracy of our 3-5 year market size and competitive landscape forecasts, measured against actual market developments.
Target · Maintain a variance of +/- 10% on key market size and growth rate projections over a 3-year horizon.

If your 3-year forecast for the 'Cloud Security' market was £50M, and it actually hit £48M, that's a 4% variance, which is excellent at this level of prediction.

Board & Executive Confidence
The degree to which the Board and Executive Leadership Team rely on your insights for critical strategic decisions, and their perceived confidence in your team's analysis.
  • You're consistently invited to present at Board meetings
  • the CEO frequently references your team's insights in investor calls
  • your recommendations are typically adopted without significant pushback
  • direct feedback from Board members and the CEO confirms high trust.
Proactive Strategic Foresight
The ability to consistently identify and articulate emerging market shifts, competitive threats, or disruptive technologies *before* they become widely recognised, giving the company a significant lead time to respond.
  • We can point to at least two instances per year where your team flagged a major trend 6-12 months before it hit the mainstream
  • your insights lead to proactive strategic pivots, not reactive ones
  • you're often quoted internally as the 'early warning system'.
Organisational Alignment & Adoption
The extent to which your strategic frameworks and market intelligence are embedded across the business, driving consistent decision-making from product roadmaps to sales strategies.
  • All major business units use your TAM models for their planning
  • sales battlecards are directly informed by your competitive intelligence
  • product strategy documents clearly reference your market segmentation
  • you're seen as the central source of truth for market data.
Talent & Capability Development
The successful growth and development of your team, ensuring we have the right skills and leadership to meet future strategic intelligence needs.
  • High retention rates within your direct reports
  • successful internal promotions from your team
  • positive feedback from your direct reports on their growth and mentorship
  • your team is recognised as a talent incubator within the company.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping the Future

You'll spend your days dissecting market shifts, anticipating competitor moves, and then translating that into concrete strategies that determine where the company invests its next £100M. It's about building the roadmap, not just following it.

Leading the strategic review that results in a major pivot into a new, high-growth market segment, directly impacting the company's long-term revenue projections.

High-Stakes Impact

Every piece of analysis, every strategic recommendation, has direct implications for our P&L, our stock price, and our competitive standing. You're making decisions that genuinely matter to thousands of employees and millions of customers.

Presenting M&A targets to the Board, knowing your recommendation could lead to a multi-million-pound acquisition that reshapes our product portfolio.

Intellectual Challenge

You'll be wrestling with the most complex, ambiguous problems the business faces – predicting the unpredictable, understanding emerging tech, and navigating geopolitical shifts. It's a constant mental workout, requiring deep analytical rigour and creative problem-solving.

Developing a scenario plan for how a major regulatory change might impact our entire industry, and then war-gaming our responses with the executive team.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Crystal Ball' Expectation: Stakeholders will expect you to predict the future with absolute certainty, rather than understanding your role is to provide a probabilistic view of potential outcomes and risks.
  • Insight-to-Action Lag: The soul-crushing experience of presenting a clear and present competitive threat, only to watch the organisation take 18 months to formulate a response.
  • Political Resistance to Uncomfortable Truths: Presenting objective analysis that proves a senior leader's pet project is aimed at a shrinking market, and then having to navigate the fallout.
  • Data Deserts at the Frontier: Being asked to build a high-fidelity market model for an emerging industry or geography where reliable third-party data simply does not exist.
  • Ownership Without Direct Authority: Being held accountable for the accuracy of the market forecast while having zero control over the sales, marketing, and product decisions that actually determine the outcome.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, purely analytical role with minimal stakeholder interaction.
  • A clear, linear path where every problem has an obvious solution.
  • The luxury of waiting for perfect data before making a recommendation.
  • A 'hands-off' leadership style where you don't need to get into the weeds of your team's work occasionally.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the company's enterprise-wide strategy, market positioning, and long-term financial performance. Your decisions influence multi-million-pound investments, M&A activity, and ultimately, our ability to compete and innovate on a global scale. Frankly, you're responsible for ensuring the company's future viability and growth.

Inside the business
  • CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
  • Board of Directors
  • Heads of Product, Sales, Marketing, and Engineering
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Outside the business
  • Investors and Analysts
  • Key Industry Partners
  • Regulators and Policy Makers
  • M&A Targets and Advisors
  • Industry Media and Thought Leaders

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A proven track record of 20+ years in market intelligence, corporate strategy, or a related field, with at least 5-7 years in a Director-level or equivalent leadership role.
  • Demonstrable experience leading and scaling multi-disciplinary teams (25+ people), including other managers and directors.
  • Significant experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives and Board of Directors on critical strategic matters.
  • A history of successfully driving major strategic initiatives, including M&A, new market entries, or significant business model transformations.
  • Deep expertise in designing and implementing enterprise-wide market intelligence frameworks and competitive analysis programmes.
  • A strong network within the industry and a reputation as a thought leader in strategic foresight or market analysis.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Data Governance & Ethics for Strategic Insights

With increasing data volume and AI usage, ensuring data quality, privacy, and ethical use in strategic decision-making is paramount. Misinformation or biased data can lead to catastrophic strategic errors. You'll set the policy.

Data Lineage & Audit Trails · Bias Detection in AI-Generated Insights · Data Sovereignty & Cross-Border Intelligence · Synthetic Data for Scenario Modelling

  • This quarter: Review our current data governance policies for market intelligence with our Legal and Compliance teams.
  • Next 6 months: Sponsor a project to implement enhanced data lineage tracking for our core strategic datasets.
  • Next 12 months: Develop a 'Responsible AI for Strategy' policy within your function, outlining ethical guidelines for AI tool usage.
  • Ongoing: Engage with industry groups and legal experts on emerging data ethics and governance trends.

Quick win: Ensure all external data sources used by your team are clearly documented for their origin, licensing, and any known biases.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly publish thought leadership pieces (articles, whitepapers, speaking engagements) on emerging market trends or strategic insights.
  • Actively participate in executive peer groups or industry forums focused on corporate strategy, innovation, and competitive intelligence.
  • Mentor aspiring strategic leaders both within and outside the organisation, contributing to the broader talent ecosystem.
  • Engage in continuous learning on disruptive technologies and new business models, perhaps through executive education programmes or specialised courses.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sense-Making

The sheer volume and velocity of global data make human-only sense-making impossible. AI can identify patterns and 'weak signals' in unstructured data (news, social, research papers) far faster than any human, giving us a crucial competitive edge in anticipating market shifts.

  • Generative AI for Scenario Generation
  • AI for Anomaly Detection in Market Data
  • Ethical AI in Intelligence Gathering
  • Human-in-the-Loop Validation

Ecosystem Strategy & Platform Economics

Few companies operate in isolation anymore; success increasingly depends on navigating complex partner ecosystems and understanding platform-based business models. Our strategy needs to account for network effects, multi-sided markets, and strategic alliances.

  • Network Effects Analysis
  • Orchestration vs. Participation
  • API Economy & Integrations
  • Co-opetition Strategies

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • TAM/SAM/SOM Analysis (Enterprise-level)
  • Scenario Planning & War Gaming (Advanced)
  • Competitive Benchmarking (Strategic & Holistic)
  • M&A Strategic Rationale & Integration Planning
  • Primary Research Design & Synthesis

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    VP, Corporate Strategy (from a large enterprise)

    20+ years total experience, with 7-10 years at VP/Director level.

    Skills to master

    • Deep expertise in enterprise strategy, M&A, and executive influence. Proven ability to lead large, complex strategic initiatives and manage multi-disciplinary teams. Strong track record of Board-level engagement.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a major strategic pivot or M&A integration for a £1B+ revenue company.
    • Consistently presented to and advised the CEO/Board on critical strategic decisions.
    • Built and scaled a high-performing corporate strategy or intelligence function.
    • Recognised as an industry thought leader in strategic planning or competitive intelligence.
  2. 2

    Partner/Principal (from a top-tier management consultancy)

    15-20 years total experience, with 5-7 years as Partner/Principal.

    Skills to master

    • Exceptional problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills honed across diverse industries. Experience leading large client engagements and advising C-suite executives on complex strategic challenges. Strong commercial acumen.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Managed a portfolio of strategic engagements for Fortune 500 clients, delivering tangible business impact.
    • Developed deep expertise in a specific industry relevant to our business (e.g., SaaS, FinTech).
    • Proven ability to build and lead high-performing project teams under pressure.
    • Strong client relationship management skills at the executive level.
  3. 3

    General Manager / Business Unit Leader (from a relevant industry)

    20+ years total experience, with 5-7 years leading a P&L for a significant business unit.

    Skills to master

    • Full P&L ownership, deep operational experience, and a strong understanding of market dynamics from a commercial perspective. Ability to translate strategic vision into operational execution. Strong leadership and team management skills.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully grew revenue and market share for a business unit of £50M+.
    • Made critical strategic decisions that impacted the long-term viability of a product or business line.
    • Managed cross-functional teams (Product, Sales, Marketing, Engineering) to achieve strategic objectives.
    • Demonstrated a strong understanding of competitive landscapes and market entry strategies.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to a Chief Strategy Officer role, a seat as a board member or strategic advisor, or eventually a Chief Executive Officer position.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Analysis and Visualisation, worked against VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence.

Data Analysis and Visualisation Level 7

Applied to your work in VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence

1. To enable the learner to critically analyse the theoretical underpinnings of data analytics and their impact on decision-making in business management contexts. 2. To enable the learner to assess diverse data analysis activities, techniques, and tools applicable to business management scenarios. 3. To enable the learner to compare and contrast various predictive analytic techniques, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses in forecasting future business events. 4. To enable the learner to evaluate how predictive analytic techniques can be practically implemented for forecasting purposes within the business sector. 5. To enable the learner to evaluate prescriptive analytic techniques, illustrating their application with relevant examples from the business management domain. 6. To enable the learner to apply a suitable programming language or data analysis tool to conduct data analysis and visualisation tasks related to business management problems.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

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See Your Progress Grow Illustration
VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence
  • TAM/SAM/SOM Analysis (Enterprise-level)
  • Scenario Planning & War Gaming (Advanced)
  • Competitive Benchmarking (Strategic & Holistic)
  • M&A Strategic Rationale & Integration Planning
  • Primary Research Design & Synthesis
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)

    3-5 years in the VP role

    Elevation to the most senior strategic role, often with direct Board reporting and a broader remit across corporate development and innovation.

    • Advanced portfolio management for strategic investments.
    • Driving cultural transformation through strategic initiatives.
    • Leading M&A from identification through full integration and value realisation.
    • Global regulatory and geopolitical risk management at an enterprise level.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, at the C-suite level, your time is your most valuable asset. The sheer volume of information you need to process to make informed strategic decisions can be overwhelming. This is where AI isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a strategic imperative.

We're not talking about replacing your strategic brain, but augmenting it. Imagine having an AI co-pilot that sifts through market noise, summarises complex reports, and even drafts initial strategic narratives, freeing you up to focus on the truly high-leverage work of vision-setting and executive influence. It's about making you and your team exponentially more productive.

Automated Strategic News Digest

An AI agent monitors thousands of global news sources, competitor announcements, regulatory updates, and academic papers, generating a personalised daily digest of critical strategic developments. It flags 'weak signals' that might indicate future market shifts, giving you an early warning system.

Scenario Planning & War Game Assistant

Feed an LLM historical market data, competitor profiles, and potential disruption vectors. The AI can then generate multiple plausible future scenarios, complete with potential competitive responses and their implications for our business. It's like having a dozen extra strategists in the room, helping you explore more possibilities faster.

M&A Target Identification & Screening

An AI assistant can rapidly screen thousands of potential acquisition targets based on predefined strategic criteria (e.g., market share, tech stack, financial health, cultural fit), providing a ranked shortlist for your team to deep-dive into. This dramatically accelerates the initial phase of corporate development.

Executive Briefing & Narrative Drafting

Provide an AI model with your team's raw analysis, key findings, and strategic recommendations. The AI can then generate a coherent first draft of Board presentations, investor updates, or internal strategic memos, allowing you to focus on refining the message and adding your unique executive insights.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence?

Common routes in include VP, Corporate Strategy (from a large enterprise) (20+ years total experience, with 7-10 years at VP/Director level.), Partner/Principal (from a top-tier management consultancy) (15-20 years total experience, with 5-7 years as Partner/Principal.) and General Manager / Business Unit Leader (from a relevant industry) (20+ years total experience, with 5-7 years leading a P&L for a significant business unit.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) (3-5 years in the VP role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence?

Increasingly, AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sense-Making and Ecosystem Strategy & Platform Economics. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in corporate strategy

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Skills in enterprise strategy, market intelligence and corporate development apply across many sectors, including technology, financial services and manufacturing. The ability to analyse markets, spot opportunities and guide strategic change transfers well between industries.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my VP, Corporate Strategy & Intelligence plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.