Head of Corporate Strategy & Strategy Projects

Department: Strategy 

Team: Corporate Strategy  

Location: London (Hybrid) 

Position type: Permanent, Full time 

What the hiring manager says 

GSMA operates at the centre of one of the most dynamic and strategically important industries globally. As the sector evolves, so must we. The Head of Corporate Strategy & Strategy Projects will play a critical role in defining and executing GSMA’s 3-year strategic roadmap.

This role ensures alignment between Board priorities, sector-level shifts, organisational capabilities, and financial performance. This is not a theoretical strategy role. It is about building a clear destination for GSMA in three years, aligning the organisation behind it, and ensuring disciplined execution. 

Hakan Dursun, Chief Strategy Officer 

About the Team 

The Strategy team shapes the long-term direction of the GSMA to ensure we provide maximum value to our members and the broader mobile ecosystem. 

The team is responsible for:  

• Sector Strategy & Strategy Projects – defining the industry’s 3-5-year outlook and implications for GSMA. 

• Corporate Strategy & Strategy Projects – developing the 3-year strategic roadmap of GSMA, KPIs, business plan, and high-level operating plan. 

• Strategic Initiatives – leading/ coordinating cross-functional initiatives externally and internally (e.g., 5G monetisation, 6G, AI, Innovation, inorganic growth opportunities, AI-first GSMA etc.). 

• GSMA Intelligence – the only data and insights source built from inside the telecoms industry, delivering trusted forecasts, real-time insights and deep research across the global telecoms ecosystem 

• Strategy Group – convening telecom CSOs to align on industry-level priorities. 

As a small, high-impact team, we work across functions and regions to drive clarity, alignment, and execution against long-term goals. 

About the role  

The Head of Corporate Strategy & Strategy Projects is responsible for developing and driving GSMA’s 3-year strategic roadmap and ensuring disciplined execution against it. 

This role translates Board objectives, sector-level insights, and organisational realities into a clear strategic direction, measurable priorities, and an integrated business planning framework. 

The role leads the Strategy & Business Planning Cycle (SBPC), ensuring a coherent top-down strategic plan that informs bottom-up budgeting and operational execution. 

Key Responsibilities 

Corporate Strategy Development 

• Develop and continuously refine GSMA’s 3-year strategic roadmap.

• Integrate inputs from: Sector Strategy & Foresight / Industry trends, Board priorities, Organisational strengths, weaknesses, and capacity, Current performance baseline (“GSMA today”) 

• Define clear strategic choices, priority areas, and investment themes. 

• Articulate the target state: “GSMA in 3 years”. 

Strategy & Business Planning Cycle (SBPC) 

• Design and run the end-to-end Strategy & Business Planning Cycle.

• Translate strategy into: High-level business plan, High-level operating plan and Clear KPIs and performance metrics 

• Ensure strategy acts as a top-down input to budgeting, aligned with bottom-up financial planning 

• Establish structured review cadences and performance tracking mechanisms 

Executive & Board Engagement 

• Partner closely with the Leadership Team to support high-impact decision-making

• Prepare Board-level strategy papers and presentations 

• Facilitate executive workshops and strategic offsites 

• Provide structured options analysis for major strategic decisions 

Performance & Transformation 

• Establish frameworks to track delivery against strategic goals 

• Identify organisational gaps, capability needs, and structural constraints

• Support cross-functional initiatives that drive transformation and operational effectiveness 

Cross-Functional & Regional Alignment 

• Work closely with regional and functional leaders to embed strategic priorities 

• Ensure alignment between corporate direction and regional realities 

• Act as an integrator across functions to avoid fragmentation and duplication 

• Maintain visibility of interdependencies across strategic initiatives 

 About You 

• Significant experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, or senior strategic leadership roles 

• Strong experience running multi-year strategy cycles and business planning processes 

• Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders and Boards

• Strong financial and commercial acumen

• Exceptional structured problem-solving and analytical skills

• Experience integrating strategy with budgeting and performance management

• High credibility, gravitas, and executive presence 

• Collaborative yet decisive; able to drive alignment in complex environments

• Results-oriented and adaptable in a fast-paced environment 

About Your Skills 

• Communication - with senior executives and Boards, translating complex strategic, financial, and operational issues into clear, concise, and compelling narratives that enable informed decision-making and drive action 

• Agility – in shaping and evolving GSMA’s 3-year strategic roadmap, rapidly responding to changes in Board direction, industry dynamics, and organisational priorities. 

• Influence - across the organisation to embed the Strategy & Business Planning and builds credibility through insight-led recommendations 

• Stakeholder Management - navigates complex stakeholder environments, balancing top-down strategic direction with bottom-up 

We strive to offer a meaningful and inclusive application experience for all candidates. Should you require any accommodations or adjustments due to a disability or for any other reason during the hiring process, please contact talent@gsma.com with your request.