Strategic Advisers (US / UK – part-time)
Summary
At Collingwood, our Strategic Advisers work directly with founders, CEOs and Boards of high-growth B2B media businesses to shape strategy, unlock growth and build lasting value. Acting as trusted partners, they bring deep expertise in strategy, governance and performance to help clients identify opportunities, overcome challenges and deliver measurable results. This is your opportunity to use your leadership experience as a CEO, MD or entrepreneur to help ambitious businesses unlock their potential—delivering real impact while working part-time and flexibly. We are especially keen to speak to US-based specialists in Business Information or Subscriptions, or B2B Events, and a UK-based expert in demand generation and digital media. If you’re ready to combine independence with influence, and support some of the most exciting businesses in the industry, we’d love to hear from you.
What is the role?
Our Strategic Advisers take the lead on engagements with Collingwood clients, with owners, CEOs and the Board on strategy and value creation, ensuring all programmes are aligned with overall strategy and value creation objectives and delivering to agreed client outcomes.
In the simplest terms, the Strategic Adviser’s purpose is to identify how our client should increase the value of their business and then help ensure that value is created by providing objective oversight and impactful advice. You are there to:
- Give strategic guidance, specifically related to value creation;
- Monitor performance, identifying blockers to and opportunities for value creation;
- Embed governance, which is a key driver of value.
Role responsibilities
Client Delivery
- Give consistent, impactful advice to clients, in line with Collingwood’s best practice IP and methodologies, on company strategy and value creation
- Embed good governance and help leadership teams to drive business performance
- Ensure all Collingwood programmes are delivering in an integrated, joined-up way across the breadth of the engagement, ensuring clear communication across all workstreams, managing and highlighting interdependencies, risks and issues
- Lead all resources that form part of the engagement team in delivering a high-quality engagement that achieves the client’s objectives, enhances Collingwood’s reputation for expertise and client service, contributes to company IP, and delivers to revenue and margin commitments
Thought leadership
- Regularly contribute to Collingwood’s IP and programme delivery, identifying new opportunities for Collingwood thought leadership
- Take an active role in the entrepreneurial community, contributing to discussions in the Media Entrepreneur Meetup and other relevant networks
Leadership and collaboration
- Ensure our programmes align with the client’s value creation journey
- Collaborate with other advisers (internal and external) to ensure all programmes are delivered on target and maximise value creation for the client
- Attend regular programme meetings to ensure all advice is aligned
- Provide clear briefs and regular updates to the wider delivery team
- Build effective, trusted and collegiate working relationships with colleagues, clients and stakeholders, in line with Collingwood values and culture
About you
Essential
- Previous CEO or MD roles, managing £10m+ P&L, or
- Have been a successful entrepreneur who has scaled a media business to exit
- Have deep knowledge of one or more of; events, digital media, marketing services, memberships, or subscription based business models
- Mature, confident: able to work with complex group dynamics and get clients to change
- Integrated skillset: able to build a plan around words and numbers, ability to brief on, develop, edit and critique strategic plans
- Understanding of requirements for Board papers and strategy documents
- Detailed timeline and action planning
- Ability to set up assumptions and adapt budgeting and forecasting templates; rational, tested approach to forecasting
- Ability to help clients set up relevant KPI Reports and identify North Star measurements
- Ability to form and test hypotheses about potential changes
- Ability to identify unforeseen challenges and help clients to adapt
- IT literate
- Highly organised
Attributes
- Proactive communicator; humility, empathy, listening skills
- Persuasive and supportive; collegiate and respectful
- Team worker who shares potential problems with colleagues to find better solutions