Separation Management Office Lead
Job Description
Role: Separation Management Office Lead Level: Senior Manager Location: London (with travel as required) Role Overview We are seeking a highly experienced Separation Management Office (SMO) Lead to join our newly established Transformation Office within the Strategy & Consulting division. This individual sits at the intersection of M&A and Enterprise Transformation, driving successful separations across some of the largest global transactions. The SMO Lead will possess a deep understanding of the full M&A lifecycle and will engage directly with C-suite and Board-level stakeholders on both buy-side and sell-side mandates. They will bring hands-on experience across diligence, separation planning, TSA drafting and negotiation, Day 1 and Day 100 readiness, and full SMO delivery leadership. Platform experience in SAP, Oracle and/or Workday is desirable. Key Responsibilities 1. Separation Management Office Leadership- Lead the SMO on large-scale transactions, providing end-to-end programme governance across all separation workstreams
- Own integrated planning, critical path management, and interdependency tracking across Technology, Data, Finance, HR, Legal, and Commercial workstreams
- Define and manage programme tooling and establish reporting cadences for senior stakeholders
- Own the RAID log, escalation protocols, and risk management framework throughout the separation lifecycle
- Lead Value Management and Definition activities, including benefits realisation tracking and value leakage prevention
- Carry end-to-end accountability for the successful separation of a divesting entity, from signing through to TSA exit
- Act as the primary client relationship owner, maintaining senior-level trust across both RemainCo and NewCo leadership
- Lead cutover planning, go/no-go governance, and Day 1 readiness tracking across all workstreams
- Define and execute the post-close stabilisation plan through to steady-state operations
- Manage hypercare period governance and issue resolution to ensure continuity of business operations
- Work with senior leaders on both buy and sell side to develop and cost separation approach options, including assessment of technical architecture alternatives
- Identify and quantify stranded costs for RemainCo; develop and track the stranded cost elimination plan
- Support the development of auditable carve-out P&Ls and standalone cost models for diligence and separation budgeting purposes
- Develop the integrated separation plan across all aspects of the deal, with particular specialism in:
- Technology: application landscape separation, infrastructure decommission, network and identity management
- Data: data boundary definition, data migration planning and execution, data cleansing and quality
- Business Readiness: operational cutover, change management, and employee communications
- Lead the development of Technology and Data Transition Service Agreements (TSAs)
- Provide knowledgeable advice on negotiation approach, cost modelling, and exit planning for TSA workstreams
- Manage TSA governance post-close, tracking delivery obligations and exit milestones
- Contribute to the development of the M&A practice through creation of offerings, playbooks, tools, and accelerators
- Support origination and proposal development, including responding to RFPs and shaping new opportunities
- Build and maintain senior client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor beyond the immediate transaction
- Mentor and develop junior team members, contributing to a high-performance separation delivery community
- Lead commercial and/or technical diligence to support clients in the assessment of a target asset
- Provide rapid assessment of separation complexity, TSA requirements, and standalone cost estimates to inform deal valuation
- C-suite and Board: CDIO, CFO, CEO, on both RemainCo and NewCo sides
- PE Sponsors: reporting into deal teams, supporting sponsor-level decision-making
- Third-Party Vendors & System Integrators: managing delivery obligations during separation
- Functional Workstream Leads: Technology, Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement, Commercial
- Significant experience leading separation programmes as an SMO or IMO Lead on large-scale M&A transactions
- Demonstrable experience across the full deal lifecycle: diligence, separation planning, TSA management, Day 1 readiness, and post-close stabilisation
- Deep expertise in technology and data separation, including network, application, and identity workstreams
- Track record of managing stranded costs, carve-out financials, and standalone cost modelling
- Strong executive presence with the ability to advise and influence C-suite stakeholders
- Experience on both buy-side and sell-side mandates across corporate and PE-backed transactions
- Platform experience in one or more of: SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC, Oracle ERP, Workday
- Experience across deal types including spin-offs, JV dissolutions, partial divestments, and IPO carve-out readiness
- Exposure to cyber and network separation
- Experience working with PE sponsors (e.g. Blackstone, KKR, HG Capital) or investment banks in a deal advisory capacity
- Experience leading NewCo establishment activities, including legal entity design and contract novation
- Corporate divestitures and carve-outs
- Private equity-backed separations and portfolio company transformation
- Spin-offs and demergers
- Joint venture dissolutions
- Partial divestments and asset sales
- Dual-track processes (IPO / trade sale)
- IPO carve-out readiness
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