VP Group Strategy and Corporate Development

Collinson is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence. The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million consumers.

Collinson is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of 1,500+ lounges and travel experiences, including dining, retail, sleep and spa, in over 650 airports in 148 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special. We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide.

We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception – from launching the first independent global VIP lounge access Programme, Priority Pass to being the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and creating the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences.

Key clients include Mastercard, American Express, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, LATAM, Flying Blue, Accor, EasyJet, HSBC, Chase, HDFC.

Our mission is focused on doing good beyond profit, which for us means we seek out opportunities for our people to share in our success and that we give back to the communities and people within which we work.

Never short of ambition, the success of our business is delivered through the diverse and talented team of over 2,200 global colleagues.

Purpose of the Role

This is a high-impact role at the centre of how we shape and deliver Group-wide corporate strategy. You will be a key contributor to the business planning cycle, build a pipeline of investment opportunities, support M&A activity end-to-end, and lead strategic projects across the Group.

You will work closely with the SVP and with senior leaders across the business, combining analytical rigour with clear commercial judgement to drive decisions that matter.

Key Responsibilities

Lead M&A activity. Own end-to-end M&A processes, from sourcing and financial analysis through due diligence, negotiations, and close. You will build robust valuation models, conduct risk assessments, and translate complex analysis into clear, well-reasoned strategic recommendations.

Drive strategic analysis. Coordinate input from advisers and colleagues across the business to support live transactions and Group strategy development. Conduct market, competitor, and financial analysis that informs how we grow and where we invest.

Communicate with impact. Prepare clear, well-structured Board and senior management papers and presentations on strategic activity. Define KPIs that measure the success of initiatives and help the business track progress over time.

Shape our strategic direction. Analyse market trends, industry dynamics, and competitor activity to keep our strategic thinking current and well-grounded. You will be a trusted thought partner to senior leaders as we plan for the future.

Key Skills and Strengths

Strategic and analytical thinking: turns complex data into clear, practical recommendations.

M&A and financial modelling: investment cases, synergy models, valuation, and due diligence management.

Communication: Board-quality written papers and executive presentations.

Project management: manages multi-workstream processes with many stakeholders.

Relationship building: builds trust and strong networks across a complex organisation.

Intellectual curiosity: creative and flexible thinker who thrives in ambiguous environments.

Experience

We are looking for someone with a strong track record in strategy consulting or a corporate strategy function. You will bring substantial experience across the M&A lifecycle, including investment and synergy modelling, developing investment cases, managing due diligence, and presenting findings to senior audiences.

You will be skilled at drafting long-form Board papers and at communicating complex ideas clearly and accessibly to a range of stakeholders. You are comfortable working in a fast-paced, international environment and know how to build effective working relationships at all levels.

A degree in finance, business, or a related subject is an advantage, as is experience in the travel sector or in a global business. We care far more about what you have achieved and how you work than about the specific path you have taken to get here.

Collinson is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes differences in all their forms including: colour, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, family status, age, individuals with disabilities and people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences as we strongly believe this contributes to our on-going success.

We are focused on continually evolving our purpose driven, high performing culture, providing an environment where our people have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and do interesting and meaningful work. Our company values are: Take Action, Do the right thing, One team and Be insight led. These help guide everything we do internally in terms of how we think, act and interact, right through to how we deliver value to our customers and clients.

In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).

If you need any extra support throughout the interview process, then please email us at [email protected]