Senior Director Corporate Development
About the Job
Reporting to the head of Corporate Development; the Senior Director, Corporate Development is responsible for effective strategic execution in support of the Enterprise and Carrier Division.
You will act as a trusted advisor to the Division’s leadership team in:
(i) Developing strategy
(ii) Working with the appropriate business stakeholders to define, assess, champion and quarterback execution of strategic partnerships and transactions, including acquisitions, strategic investments, divestitures, and other complex transactions
(iii) Ensure continuity and achievement of project objectives through strategy development, transaction execution, and integration.
You must possess extraordinary leadership skills, as you will lead large, complex teams through often ambiguous and rapidly moving situations. You must exhibit strong interpersonal and communication skills in collaborating with and influencing key business leadership and technology thought-leaders, as you drive ideas to outcomes. This will require experience, as well as transparency and alignment across a diverse range of stakeholders.
To be successful with this division, you must demonstrate strong domain knowledge of the Enterprise Security and Networking markets --- ideally with a deep understanding of cloud technologies and companies. You will be expected to already have durable relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, bankers and other key stakeholders in these segments, as well as the ability to build more ecosystem relationships. The ability to influence third parties effectively is essential to success. You must have a strong bias towards action, exhibiting aggressiveness and constantly questioning the status quo to champion the best commercial moves with intensity, speed and passion.
The Senior Director must combine keen commercial instincts with the ability to comfortably grasp and converse about complex technical concepts---- in other words, you are equally adept with high level strategy and “getting into the weeds” on product. In fulfilling this role, the Senior Director must thoroughly understand Akamai’s overall business and vision, the key product directions of our Enterprise and Carrier Division, as well as our partnering strategies.
Finally, the Senior Director will recommend transactions for execution. This will entail completing strategic analyses of different ecosystems to evaluate new business opportunities, conducting due diligence on specific companies to confirm the acquisition business case, creating financial and valuation models, proposing suitable deal structures, negotiating and executing deals, planning integration with the integration management lead, , and collaborating with business leaders to integrate the business.
About the Team
Akamai’s Corporate Development team is responsible for driving strategic focus, executing on the Company’s acquisition and strategic investment strategies, leading integrations, and enhancing our innovation capabilities. The team works closely with Akamai’s senior executives, and Division and Business unit leadership in executing on the Company’s vision.
Responsibilities
• Collaborate primarily with Division and business unit leadership and other key team members to align strategic priorities to inorganic execution ideas, exercising judgment to determine the best ideas for execution, and driving to closure. Done well, you will understand BU strategies and priorities as well as any professional on their teams, develop a strong point of view regarding how the external company landscape maps to priorities, thereby becoming THE go-to person to make things happen. You will also work on ideas which cross-BU areas or greenfield businesses;
• Build our external partner interaction. You will focus on nurturing relationships, which have a bearing on our key strategic priorities, primarily key external stakeholders in the enterprise security, enterprise networking and carrier ecosystems such as with entrepreneurs, VCs, bankers and other relevant players. The emphasis will be less on building the ecosystem, and more on using good judgment to determine which players have the highest degree of relevance to your priorities;
• Execute on all aspects of our acquisitions strategy, including:
o (i) proactively identifying and targeting potential new acquisition opportunities linked to our key strategic priorities
o (ii) leading cross-functional teams to conduct thorough evaluations of new opportunities
o (iii) narrowing the range of possibilities to a concrete recommendation (including context-setting, rationale and valuation);
• Quarterback every key aspect of driving a deal through consummation; provide the drive, passion, enthusiasm, and focus to advocate the right deal, and push hard to get it done;
• Frame and lead due diligence activities primarily on proving (or disproving) our acquisition hypotheses (in conjunction with other Akamai team members) including:
o (i) managing our external and internal deal teams
o (ii) driving the evaluation process and timeline
o (iii) proposing timely recommendations acquisition consideration based on thorough and complete technical and commercial reviews. Your work product will form the basis for a structured discussion at the Executive Leadership and board levels;
• Lead a transaction execution team to develop effective deal structure, risk mitigation and negotiating strategies and ensure alignment with Akamai objectives, legal and financial advisors (if any) and functional management;
• Lead the negotiation process including agreement on key terms and execution of legal agreements;
• Communicate status of negotiations with key internal stakeholders on a timely basis, including preparation of opportunity assessments and summaries for executive or board-level audiences (in conjunction with the Legal function);
• Partner with integration and business leadership to define key milestones required for a successful integration. Regularly review and monitor Akamai' s acquired companies performance versus defined value drivers by keeping abreast of developments regarding the integrated business. This individual will feel a sense of ownership and accountability to the deals he or she executes.
• Assist in the coaching and development of junior team members.
Reporting to the head of Corporate Development; the Senior Director, Corporate Development is responsible for effective strategic execution in support of the Enterprise and Carrier Division.
You will act as a trusted advisor to the Division’s leadership team in:
(i) Developing strategy
(ii) Working with the appropriate business stakeholders to define, assess, champion and quarterback execution of strategic partnerships and transactions, including acquisitions, strategic investments, divestitures, and other complex transactions
(iii) Ensure continuity and achievement of project objectives through strategy development, transaction execution, and integration.
You must possess extraordinary leadership skills, as you will lead large, complex teams through often ambiguous and rapidly moving situations. You must exhibit strong interpersonal and communication skills in collaborating with and influencing key business leadership and technology thought-leaders, as you drive ideas to outcomes. This will require experience, as well as transparency and alignment across a diverse range of stakeholders.
To be successful with this division, you must demonstrate strong domain knowledge of the Enterprise Security and Networking markets --- ideally with a deep understanding of cloud technologies and companies. You will be expected to already have durable relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, bankers and other key stakeholders in these segments, as well as the ability to build more ecosystem relationships. The ability to influence third parties effectively is essential to success. You must have a strong bias towards action, exhibiting aggressiveness and constantly questioning the status quo to champion the best commercial moves with intensity, speed and passion.
The Senior Director must combine keen commercial instincts with the ability to comfortably grasp and converse about complex technical concepts---- in other words, you are equally adept with high level strategy and “getting into the weeds” on product. In fulfilling this role, the Senior Director must thoroughly understand Akamai’s overall business and vision, the key product directions of our Enterprise and Carrier Division, as well as our partnering strategies.
Finally, the Senior Director will recommend transactions for execution. This will entail completing strategic analyses of different ecosystems to evaluate new business opportunities, conducting due diligence on specific companies to confirm the acquisition business case, creating financial and valuation models, proposing suitable deal structures, negotiating and executing deals, planning integration with the integration management lead, , and collaborating with business leaders to integrate the business.
About the Team
Akamai’s Corporate Development team is responsible for driving strategic focus, executing on the Company’s acquisition and strategic investment strategies, leading integrations, and enhancing our innovation capabilities. The team works closely with Akamai’s senior executives, and Division and Business unit leadership in executing on the Company’s vision.
Responsibilities
• Collaborate primarily with Division and business unit leadership and other key team members to align strategic priorities to inorganic execution ideas, exercising judgment to determine the best ideas for execution, and driving to closure. Done well, you will understand BU strategies and priorities as well as any professional on their teams, develop a strong point of view regarding how the external company landscape maps to priorities, thereby becoming THE go-to person to make things happen. You will also work on ideas which cross-BU areas or greenfield businesses;
• Build our external partner interaction. You will focus on nurturing relationships, which have a bearing on our key strategic priorities, primarily key external stakeholders in the enterprise security, enterprise networking and carrier ecosystems such as with entrepreneurs, VCs, bankers and other relevant players. The emphasis will be less on building the ecosystem, and more on using good judgment to determine which players have the highest degree of relevance to your priorities;
• Execute on all aspects of our acquisitions strategy, including:
o (i) proactively identifying and targeting potential new acquisition opportunities linked to our key strategic priorities
o (ii) leading cross-functional teams to conduct thorough evaluations of new opportunities
o (iii) narrowing the range of possibilities to a concrete recommendation (including context-setting, rationale and valuation);
• Quarterback every key aspect of driving a deal through consummation; provide the drive, passion, enthusiasm, and focus to advocate the right deal, and push hard to get it done;
• Frame and lead due diligence activities primarily on proving (or disproving) our acquisition hypotheses (in conjunction with other Akamai team members) including:
o (i) managing our external and internal deal teams
o (ii) driving the evaluation process and timeline
o (iii) proposing timely recommendations acquisition consideration based on thorough and complete technical and commercial reviews. Your work product will form the basis for a structured discussion at the Executive Leadership and board levels;
• Lead a transaction execution team to develop effective deal structure, risk mitigation and negotiating strategies and ensure alignment with Akamai objectives, legal and financial advisors (if any) and functional management;
• Lead the negotiation process including agreement on key terms and execution of legal agreements;
• Communicate status of negotiations with key internal stakeholders on a timely basis, including preparation of opportunity assessments and summaries for executive or board-level audiences (in conjunction with the Legal function);
• Partner with integration and business leadership to define key milestones required for a successful integration. Regularly review and monitor Akamai' s acquired companies performance versus defined value drivers by keeping abreast of developments regarding the integrated business. This individual will feel a sense of ownership and accountability to the deals he or she executes.
• Assist in the coaching and development of junior team members.
Basic Qualifications
• Education: BA/BS degree, MBA and/or an advanced technical degree is a plus
• Minimum of 12 years of professional experience; with a strong preference of combined experience within M&A, Corporate Development, Business Development and or/Product Management at a respected enterprise software company.
• 8+ years of M&A experience within all the critical phases of moving a strategic idea from inception through a consummated acquisition, and must have played a hands-on role in managing each of those phases.
• 3+ years of experience in Corporate Development
• 3+ years combined experience with Enterprise Security and Networking, ideally with strong domain knowledge of the Cloud
Desired Qualifications
• The candidate must have an instinct for what makes companies great and finding them, the ability to comprehend businesses quickly and communicating clear summary information to executive and business leaders; demonstrated ability with the fundamentals of strategic/business analysis, financial statement analysis and financial/valuation modeling skills to effectively evaluate opportunities
• In these roles, the candidate will have a demonstrated track record in leading or advising in the strategic build-out of an emerging business via the diversification of its portfolio of solutions and/or building out its go-to-market capabilities non-organically.
• Several years of Cloud-relevant experience and/or prior background in a top tier venture capital, investment banking, or strategy consulting firm focused on enterprise software is a major plus.
• The candidate must have a track record for the successful consummation of acquisitions, be able to articulate the strategy behind the deals and present a convincing analysis of a deal’s successes or failures.
• Extraordinary written and verbal communication skills, a self-starter, creative, poised and polished
• Strong organizational skills: The individual must be a leader who has demonstrated the ability to influence peers and more senior leaders, command resources out of his or her direct control, lead using strong project management skills and tools, and operate with an innate ability to work independently across multiple Business Units and Corporate groups with a keen eye for the trade-offs between conflicting priorities;
• Strong advocacy and negotiation skills with the ability to translate advocacy skill into getting stuff done: drive complex process; get people aligned around actionable plans; work with passion and intensity; never take short-cuts; treat money invested in an acquisition as if it is your own;
• Ability to lead teams in operationalizing programs, to ensure the ability to scale efforts;
• Flexible and adaptable to time sensitive situations and work in a high pressure environment.
Other Information
* Is relocation available for this position: No
* Is US Citizenship required: No
* Is a Security Clearance Required: No
If yes, applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation & must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information
• Education: BA/BS degree, MBA and/or an advanced technical degree is a plus
• Minimum of 12 years of professional experience; with a strong preference of combined experience within M&A, Corporate Development, Business Development and or/Product Management at a respected enterprise software company.
• 8+ years of M&A experience within all the critical phases of moving a strategic idea from inception through a consummated acquisition, and must have played a hands-on role in managing each of those phases.
• 3+ years of experience in Corporate Development
• 3+ years combined experience with Enterprise Security and Networking, ideally with strong domain knowledge of the Cloud
Desired Qualifications
• The candidate must have an instinct for what makes companies great and finding them, the ability to comprehend businesses quickly and communicating clear summary information to executive and business leaders; demonstrated ability with the fundamentals of strategic/business analysis, financial statement analysis and financial/valuation modeling skills to effectively evaluate opportunities
• In these roles, the candidate will have a demonstrated track record in leading or advising in the strategic build-out of an emerging business via the diversification of its portfolio of solutions and/or building out its go-to-market capabilities non-organically.
• Several years of Cloud-relevant experience and/or prior background in a top tier venture capital, investment banking, or strategy consulting firm focused on enterprise software is a major plus.
• The candidate must have a track record for the successful consummation of acquisitions, be able to articulate the strategy behind the deals and present a convincing analysis of a deal’s successes or failures.
• Extraordinary written and verbal communication skills, a self-starter, creative, poised and polished
• Strong organizational skills: The individual must be a leader who has demonstrated the ability to influence peers and more senior leaders, command resources out of his or her direct control, lead using strong project management skills and tools, and operate with an innate ability to work independently across multiple Business Units and Corporate groups with a keen eye for the trade-offs between conflicting priorities;
• Strong advocacy and negotiation skills with the ability to translate advocacy skill into getting stuff done: drive complex process; get people aligned around actionable plans; work with passion and intensity; never take short-cuts; treat money invested in an acquisition as if it is your own;
• Ability to lead teams in operationalizing programs, to ensure the ability to scale efforts;
• Flexible and adaptable to time sensitive situations and work in a high pressure environment.
Other Information
* Is relocation available for this position: No
* Is US Citizenship required: No
* Is a Security Clearance Required: No
If yes, applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation & must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information
Akamai Technologies is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer that values the strength that diversity brings to the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.
About Akamai Technologies
Akamai is the global leader in Content Delivery Network (CDN) services, making the Internet business ready—fast, reliable, and secure—for its customers. The company's advanced web performance, mobile performance, cloud security and media delivery solutions are revolutionizing how businesses optimize consumer, enterprise and entertainment experiences for any device, anywhere. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Akamai has offices around the world and operates the most pervasive, highly distributed CDN—with more than 200,000 servers in 110 or more countries—delivering up to 30% of all Web traffic. Learn more at www.akamai.com/careers.
Akamai is a growing, and evolving, company with offices and operations around the world. As such, we strive to foster inclusive and representative workplaces where all employees are wholly welcome, and enabled to share and benefit from each other’s diverse contributions, as one global team. Our commitment to diversity reaches beyond our corporate offices, to our business partners and suppliers who share the same principles, and whose employees we value as integral to the Akamai business family. Learn more at www.akamai.com/diversity.
Akamai Technologies is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer that values the strength that diversity brings to the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status. EEO is the Law.