Director, Corporate Development & Strategic Transactions - Barclaycard Payments - BPL

Purpose of the role

To define strategic group objectives of and internal functions including, financial and business strategy, and mergers and acquisitions.

Accountabilities

• Development and execution of acquisition, disposal and strategic partnership activities, and other strategic transactions on behalf of the Barclays Group, including the identification of potential acquisition targets, building an acquisition pipeline and identifying non-core businesses and/or assets that can sold to generate value through disposal analysis, as well as maintaining an active coverage model with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the financial performance, market position and strategic fit of potential acquisition and partnership targets. Including (but not limited to) detailed valuation, returns, profitability and cost analysis.
• Development of business cases for potential acquisitions, including financial projections, strategic rationale, and synergy assessments.
• Collaboration across departments to develop deal structures that align to the banks objectives to negotiate deals with potential acquisition targets.
• Management and communication of post-merger integration plans and processes, including culture, operations, and systems.
• Identification of industry trends and developments related to M&A tools and techniques by attending conferences, conducting market research, and participating in training.
• Maintain close dialogue to group strategy, understand the firms' ambitions and market commitments, understand equity analyst's expectations on the firms and how acquisition and disposal activity can provide appropriate levers and dials.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

About Barclaycard Payments

Barclays' payments acceptance business provides critical infrastructure to the UK economy, processing billions of pounds of payments annually for both small businesses and domestic and international corporate clients. Barclays and Brookfield Asset Management have entered into a long-term strategic partnership to grow and transform the payments acceptance business by broadening the range of services offered and enhancing the experience for both existing and prospective clients. Barclaycard Payments will combine deep payments experience, extensive client relationships and investment in technology transformation to create a standalone business positioned for long-term growth.

Overall Purpose of Role

The Director, Corporate Development & Strategic Transactions is the senior lead for inorganic growth at Barclaycard Payments, accountable for shaping and delivering the growth agenda through the origination and execution of bolt-on acquisitions, strategic partnerships, minority investments and other complex / structured arrangements. Acting as a trusted adviser to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Board, the role holder owns the end-to-end transaction lifecycle, from pipeline and investment thesis through structuring, diligence, negotiation and completion. They also establish the governance framework, protocols and manage the Barclays Group and Brookfield interlocks needed to transact while Barclaycard Payments is part of the Barclays Group.

Key Accountabilities

Strategy and Origination

• Own the origination and pipeline build of bolt-on acquisition, strategic partnership and minority investment opportunities, aligned to the Barclaycard Payments strategy and Value Creation Plan
• Act as senior adviser to ELT members on the "art of the possible", providing thought leadership on complex partnership and investment arrangements
• Partner with the Strategic Alliances team to design and deliver investment structures that achieve strategic alliance objectives

Transaction Execution

• Lead diligence and structuring for active cases, owning advisor budgets and engagement, and coordinating wider Barclaycard Payments stakeholders
• Act as principal contact point for external counterparties, leading negotiations and working with Barclaycard Payments Legal and external counsel to draft and negotiate key transaction documentation
• Oversee financial modelling, valuation and financial impact analysis to underpin investment cases
• Own the preparation of high-quality materials to facilitate ELT and Board decision making

Governance and Group Interlock

• Engage with and coordinate wider Barclays Group stakeholders to establish and maintain a framework and protocols for acquisitions whilst Barclaycard Payments is part of the Barclays Group
• Coordinate with Barclays Corporate Development, Principal Investments and the Brookfield investment team across the spectrum of M&A opportunities, including the approach to fundraising within the agreed constructs of the Barclays and Brookfield partnership
• Lead and support regulatory engagement projects as required, including regulatory considerations arising from transactions

Stakeholder Management and Leadership

• Build trusted, senior relationships with the BPL ELT and Board, Barclays Group Corporate Development, Barclays Principal Investments, and the Brookfield investment team
• Manage external advisors (including investment banks, legal counsel and financial and commercial due diligence providers) and external counterparties, ensuring value for money and quality of delivery
• Align stakeholders across Finance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Technology and Operations to enable timely, well-governed transaction decisions
• Lead, coach and develop deal team members and virtual transaction teams, role modelling the Barclaycard Payments behaviours

Decision-making and Problem Solving

• Exercise senior commercial judgement on deal prioritisation, valuation, structuring and negotiation trade-offs, making clear go / no-go recommendations to the ELT and Board
• Resolve complex, ambiguous problems spanning commercial, financial, legal, regulatory and Group governance considerations
• Design creative, structured solutions (for example minority stakes, joint ventures and partnership constructs) that balance strategic value, risk and capital considerations
• Operate within delegated authorities and escalate appropriately through BPL and Barclays Group governance

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant M&A, corporate development or principal investing experience gained in investment banking, private equity, corporate development or strategy consulting
• Experience in payments, merchant acquiring, fintech or financial services
• Experience of carve-out, separation or private equity sponsor and portfolio company environments
• Relevant professional qualification (e.g. ACA, CFA or MBA)
• Proven track record of leading complex transactions end-to-end, from origination through to completion
• Strong financial acumen, including valuation, financial modelling and business case development
• Expertise in structuring complex arrangements, including minority investments, joint ventures and strategic partnerships
• Strong negotiation skills and confidence acting as lead counterparty contact
• Excellent executive communication, with experience preparing and presenting Board-level materials
• Experience operating in regulated, matrixed organisations with multiple senior stakeholders