Partner & VP, Strategy

Our Partner & VP, Strategy will be an integral part of our leadership at WillowTree. To help retain our deep culture of collaboration both among ourselves and our clients, this role will maintain an in-office presence in a hybrid (Work From Near) capacity. Please indicate which of our available office location(s) you're interested in via the application form below.

Learn more about Work From Near.

WillowTree, a TELUS International Company, is an award-winning digital product consultancy driven by innovation and grounded in strategy and user-centered design. We create long-term partnerships with the world’s leading brands to build and design digital flagship products crucial to our clients’ business needs. We’re a global consultancy with a client list that includes the NBA, Capital One, Mastercard, Charles Schwab, PepsiCo, AB InBev, Marriott, Domino's, and many more. Ultimately we measure ourselves by the outcomes we achieve for our clients. 

In January 2023, WilllowTree was acquired by TELUS International (Symbol: TIXT).  The combined company brings an unparalleled ability to deliver customer service solutions to our clients, including apps, websites, voice experiences, content moderation, AI annotation, and customer experience representatives.

WillowTree has over 1,100 employees, 2022 revenues of $198MM, and has historically grown at 30-50% a year.  Now part of publicly traded TIXT with 2022 revenues of $2.47B, we plan to continue our rapid expansion through servicing our parent TELUS (Symbol: TU) as well as our 650+ combined customers, spanning many of the most recognized brands in the world.

We are looking for a Partner & VP, Strategy to envision and build the next phase of WillowTree’s strategy and advisory practice. Across an ever-growing portfolio of Fortune 500 clients we have the opportunity to play a stronger Trusted Advisor role across all things digital - be it identifying and building new digital products and innovations, to harnessing the latest in MarTech and data science to drive business outcomes. 

This isn’t “strategy for strategy’s sake.” At the end of the day, we make products - not PowerPoints. We enable clients to take action and place informed bets. Supported by a global team of 1,200+ researchers, designers, engineers, data scientists, and marketers, we make strategy real. 

Along the way, you’ll work closely with our firm’s C-Suite to articulate, and deliver, what it takes for WillowTree to win in an ever-competitive digital landscape.

You’re by no means starting from scratch. We have a world-class team of product strategists in place, driving human-centered innovation with many of our largest clients. Recent projects include:

• Setting the digital portfolio strategy for a 130+ year old publishing leader
• Reimagining the business model for a global fitness company
• Creating an engaging, award-winning Super Bowl Halftime Show app, starting from a blank sheet of paper

Opportunities to enhance the practice include developing new frameworks and ways of working, integrating more WillowTree capabilities into our recommendations (e.g., AI/ML), ensuring equal emphasis on business viability and financial modeling, and expanding the conversations where WillowTree credibly serves as a Trusted Advisor.

As the leader of the evolved Strategy practice, you’ll balance your time between select client engagement points and team leadership, business development, and talent acquisition.

What’s in it for the right candidate?

• The intellectual challenge, energy, and excitement that comes with professional services; no 2 days will be alike
• Chance to build something great from the ground up
• Opportunity to see their work create real, tangible value out in the world, beyond just a glossy presentation (i.e., a new product coming to market; clients flexing new capabilities)
• Travel on an as-needed basis, rather than the Monday through Thursday grind 
• Dedicated time for thought leadership
• Chance to flex commercial acumen via pitches and proposals, but with the support of a robust, dedicated commercial enablement team (i.e., we don’t do pitch work in our ‘spare time’)
• Collegial, team-first environment - working amongst a wide variety of disciplines and more than a few former consultants (e.g., Monitor Group; AT Kearney; Deloitte)

• Manage, lead, and evolve the WillowTree Strategy practice - a critical strategic initiative for the firm, with CEO attention
• Build the practice — bring perspective on structure and shape of the team as we invest in and continue to grow it
• Identify new areas and client challenges for WillowTree’s strategic advisory services, and methodical approaches to tackling them
• Tell compelling and inspiring stories through artfully crafted presentations outlining the research, vision, and specific recommendations balanced with business viability and technical feasibility
• Partner with business development to develop proposals, provide estimations, and prepare pitches
• Serve as point of contact and escalation for key client stakeholders
• Evolve the direction of the WillowTree Consulting group, in collaboration with product and marketing leaders across the firm
• Evolve the WillowTree strategy framework, and develop training modules for the strategy team and others across the business (leveraging outside experts as necessary)
• Develop thought leadership on behalf of WillowTree and contribute meaningfully to firm marketing efforts

• Must have extensive consulting experience at a premium management consulting firm leading digital strategy and digital transformation projects for F500 organizations
• Project experience in product and portfolio management, roadmap prioritization, ROI analysis / financial modeling, org design, M&A due diligence, scenario planning, go-to-market strategy and positioning
• Conversant in best practices in loyalty, conversion, segmentation, engagement and retention and the ability to translate to a digital context
• Experience marrying design thinking with business strategy and emerging technologies
• 5+ years of prior management experience, embodying a ‘servant leadership’ mindset and approach, managing a team of strategists and consultants
• Strong storyteller— can direct and lead presentations with senior (C-level) audiences across stakeholders - the CEO, CTO, CMO and CFO 
• Familiarity with the latest advances in marketing technology
• Deep sense of creativity — oftentimes our clients are looking for inspiration and direction — genuine enthusiasm/creativity in coming up with solutions for brands/clients

• MBA or similar advanced business degree
• Past consulting experience in key verticals: financial services, hospitality, consumer goods, and healthcare

We offer a place to be yourself.

Our differences, both visible and invisible, benefit our teams, our communities, and the products we craft. That’s why WillowTree strives to build a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. You’ll work hard here; however, we’ll balance that with a culture that supports your growth and cares about your well-being. We’re committed to creating an environment of inclusion — a place where every Tree can thrive.

We want you to reach your fullest potential and part of your professional development at WillowTree will include dedicated time to innovate on passion projects and an annual stipend to fund your professional pursuits.

WillowTree upholds our core values in every aspect of our work. We promote safe and inclusive work environments and maintain a drug-free workplace. We celebrate our differences and provide equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Diverse teams build better products. We acknowledge that the tech industry especially lacks opportunity for those who are of non-traditional backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. In order to create the best products for everyone, we know that it's important for our team to reflect the diversity of our users, and we are committed to being the change we want to see.