VP, Commercial Partnerships

Job Overview:  

The Commercial Partnerships Leader is a senior strategic role, reporting to the Group COO, responsible for developing, implementing, and optimising the company’s partnership strategies across Sports, Gaming and Payments.  

This leader will oversee cross-functional alignment, drive partnership innovation, and ensure that relationships with key partners yield both financial value and strategic advantage. By staying attuned to market trends and competitor activities, the Commercial Partnerships Leader will continuously elevate the organisation’s approach to partnerships. This role requires a forward-thinking leader who can navigate complex negotiations, foster talent within the partnerships team, and represent the company as an industry thought leader. 

 Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership and Innovation: 

• Develop and execute a cohesive commercial partnerships strategy aligned with corporate objectives and product roadmaps, fostering innovation through new partnership models and approaches. 

• Drive process improvements in partnership development and management, ensuring operational efficiency and scalability. 

Market Intelligence and Competitive Benchmarking: 

• Regularly assess competitor and industry trends, incorporating insights and best practices from comparable companies to enhance the company’s partnership strategies and maintain a competitive edge. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration: 

• Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams, including product, commercial, and procurement, to streamline strategy, planning, and processes that enhance partnership outcomes. 

Partner Relationship Management and Expansion: 

• Act as the executive point of contact for major partners, building deep, long-term relationships that drive mutual growth and align with the organization’s goals. 

• Regularly engage with partners to ensure alignment, satisfaction, and mutual benefit, adapting strategies to strengthen alliances over time. 

High-Impact Escalations and Risk Management: 

• Lead efforts to address high-stakes escalations, diplomatically navigating conflicts to preserve strong relationships in the interest of the Group. 

Revenue Optimisation and Commercial Insight: 

• Guide strategic deal-making and negotiations to secure financially beneficial and strategically sound partnerships, identifying and capitalising on opportunities associated with scale.  

Executive Reporting and Communication: 

• Provide regular updates to executive leadership and board members on partnership performance, market insights, and strategic shifts, ensuring alignment and support for major initiatives. 

• Establish and monitor KPIs to evaluate partnership success, ensuring initiatives are data-driven and aligned with organizational goals. 

Talent Development and High-Performance Culture: 

• Foster a high-performance culture within the commercial partnerships team, hiring, mentoring and coaching team members and promoting leadership development to support long-term organisational growth. 

Thought Leadership and Industry Influence: 

• Represent the organisation externally at industry events and forums, positioning the company as a leader the sports betting, entertainment and gaming space. 

Requirements: 

Experience: 

• A minimum of 10 years in commercial partnerships or strategic business development, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity. 

• Proven track record of successfully managing large-scale partnerships, driving growth, and optimizing revenue within the Sports, Gaming, and Payments sectors. 

• Experience in high-level negotiations and managing complex, multi-stakeholder relationships. 

Skills: 

• Exceptional strategic thinking, with the ability to develop and execute long-term partnership strategies aligned with company goals. 

• Strong market intelligence and competitive analysis skills, with a deep understanding of industry trends, competitor activities, and market dynamics. 

• Expertise in partnership innovation and deal structuring, including the ability to create new partnership models that drive financial and strategic value. 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at the executive level. 

• Demonstrated success in managing cross-functional teams and aligning diverse internal functions (e.g., product, commercial, procurement) toward shared partnership objectives. 

• High-level financial acumen, with a solid understanding of revenue optimisation, deal structuring, and commercial metrics. 

Leadership & People Management: 

• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. 

• Experience in managing talent development and creating a high-performance culture within a commercial partnerships team. 

Risk Management & Escalation Handling: 

• Strong conflict resolution skills, with the ability to manage high-stakes escalations and maintain strong partner relationships during challenging situations.