Head of Strategy (Retail bank)

Head of Strategy (Retail Bank) for a growing regional bank. Highly confidential mandate to shape and steer all aspects of strategy in the short term and over the next critical 5-year period.

About the Role

We are partnering with a leading bank in Oman to appoint a Head of Strategy. This role will be responsible for shaping and driving the bank’s long-term strategic agenda, working closely with senior executives to develop, execute, and monitor enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that support growth, transformation, operational excellence, and shareholder value. This is an opportunity for a strategy leader who combines strong strategic thinking with a proven track record of execution within a banking environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the bank’s long-term strategy and annual business planning process
• Translate strategic priorities into measurable initiatives and enterprise-wide action plans
• Drive strategic transformation programmes and monitor progress against key objectives and KPIs
• Prepare executive, board, investor, and rating agency presentations
• Conduct market, competitor, and industry analysis to identify growth opportunities and emerging risks
• Support funding strategy, capital planning, and strategic business cases
• Partner with business, operations, technology, and finance teams to ensure alignment with strategic priorities
• Engage with external stakeholders, including regulators, shareholders, consultants, and strategic partners
• Promote a performance-focused culture through effective planning, governance, and execution management

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Strategy, or a related field
• Prior experience in a full-time strategy/transformation role in a bank is essential
• 8+ years of experience in banking strategy, corporate planning, transformation, or related functions
• Strong experience developing and executing enterprise-wide strategic plans
• Exposure to business performance management, KPI frameworks, and executive reporting
• Experience leading strategic programmes within a banking or financial services environment
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of banking products, operations, and industry dynamics
• Excellent stakeholder management and presentation skills, including board-level exposure

Ideal profiles: A mix of management consulting and in-house banking strategy.

Desired Skills and Experience

Leadership & People Management, Stakeholder Influence & Engagement, Communication & Presentation Skills, Analytical & Critical Thinking, Collaboration & Change Leadership, Strategic Planning & Execution, Financial & Commercial Acumen, Market & Competitive Analysis, Credit Ratings & Investor Relations, Digital & Transformation Strategy

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