Help Me Choose a Job Title
Got a new job and can choose my title - Head of Corporate Development or Head of Strategic Finance. Which one do you think is more marketable? For what it’s worth, involved in all strategy decisions for the company as well as running M&A. Company is ~100M in revenue.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some insights to help you decide between the titles "Head of Corporate Development" and "Head of Strategic Finance":
Head of Corporate Development
Head of Strategic Finance
Considerations
Conclusion
Given your involvement in all strategy decisions and running M&A, "Head of Corporate Development" might be more marketable if you want to emphasize your deal-making expertise. However, if you want to highlight your broader strategic and financial planning skills, "Head of Strategic Finance" could be the better choice.
For more detailed discussions and advice, you might want to check out the relevant threads on Wall Street Oasis.
Sources: Guide to Corporate Finance Job titles- distinguishing between accounting and finance, Corporate Strategy vs Corporate Development, Guide to Corporate Finance Job titles- distinguishing between accounting and finance, Strategic finance?, Best Headhunting Shops ?
I think Head of Corp Dev sounds like it leads to CFO more directly than Head of Strat. Maybe choose based on if you only did corp dev or only strat for the next 5 years, or could you suggest Head of Finance? It sounds like a great role, congrats on the new job.
So this is interesting because I would argue the opposite. I think Head of Strategic Finance sounds like a more likely title to lead to CFO clout. Interested to hear others thoughts as well.
Bumpity bump bump
Go straight to C suite
Chief Corporate Development Officer
How about you take a page out of the old "college douchebag's handbook to make yourself sound extra super important" and take the title "Chief Elite Senior Executive Viceroy of Strategic M&A"
In all seriousness- head of Corp Dev (or VP, Corp Dev) is the most marketable in my opinion. Strategic finance is more of a black box and sounds like a special projects role for an ex-consultant, and would make me wonder exactly what you do. Calling it Corp Dev tells me exactly what you do and makes it easy.
What "level" would you actually be at? More specifically, if you did this for 2-3 years and then were looking to jump to another company, what title could you get there? For example, if you are currently a Sr. Analyst and are jumping to this small company, I'd take the title "head of Corp Dev" or mayyybe "director, Corp Dev" but not anything more fancy. If your resume shows that you went from Sr. Analyst immediately to VP, I am going to assume you are puffing everything up. Future interviewers are not as gullible as some people think they are.
Bottom line- I'd take a title that shows you got one (maybe two) promotions, and is the same title you could realistically land in 2-3 years. If you are a manager now, take the title of Director. If you're a director now, then VP. Whomever interviews you in the future will obviously know the industry and will not be fooled- any title puffery will play against you and will only impress the clueless
Some good points in here - thank you.
More background - mid 30s, former investment banker (4 YoE) that left at VP role to work for a client. Started career in trading before jumping to IB at associate level post T-15 MBA.
Long term more interested in CEO or COO over CFO.
Helpful- your background gives you the credibility to take most titles. Does this company have regular titles (like Manager, Director, VP)? What are the titles of your peers? Personally I'd shoot for something like "VP, Corporate Development and Strategy". Maybe SVP.
Agree with Corp Dev
Even if goal is CEO/COO and not CFO?
Sounds like a great role, congratulations.
Mind sharing what your comp looks like?
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