Director of Strategy ACE (Playfly)

Access Executive Development Program Overview:

Access is seeking outstanding candidates for its Access Creating Executives Program (“ACE Program”). The position provides hands-on experience and exposure to key operational best practices and tactics of Access’ portfolio strategy execution.

Candidates (“ACEs”) join the ACE Program as senior team members of an Access portfolio company, directly supporting and reporting to C-Suite executives in key operational functions including Finance, M&A / Strategy, Development and Marketing. ACEs are expected to improve, execute, and document best practices within the key roles, developing a meaningful operational skillset.

ACEs will attend and participate in Access networking events, training sessions, and summits with other executives and ACEs across the Access portfolio. ACEs will work with Access to build skillsets, report out to other ACEs, develop playbooks, and provide insights to executives where appropriate. They will leverage key learnings across the current and future portfolio, while also driving projects and new investment opportunities. Top performers will have career path opportunities within their respective portfolio company and/or across other areas of the Access Holdings ecosystem.

Company Detail:

Company: Playfly Sports

Industry: Sports marketing and media

Location: Suburban Philadelphia

Playfly Sports is the sport’s industry leading revenue maximization company engaging with sports fans on a local, regional, and national level through scaled linear, digital, and experiential assets. Playfly Sports drives outcome-based solutions into 90-million households via more than 7,800 live U.S. broadcasts of MLB, NBA, and NHL games; and influences sports fans of all ages through the management of college and high school multimedia rights, uniform branding, and high-profile sports sponsorship platforms. Playfly Sports has the unique ability to partner, innovate, and advance the aspirations of athletes, brands, academic institutions, and sports fans across the U.S.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Strategy will lead the Company’s corporate strategy function and be a strategic partner to the Company’s executive team.  This role will have a creative, entrepreneurial vision focused on driving operational improvements and change, leading cross-functional workstreams, assisting the executive team to accelerate both organic and M&A focused growth initiatives, and investigating new service offerings.  This role is primarily responsible for leading financial analyses, as well as business plan development, strategic road mapping and planning efforts to support the above.  The Director of Strategy will report directly to the Executive Chairman and also be a participant in the Access Creating Executives (“ACE”) Program sponsored by Access Holdings.

Strategy, Planning and Management:

• Join as a junior executive within the portfolio company
• Pivotal participant in critical decision assessments as they relate to strategic initiatives, investment theses, and operational models.
• Work closely with the Executive Chairman as well as the Chief Strategy Officer, CEO, and Executive team to define, develop and manage strategic company-wide initiatives, forming new internal strategies, and driving consensus around key corporate goals.
• Partner with Chairman on new projects , businesses and M&A categories
• Drive decision-making, program management, prioritization, and initiative implementation for external partners and board to deliver business impact.
• Provide insight and recommendations to both the short-term and long- term growth plans of the organization.

Financial Analysis and Forecasting:

• Understand key drivers of revenue and margin expansion; evaluate and recommend key initiatives based on these drivers
• Review and analyze monthly financial results and provide recommendations for performance improvement.
• Develop, prepare, and present financial and operational dashboards, by division, that compare key performance indicators to stated budget and historical benchmarks.
• Assist and support financial and operational initiatives and related analyses.

Corporate Development:

• Support the Company’s M&A and RFP initiatives through financial analysis, projections, and return on capital analyses.
• Support, manage and lead due diligence efforts for new platform acquisitions and add-on acquisitions to existing platforms.
• Lead the development of due diligence reports and investment committee presentations.
• Conduct rigorous integration and synergies planning and execution with guidance from the executive leadership.
• Work directly with Access to leverage best practices across other portfolio companies
• Attend ACE training, social, and networking events

Qualifications and Characteristics

Successful candidates will have the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Strong analytical and corporate finance skill set.
• Experience in investment banking, financial consulting, M&A advisory, and/or the FP&A division of a large organization.
• Experience performing financial analysis and financial modeling, ideally for multi-unit operations with high velocity of M&A and/or organic expansion activity.
• Knowledge of capital structure with experience working with multiple levels of the capital structure and a leveraged balance sheet.
• Passionate about developing financial plans and communicating results and recommendations.
• Knowledge of and experience working with ERP and business intelligence systems such as NetSuite, Intacct, Power BI, and Tableau. Experience working with SQL is a plus.
• Exceptional track record of producing quantitative analysis and utilizing the results for measurement and planning within a dynamic environment.
• Outstanding written and interpersonal communication skills; ability to synthesize and convey complex business concepts effectively.
• Self-starter comfortable working with autonomy and can successfully prioritize and manage multiple assignments.
• Fast learner with a desire to move with urgency, accountability, and intent.
• Strong emotional intelligence and the ability to quickly build internal and external relationships.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment.
• Low ego individual with a collaborative and convening work style.

Requirements

• MBA from top business school (preferred)
• Experience working in private equity-backed, or investment banking environment is a plus
• 4+ years total accounting and / or finance experience
• Willingness and ability to work out of Philadelphia and to frequently travel to business unit operations as required.
• Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship now or in the future