Chief Strategy Officer

Executive Vice President - Chief Strategy Officer

About the company

SBI Card is a leading pure-play credit card issuer in India, offering a wide range of credit cards to cater to diverse customer needs. We are constantly innovating to meet the evolving financial needs of our customers, empowering them with digital currency for seamless payment experience and indulge in rewarding benefits. At SBI Card, the motto 'Make Life Simple' inspires every initiative, ensuring that customer convenience is at the forefront of all that we do. We are committed to building an environment where people can thrive and create a better future for everyone.

SBI Card is proud to be an equal opportunity & inclusive employer and welcome employees without any discrimination on the grounds of race, color, gender, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, caste etc. SBI Card is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees are treated equally with dignity and respect which makes it a promising place to work.

Join us to shape the future of digital payment in India and unlock your full potential.

What’s in it for YOU

1. SBI Card truly lives by the work-life balance philosophy. We offer a robust wellness and wellbeing program to support mental and physical health of our employees.
2. Admirable work deserves to be rewarded. We have a well curated bouquet of rewards and recognition program for the employees.
3. Dynamic, Inclusive and Diverse team culture 
4. Gender Neutral Policy
5. Inclusive Health Benefits for all - Medical Insurance, Personal Accidental, Group Term Life Insurance and Annual Health Checkup, Dental and OPD benefits
6. Commitment to the overall development of an employee through comprehensive learning & development framework

Role Purpose 

This role leads enterprise-wide strategy creation and implementation, business transformation,  organic/inorganic growth initiatives, and cross-functional execution of strategic priorities. The CSO partners closely with other functions to ensure sustainable growth, competitive differentiation, and organizational resilience in rapidly evolving payments and lending ecosystem.

Role Accountability

Drive Business Strategy

1. Lead the annual and multi-year strategic planning process, ensuring alignment with SBI Card’s vision, market trends, and competitive landscape.
2. Translate strategic objectives into actionable business plans and monitor progress to ensure effective execution.
3. Continuously monitor market dynamics, emerging trends, and competitor strategies to proactively identify opportunities and threats for SBI Card.
4. Develop and maintain a robust market intelligence framework to inform and refine strategic decision-making.
5. Govern the Program Management Office (PMO) to ensure on-time, budgeted delivery of strategic initiatives.
6. Facilitate cross-functional alignment on strategic priorities, ensuring all stakeholders are engaged and committed to execution.
7. Build strong relationships with key external partners, regulators, and industry bodies to advance SBI Card’s strategic interests.
8. Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for strategic initiatives, ensuring timely reporting, performance measurement, and course correction as needed.

New Business Initiatives

1. Evaluate organic/inorganic growth opportunities and help implement programs and projects that support SBI Card's vision and medium to long-term plans.
2. Drive enterprise-wide transformation programs including digitization, analytics-driven growth, customer experience, modernization, and cost/productivity initiatives.
3. Identify and assess strategic risks associated with new initiatives, business models, and market entry; develop mitigation plans to ensure informed decision-making.
4. Establish a sustainable incubation/innovation center in SBI Card which can develop market-winning products, resulting in new business lines apart from the credit card business and quality assurance.
5. Partner with business teams to develop a wing-to-wing business development and goto -market strategy for new products/business lines.
6. Work in a "Build-Operate-Transfer" model wherein a successful product/business line is not only developed conceptually but also introduced in the market through a well thought go-to-market strategy execution.
7. Ensure that all such initiatives are implemented with a fast-tracked "Time to Market"

Operational Efficiencies & Business Excellence

1. Drive operational efficiencies across the value chain of the organization through deployment of cutting-edge technology solutions.
2. Design and implement process performance measurement mechanisms to identify process improvement opportunities and quality improvement projects in the organization.
3. Work with functional leaders across the organization to identify high-impact process improvement & simplification opportunities and drive cross-functional project teams to achieve organizational objectives.
4. Develop strategic frameworks on technology enhancements with CIDO and other related vectors to facilitate business transformations.
5. Develop recommendations and make presentations to forums such as the board and/or committees appointed by the board for approvals on strategic decisions and investments required for the programs.

Measures of Success 

1. Completion of annual and multi-year strategic plans within agreed timelines. 
2. % of strategic initiatives delivered on schedule and within budget.
3. Number of strategic priorities successfully cascaded and adopted across business units.
4. % contribution of new initiatives to total revenue.
5. Time-to-market for new product/service launches.
6. % of innovation projects meeting defined success criteria (e.g., adoption, revenue, customer satisfaction).
7. % reduction in operational costs year-over-year.
8. Number of process improvement projects completed.
9. Frequency and quality of market intelligence reports produced.

Qualification 

1. Minimum Graduation or equivalent; Preferably Post Graduate degree/MBA from a premier institute.
2. 20 plus years of experience in BFSI sector, with at least 15 years in senior leadership roles.
3. Experience in consumer lending, credit cards, payments, fintech innovation, or digital ecosystems is highly preferred.
4. Proven track record leading enterprise transformation, large-scale programs, or multi-year strategic initiatives.
5. Experience working with Boards, CXOs, and regulatory stakeholders (e.g., RBI, SEBI, card networks).
6. Familiarity with emerging technologies in digital banking, AI/ML, customer analytics, cloud, and CX transformation.

Experience Level

Executive Level