SVP Chief of Staff - Head of Strategy - Westchester, IL

Why This Role

This is a high-impact leadership role offering direct exposure to executive decision-making and the opportunity to drive meaningful transformation in a dynamic retail environment. The SVP, Chief of Staff, will play a critical role in shaping the future of the organization and accelerating its growth trajectory.

Position Overview

Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer, providing students, faculty, staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools, and retail services needed to successfully support the collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce campus stores across North America.

The Senior Vice President (SVP), Chief of Staff/Head of Strategy, serves as a key strategic partner to the Chief Executive Officer, driving enterprise-wide transformation, strategic planning, and high-impact initiatives across the organization. This role operates at the intersection of strategy, operations, and execution - translating vision into actionable plans that accelerate growth, profitability, and innovation.

The ideal candidate brings a consultative approach, strong enterprise leadership capabilities, and a bias for action, along with experience in strategy, integration, and value creation. This individual thrives in fast-paced, evolving retail environments and demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset to identify and capture new opportunities.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Enterprise Alignment:

• Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team to define, refine, and operationalize enterprise strategy.
• Drive strategic planning cycles, including annual planning, long-range strategy, and scenario modeling.
• Ensure alignment of strategic priorities across merchandising, operations, digital, course materials, and customer experience.

Transformation & Innovation:

• Lead cross-functional transformation initiatives to modernize core business capabilities and unlock growth.
• Identify opportunities to improve business performance through operational optimization, digital innovation, and customer-centric strategies.
• Build and manage transformation roadmaps with clear milestones, KPIs, and value realization metrics.

Chief of Staff Leadership:

• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CEO, providing counsel on critical decisions and enterprise priorities.
• Drive executive cadence (e.g., leadership meetings, board materials, strategic communications), ensuring clarity, focus, and follow-through.
• Act as a connective tissue across the organization, breaking silos and accelerating decision-making.

Consultative Problem Solving:

• Apply structured, hypothesis-driven problem-solving methods to complex business challenges.
• Lead or support high-priority diagnostics, market analyses, and strategic initiatives.
• Bring an external perspective informed by industry trends, competitive insights, and best practices.

Entrepreneurial Growth Mindset:

• Identify and incubate new business models, revenue streams, and go-to-market approaches.
• Foster a culture of innovation, agility, and calculated risk-taking.
• Champion customer-first thinking and emerging retail trends (e.g., omnichannel, personalization, experiential retail).

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 12-15+ years of experience in strategy, consulting, corporate development, or operational leadership roles.
• Experience in top-tier consulting (e.g., McKinsey, BCG, Bain) strongly preferred.
• Proven track record in retail, consumer, or omnichannel environments.
• Demonstrated experience with strategy, diligence, and integration.
• Experience working directly with C-suite executives or boards is highly desirable.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into execution.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including investment and valuation frameworks.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, high-growth environments.
• Consultative, advisor-oriented mindset with high executive presence.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with a bias for innovation and calculated risk-taking.
• Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and results orientation.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics.