EVP – International Strategy — Machine-Learning Infrastructure Stack

The mandate

An institutionally backed AI enterprise has accumulated international opportunities faster than it has developed criteria for pursuing them. Market entries begin through customer pull, partnership or local leadership enthusiasm, but capital requirements and exit thresholds remain inconsistent. The investment committee has paused further expansion until it receives explicit gates. The EVP – International Strategy will build those gates around a machine-learning infrastructure stack moving from research into product.

The operating context covers approximately CHF 1.1 billion in AI product and services revenue and around 450 employees and material partners across Switzerland, Zurich and the wider region. International choices involve infrastructure economics, data and technology constraints, regulation, customer concentration, partner quality and local talent. A market can appear strategically attractive while lacking a feasible delivery or commercial path for the actual platform.

The task is not to produce a country-ranking presentation. You will define testable entry hypotheses and decide what evidence justifies each stage of commitment. Research-to-product maturity matters: an architecture or evaluation capability that works near its originating team may require different support, partners and controls elsewhere. Capital should follow demonstrated learning, while timely exit protects resources and organisational attention.

Why this seat is open

This is a newly established urgent role because international decisions cannot remain distributed through the research-to-product transition. Interim governance protects current commitments, but one permanent owner is required before expansion resumes. The board plans a six-to-eight-week path from qualified candidates to an offer. The onsite Zurich role supports international relocation and is accountable to the Group Chief Executive or nominated executive committee sponsor.

What you will own

You will create an international investment architecture covering discovery, pilot, entry, scale and exit. Every stage should specify customer evidence, product readiness, regulatory feasibility, delivery capacity, unit economics, partner conditions and capital exposure. Decisions need named sponsors and expiry dates so experiments do not become permanent markets by inertia.

Market diligence must connect external attractiveness with internal capability. You will test the addressable problem, willingness to pay, competitive alternatives, data and infrastructure constraints and route-to-market cost. Technical leaders should validate portability and support requirements. Finance must model downside and exit cost, while risk colleagues assess obligations that could survive withdrawal.

Partnership choices are central. You will distinguish partners that accelerate access or capability from those that merely transfer expense or obscure accountability. Commercial structures should preserve learning, customer ownership and strategic options. Joint milestones and termination conditions belong in the investment case before launch.

The strategy team should act as an evidence and decision function, not a parallel operator. You will allocate analysts and leaders to live market tests, build institutional knowledge and ensure regional executives own execution. Across 450 employees and partners, organisation and talent implications must be visible before capital approval.

The first 12 months

Within 90 days, map existing country commitments, sunk and future capital, customer evidence, product dependencies and exit exposure. Select representative entries for deep review, assess the strategy leadership team and identify decisions being prolonged without evidence. Present the investment committee with a gate framework and recommendations on immediate continue, pause or exit actions.

During months four to nine, apply the framework to active markets and new propositions. Progress the strongest entries, restructure partnerships, stop cases that fail thresholds and demonstrate one capital-efficient learning cycle. Establish an international portfolio review that connects market signals with platform maturity, delivery readiness and people requirements.

By year end, expansion choices should show disciplined entry, explicit partnerships and timely exits. The next capital plan must separate committed obligations from stage-gated options. Provide a three-year international portfolio with scenarios for product delay, regulatory change or weak customer adoption and specify how resources would be redeployed.

What the board will measure

The approved first-year portfolio case should remain within 10% of expected capital and outcome, with variance signalled before formal review. Forecasts across three quarters must reconcile customers, revenue, cash, platform capacity and teams. One recurring source of weak entry discipline should show measurable improvement from a named and verified baseline.

Priority country and partnership risks require closure by board dates plus evidence that remedies persist. The enterprise expects at least 90% retention of critical international and platform talent and ready-now cover for 70% of direct reports. No severe market issue can remain undecided for more than 30 days, and material information must reach governance promptly.

The person

You are an EVP Strategy, International Development Head or CSO with 22–28 years in AI, enterprise software, data infrastructure, cloud, analytics, applied research or a comparable international technology business. You have owned at least CHF 900 million of P&L, budget, book or portfolio and led a minimum of 325 people.

Your record includes market entries and exits made through explicit evidence rather than narrative momentum. You understand research-to-product dependencies and can quantify capital, commercial and operating effects. The board will test a case where you stopped an attractive expansion or changed route after evidence failed. References must distinguish your decision from wider corporate sponsorship.

Compensation and terms

The anticipated package is CHF 320,000–430,000 base plus annual incentive, calibrated to eventual scope and current mix. Longer-term participation, if applicable, follows normal vesting and performance conditions. Notice up to six months is acceptable. The position provides regular access to the group board and its risk and people committees.

Confidentiality

The enterprise, current markets and investment cases remain undisclosed until mutual relevance is confirmed through a confidentiality undertaking. All public scale and operating facts have been rounded and blended.