Regional Head of IT Business Engagement - North America

About the Role and Company

Pacific International is a globally esteemed executive search firm partnering exclusively with Gategroup, the world's foremost inflight catering and hospitality provider headquartered in Zurich, operating across 60+ countries with 40,000+ employees. They seek a Regional Head of IT Business Engagement for North America to spearhead IT-business alignment, strategy advancement, and service delivery excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the North American IT regional team to implement approved IT roadmaps and oversee the roll-out of IT solutions across the organization and client base.
• Guarantee smooth operation and delivery of IT services including support, infrastructure management, and application upkeep in alignment with regional and corporate goals.
• Serve as the critical point of escalation between IT and business functions; manage third-party vendors ensuring solution compliance with company policies.
• Collaborate closely with business executives to identify opportunities, prioritize projects, and manage the regional investment and budget planning processes.
• Foster a unified vision for IT solutions, aid in decision-making, and communicate IT service priorities and levels to business partners.
• Develop and enforce processes for aggregating business roadmaps, prioritizing demand, and supporting investment approval workflows.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of business requirements to identify fitting IT solutions and work alongside architecture and operations teams to ensure compatibility with organizational standards.
• Scout, evaluate, and assess new solution opportunities to meet internal and external client needs.
• Negotiate service level agreements with Centers of Excellence and Operations, monitor IT service performance, and address critical service issues as an escalation point.
• Manage the balance between service costs and business needs when handling new IT requirements.

Qualifications and Experience

• Undergraduate degree in IT, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or equivalent experience.
• Advanced degree such as a Master's in IT Management, Business Administration, or Digital Transformation is preferred.
• Over 10 years of IT and client-facing technology experience.
• At least a decade of leadership experience managing regional or multi-country IT teams.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing regional IT strategies aligned with global IT directions.
• Extensive expertise in IT service delivery, including infrastructure, applications, and support functions.
• Experience operating within complex, multi-national organizations and managing relationships with senior business leaders.
• Competence in managing IT budgets, vendor partnerships, and service quality metrics.
• Broad understanding of enterprise IT landscape including applications, infrastructure, workplace, and operational capabilities.
• Knowledge of IT service frameworks such as ITIL and service delivery models.
• Familiarity with technology roadmapping, project portfolio management, and demand prioritization techniques.
• Awareness of digital transformation trends, including automation and AI applications in business solutions.
• Preferred certifications: ITIL, COBIT, or similar IT governance frameworks.
• Proficient English communication skills; additional significant languages are advantageous.

Leadership and Strategic Competencies

• Transforms business strategies into clear, region-specific IT priorities and roadmaps consistent with global direction.
• Fully accountable for regional IT service performance, quality, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation.
• Leads and nurtures regional IT and business engagement teams, encouraging accountability and high performance.
• Establishes strong trust-based relationships with regional business leaders and acts as the main escalation contact between IT and business.
• Maintains balance among innovation, standardization, and operational excellence to respond effectively to dynamic business requirements.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The company is strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, making employment decisions free of bias including race, gender, age, disability, and other legally protected statuses, encouraging applications from diverse backgrounds.