Director, Business Operations and Strategy

Gartner•Stamford, CT

18h•$120,000 - $167,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Strategic Initiatives – Conferences Strategy is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving innovation, strategic problem-solving, and operational excellence across the Conferences business. This leader will oversee two critical teams focused on Strategic Initiatives and Innovation & Intelligence designed to advance the Conferences’ top priorities through structured problem-solving forums, including Strategy Meetings and Key Initiative Meetings. About the team: The Conferences Strategy team is trusted advisors and strategic partners for the Conferences business. We work across all functions—including sales, marketing, product, and operations—as well as with key stakeholders throughout Gartner. Our mandate is to accelerate growth, solve complex operational challenges, and ensure our portfolio remains at the forefront of the industry. Growth strategy – Leading the end-to-end conference launch process including roadmap planning, opportunity assessment, financial assessment and facilitating the decision-making process to support our overall growth priorities in close partnership with stakeholders across the business. Strategic Initiatives – Enabling our growth strategy by problem-solving operational priorities required to scale the business with cross-functional leaders by leveraging our problem-solving forums—Strategy Meetings & Key Initiative Meetings. Innovation & Intelligence – Analyzing competitive insights and market trends to uncover opportunities for innovation and adaptation, ensuring we stay ahead in any environment. By collaborating with leaders across corporate development, product, program, sales, and conferences leadership, we keep the organization informed and aligned on high-impact initiatives to strengthen our portfolio.

Requirements

7–10+ years of progressive business experience, preferably in a strategy or consulting role.
Exceptional problem-solving capability: Proven track record in solving complex problems, thinking creatively, and using data to drive decisions.
Purposeful Communication: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deliver compelling presentations and facilitate executive-level discussions.
Stakeholder Management & Influence: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with senior executives, drive consensus, and influence outcomes in a cross-functional environment.
Execution Excellence: Operates with urgency and thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced setting. Demonstrates a relentless drive for results and the ability to move seamlessly from strategy to execution.
Executive Presence: Poised, credible, and confident when engaging with senior leadership. Able to lead high-stakes conversations and drive alignment at the highest levels.
Leadership: Experience leading cross-functional teams and initiatives, inspiring and developing talent, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
Intellectual Curiosity & Passion: Eager to learn, grow, and proactively identify opportunities for impact across the business.
Strong core values: Demonstrates integrity, collaboration, a no-limits mindset, objectivity, and consistent results using global best practices.
Bachelor's degree required

Responsibilities

Serve as an “engagement manager,” facilitating Strategy Meetings and Key Initiative Meetings to align stakeholders, solve business challenges, and deliver actionable outcomes for the Conferences Business.
Guide the process to gather and synthesize competitive & market insights and translate insights into strategic priorities to support growth & innovation of the Conferences business.
Identify, scope, prioritize, and track all complex and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring timely delivery and measurable impact aligned with business needs.
Oversee the Strategic Initiatives and Innovation & Intelligence teams, providing clear direction, coaching, and development to foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.
Build trusted partnerships with senior leaders across Conferences functions (product, sales, marketing, operations) and broader Gartner, driving consensus and alignment through expert facilitation and communication.
Act as a strategic advisor to the VP, Conferences Strategy and Global Leadership Team providing insights, recommendations, and support on the most critical business priorities.
Coach, develop, and manage high impact teams, inspiring them to become effective problem solvers, storytellers, and future leaders of the organization.
Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.