Corporate Development Director

Wolters Kluwer•New York City, NY

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Corporate Development (GCD) team is part of Wolters Kluwer's Global Strategy group and reports directly to the CEO and Chair of the Executive Board. This team is instrumental in driving the company's inorganic growth strategy. They collaborate with divisional general managers and senior executives across all five of Wolters Kluwer's global divisions to identify, evaluate, structure, and execute transactions. The team fosters a collaborative, low-ego, and high-performing culture with a history of internal talent development and promotion. In the past two years, the GCD team has completed nearly US$2 billion in transactions in both the US and Europe, with deal sizes typically ranging from US$5 million to $500 million. This dynamic environment allows team members to lead smaller transactions while contributing to larger, more complex deals, offering significant visibility to senior leadership within a highly acquisitive organization. Recent acquisitions include Finca Group carve-out from Isabel Group, RASi, and Libra.ai. The Director, Global Corporate Development will function as a senior individual contributor and deal leader within the GCD team, reporting to the VP Americas, Corporate Development. This role is comparable to a senior ‘Vice President’ or junior ‘Director’ level position in investment banking, with full accountability for leading transactions from inception to completion and shaping investment/deal recommendations. The position involves owning the execution of selected M&A transactions, from initial intake through diligence, valuation, board memo preparation, negotiation, and closing. The Director will act as a primary contact for internal stakeholders and external parties on active deals and will be responsible for recommendations presented to the VP and SVP of Corporate Development. Although the role is US-based and primarily focused on the Americas, Directors are expected to contribute to transactions in EMEA and other regions as needed. The US-based team consists of the VP Americas, one Director (this role), one Associate Director, and one Senior Analyst.

Requirements

9–12 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, or corporate development, with a proven track record of leading M&A transactions.
Significant experience in Software, AI, and SaaS M&A, with a deep understanding of revenue models for subscription and usage-based businesses.
Familiarity with negotiating key commercial deal points (e.g., valuation, price adjustments, restrictive covenants, reps and warranties) and reviewing disclosures against due diligence findings.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Mathematics, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience leading transactions end-to-end, including negotiation of valuation and commercial elements in definitive documentation, and leading the development of investment memos (or equivalent).
Ability to critically assess financial models and focus on key drivers, while ensuring mechanical accuracy. Solid understanding of financial statements.
Proven ability to influence and advise senior executives; comfort operating in ambiguous, high-stakes decision environments.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to synthesize complex information into concise executive materials. Ability to synthesize complex diligence findings into clear, decision-ready narratives.
A preference for structure and standardization and an ability to project manage on compressed timelines.
Genuine interest in diverse businesses, emerging industries, and applied AI.
Proactive self-starter with strong ownership, attention to detail, urgency, and situational adaptability.
Advanced Excel (valuation and driver-based models), PowerPoint (executive-ready presentations) and Word capabilities.
Proficient using research platforms (CapitalIQ, PitchBook) and managing data rooms.

Nice To Haves

MBA strongly preferred.
AI Fluency Preferred: Hands-on experience using and building M&A-related workflows using ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

Build deep understanding of Wolters Kluwer’s operating businesses and strategic priorities, and develop professional relationships across the Global Strategy group to ensure alignment and effective collaboration on transactions.
Lead assigned acquisition and divestiture processes from start to finish, taking responsibility for transaction strategy, timelines, and outcomes.
Engage divisional leadership, bankers, PE sponsors, and industry contacts to advance opportunities aligned with strategic priorities. Build and maintain trusted relationships with divisional GMs, SVPs, and functional leaders. Act as the day-to-day lead with target management teams, PE funds, and transaction advisors on selected deals.
Develop investment theses; frame key value drivers, risks, and trade-offs; prepare and present recommendations to senior executives.
Direct the development and review of valuation and operating models (DCF, comps, accretion/dilution, multiple-case operating scenarios); challenge assumptions and ensure analytical rigor, rather than solely acting as the primary model builder. Directors are expected to take on valuation and operating model development occasionally.
Lead complex, cross-functional deal processes; establish work plans, manage dependencies, and resolve issues across internal teams and external advisors under tight deadlines.
Oversee financial, commercial, technical, and operational diligence; synthesize findings into clear implications for valuation, structure, and deal risk; serve as an escalation point for key issues.
Lead divestiture processes, including carve-out planning, self-diligence, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
Mentor and review the work of team members; elevate analytical and execution standards across the group through coaching and feedback.