Sr. Director, Corporate Development and M&A - Transition

About Sonova

Sonova is a global leader in innovative hearing care solutions: from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems
to audiological care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. Sonova operates through four businesses: Hearing Instruments, Audiological Care, Consumer Hearing and Cochlear Implants – and the core brands Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova, Sennheiser
(under license) and Advanced Bionics as well as recognized regional brands. The Group’s globally diversified sales and distribution channels serve an ever-growing consumer base in more than 100 countries.

About the Role

This is a highly strategic and visible global leadership opportunity for an experienced M&A integration and separation executive who thrives in dynamic, transformation-driven environments.

As Sr. Director, Corporate Development & M&A – Transition, you will lead the integration and separation strategy and execution for complex global transactions, ensuring that deal rationale and synergy objectives are translated into clear execution plans and measurable business outcomes.

Acting as a critical bridge between transaction execution and operational delivery, you will partner closely with Corporate Development, Business Unit leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure seamless transitions from deal phase through integration or separation execution. You will play a key role in embedding acquired or separated entities into the organization’s operating model, governance structure, systems, and culture while protecting business continuity and accelerating value creation.

In addition, you will help shape and continuously improve a world-class integration and separation framework, including methodologies, governance models, playbooks, and tools, enabling the organization to execute multiple complex global transactions in parallel with speed, discipline, and operational excellence.

This role offers extensive exposure to senior leadership and close collaboration with teams across Finance, HR, IT, Operations, Supply Chain, Legal, Regulatory, Commercial, R&D, Group Strategy, and Corporate Development, as well as external advisors and transaction partners globally.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Integration & Separation Programs

• Lead complex cross-functional integration and separation programs from pre-sign planning and Day-1 readiness through stabilization and synergy realization.
• Define program scope, milestones, governance structures, KPIs, and execution roadmaps aligned with deal rationale and business priorities.
• Establish and lead Integration Management Offices (IMO) and Separation Management Offices (SMO), ensuring strong governance, decision-making, and accountability across all workstreams.
• Coordinate diverse stakeholder groups across Commercial, Operations, Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, and R&D functions.

Drive Value Creation & Synergy Realization

• Translate synergy cases and business plans into actionable initiatives with measurable financial and operational impact.
• Monitor synergy realization, one-time costs, dis-synergies, and working capital impacts in partnership with Finance and Controlling teams.
• Identify additional value-creation opportunities, including operating model optimization, revenue acceleration, and footprint optimization initiatives.

Manage Risk, Change & Communication

• Proactively identify and mitigate key integration and separation risks, including operational, regulatory, cultural, customer, supply chain, and IT-related risks.
• Lead organizational change management initiatives, including leadership alignment, cultural integration, role clarity, and retention of key talent.
• Support the development and execution of communication plans for internal and external stakeholders in partnership with Communications and Investor Relations teams.

Partner Across the Full Deal Lifecycle

• Collaborate closely with Corporate Development and M&A teams during due diligence and transaction structuring by providing integration and separation expertise.
• Contribute to valuation and synergy assessments through realistic integration timelines, cost-to-achieve estimates, and risk-adjusted planning.
• Partner with Legal teams on transition service agreements (TSAs), commercial agreements, and transaction-related contractual matters.

Build Capabilities & Best Practices

• Design and continuously improve integration and separation playbooks, methodologies, governance frameworks, and tools.
• Coach business and functional leaders on integration and separation best practices and help strengthen organizational capabilities for sustained M&A activity.
• Contribute to building a high-performing global M&A community and serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and business stakeholders.

About You

Experience & Background

• 10+ years of experience in M&A integration and/or separation within a global organization or top-tier consulting environment.
• Proven success leading large-scale, cross-border integration and carve-out programs across multiple regions, including Europe, North America, and emerging markets.
• Strong experience partnering with Corporate Development, Business Unit leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders across the full deal lifecycle.
• Experience within consumer, healthcare, life sciences, technology, or other service-oriented, high-growth industries
  is considered an advantage.
• MBA, CPA, Chartered Accountant qualification, or equivalent advanced business or finance credentials are a plus.

Leadership Style

• Strategic yet hands-on leader with the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced and evolving environments.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management capabilities, with experience working closely with CEO, C-suite, and senior leadership teams.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams without formal authority while creating alignment, accountability, and engagement.
• High level of integrity, resilience, ownership, and results orientation.

Professional Expertise

• Deep expertise in integration and separation best practices, including operating model design, carve-out execution, TSA management, and Day-1 / 100-day planning.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to interpret deal models, synergy cases, and business performance impacts.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with pragmatic execution and operational delivery.
• Experience working across global and multicultural environments; additional language capabilities are highly valued.

Other Skills

• Fluent English language skills are required.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally as needed.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint; experience with ERP and BI systems is an advantage.

Important: when applying please provide your CV in English