AVP, Strategy, Events and Experiences

at  Sun Life

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You’ll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you’ll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Assistant Vice President, Strategy, Events & Experiences leads a robust program to support Sun Life’s Excel at Hybrid objectives, delivering outstanding services and enabling business communications for a vibrant and engaged employee culture. Services include thousands of virtual, in-person and hybrid conferences, town halls, webinars, celebrations, meetings and other corporate event activities as well as multimedia, hospitality and workplace experience services. The AVP works in partnership across the organization, expertly advising business leaders and teams while providing guidance and resources to strengthen impact and effectiveness. The AVP has the expert event and workplace experience knowledge to advise on the development of new services and space requirements, evolve our technology strategy and drive a complex roadmap to effectively leverage industry best practices.
As a leading member of the People Strategy and Enablement team the AVP has a team of approximately 60 people (permanent and contractors) including event, experience, audio-visual, multimedia and hospitality service professionals, and collaborates across many corporate areas to deliver robust solutions to enrich employee experience.

The role requires:

• Innovation: identifying opportunities and accelerating the Excel at Hybrid program to deliver outstanding event experiences to support leaders and engage employees, advisors, clients and guests. Strategic and iterative management of broadcast, event, multimedia and hospitality solutions, evolving business operations with the professional team to meet objectives and deliver value for global business groups. Cultivating community, moments of togetherness and amenities that enhance the experience in our North American and Ireland office environments.
• Strategic and project planning and delivery: collaborating with cross-departmental partners including consultation on capital project space design, technology and operational modelling for experience programs and site upgrades. Overseeing the event technology roadmap and event technology and service upgrade capital projects.
• Service impact: providing strategic counsel to business leaders on event and resource strategy to improve service effectiveness. Directing a robust program of signature event services offering professional caliber event producing and production programs to contribute to over 100 global events for top executives and external stakeholders. Delivering value to executive leaders and in partnership with business groups across Sun Life, overseeing day-to-day hybrid event, conference and hospitality services in North American internal event venues. Food and beverage service operations including capital improvement, day-to-day operations, sustainability initiatives and vendor management for all catering and food service programs.
• Digital leadership: developing and executing an advanced hybrid technology strategy including transitioning practices and operational tools, and iterating the use of highly specialized technology platforms, systems and practices delivered by audio-visual and technical teams. Enhancing team capabilities of to drive efficiencies and self-service scale.
• Financial and business management: leading financial and management operations to enhance service impacts, driving efficiencies and expanding self-service capabilities. Oversight of event, audio-visual, broadcast, media, catering, employee amenity and other services, delicately managing high demand limited resources and conflicting business priorities. Cultivating collaborative partnerships with facilities, technology, brand, procurement and other corporate teams to strengthen experience and effectiveness. Resource management, planning and budgeting programs across all workstreams in the portfolio. Analyzing performance data to identify opportunities for efficiencies and cost savings, or enhancements that drive stronger business results. Overseeing compliance to risk, privacy and security policies across all services and navigate the approvals process for new and evolving technology needs. Manage budget of approximately $12mm.
• Communication and promotion skills: educating, exciting and enabling employee best practices, sharing successes and telling the excel at hybrid story though internal channels.
• Talent management: Cultivating a high-performing team including integrated vendor partnerships for service excellence across all aspects of the operations. Enable career progression and professional development for team members. Anticipate future needs for critical skills and competencies and develop plans to meet them. Enable teams to be successful by providing the necessary tools, coaching, change management and other supports.

• Innovation: identifying opportunities and accelerating the Excel at Hybrid program to deliver outstanding event experiences to support leaders and engage employees, advisors, clients and guests. Strategic and iterative management of broadcast, event, multimedia and hospitality solutions, evolving business operations with the professional team to meet objectives and deliver value for global business groups. Cultivating community, moments of togetherness and amenities that enhance the experience in our North American and Ireland office environments.
• Strategic and project planning and delivery: collaborating with cross-departmental partners including consultation on capital project space design, technology and operational modelling for experience programs and site upgrades. Overseeing the event technology roadmap and event technology and service upgrade capital projects.
• Service impact: providing strategic counsel to business leaders on event and resource strategy to improve service effectiveness. Directing a robust program of signature event services offering professional caliber event producing and production programs to contribute to over 100 global events for top executives and external stakeholders. Delivering value to executive leaders and in partnership with business groups across Sun Life, overseeing day-to-day hybrid event, conference and hospitality services in North American internal event venues. Food and beverage service operations including capital improvement, day-to-day operations, sustainability initiatives and vendor management for all catering and food service programs.
• Digital leadership: developing and executing an advanced hybrid technology strategy including transitioning practices and operational tools, and iterating the use of highly specialized technology platforms, systems and practices delivered by audio-visual and technical teams. Enhancing team capabilities of to drive efficiencies and self-service scale.
• Financial and business management: leading financial and management operations to enhance service impacts, driving efficiencies and expanding self-service capabilities. Oversight of event, audio-visual, broadcast, media, catering, employee amenity and other services, delicately managing high demand limited resources and conflicting business priorities. Cultivating collaborative partnerships with facilities, technology, brand, procurement and other corporate teams to strengthen experience and effectiveness. Resource management, planning and budgeting programs across all workstreams in the portfolio. Analyzing performance data to identify opportunities for efficiencies and cost savings, or enhancements that drive stronger business results. Overseeing compliance to risk, privacy and security policies across all services and navigate the approvals process for new and evolving technology needs. Manage budget of approximately $12mm.
• Communication and promotion skills: educating, exciting and enabling employee best practices, sharing successes and telling the excel at hybrid story though internal channels.
• Talent management: Cultivating a high-performing team including integrated vendor partnerships for service excellence across all aspects of the operations. Enable career progression and professional development for team members. Anticipate future needs for critical skills and competencies and develop plans to meet them. Enable teams to be successful by providing the necessary tools, coaching, change management and other supports