The posting
Company:
Oliver Wyman
Description:
About Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman, a Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) business, is a management consulting firm driven by deep industry insight, bold innovation, and a collaborative approach that cuts through complexity to help organizations navigate their most defining transformative moments.
For more information, visit oliverwyman.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
Role Purpose
The Head of External Data Vendor Management leads how Oliver Wyman manages and derives value from its portfolio of external data and expert vendors. The role shapes vendor strategy, governance, investment priorities, and adoption so consulting teams can access and use external data, research, and expertise effectively to support high-quality client insights and outcomes.
Why Join Us
- Shape how external data, research, and expertise are leveraged across the firm, helping maximize the value these partnerships deliver to consulting teams and clients.
- Work closely across Knowledge Services, consulting teams, Technology, Procurement, Legal, Risk, and business leadership to help shape vendor strategy, governance, and investment priorities.
- At Oliver Wyman, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our culture promotes continuous learning and development, providing opportunities for growth and advancement within the firm.
- We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a flexible work environment that supports work-life balance.
Meet the Team
- Reports to: Key member of the Knowledge Services exec team
- Day-to-day collaborators: Knowledge Services, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Risk, Practice and Capability Heads
- People management: Will manage a team of around 5-7 people in across number of locations
How This Role Will Contribute to Team Success
- Ensure consultants have access to the external data, research, and expertise needed to deliver high-quality insights and outcomes for clients.
- Control total firm-wide spend, demonstrate measurable ROI, and continuously derive greater value for money from existing investments to support data-driven investment decisions.
- Drive enterprise-wide adoption as AI-enabled search opens access beyond specialist users, extending self-serve access to consultants and owning the final-mile enablement that converts investment into client impact.
Your Day-to-Day
- Vendor strategy, governance, and partnerships: Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for Oliver Wyman’s portfolio of external data vendors. Evaluate and select vendors against the firm’s consulting needs, establish effective governance and SLAs, and build long-term vendor relationships aligned with Oliver Wyman’s objectives.
- Data value, adoption, and technology: Identify and unlock value from vendor data sources, integrate external data into existing frameworks and methodologies, and promote effective usage and data-management practices across the firm. Evaluate emerging technologies and lead initiatives that use AI and vendor capabilities to improve how consultants discover, access, and derive value from external data, research, and knowledge resources.
- Commercial management and performance: Develop and manage budgets for external data procurement, analyze spending patterns and vendor performance, and identify opportunities for cost savings and improved service delivery. Use metrics and KPIs to evaluate vendor performance and ROI and support data-driven investment decisions.
- Team leadership and development: Lead, coach and develop a team of 5 to 8 professionals, fostering collaboration, continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and professional development while setting clear standards for delivery, accountability, and impact.
- Stakeholder and external engagement: Work with the Global Head of Managed Services, regional leadership, and senior stakeholders to align data-management strategies with broader organizational goals. Act as a trusted advisor on vendor strategy, market developments, and external data capabilities, and represent Oliver Wyman in relevant external forums and industry events.
Skills & What You Bring to the Team
- At least 8 years’ of progressively senior experience leading External Data, Research, Knowledge or Information Service Functions, including enterprise-scale ownership of vendor portfolios, investment strategies, and commercial outcomes. Demonstrated success evaluating and integrating emerging and AI-enabled capabilities, driving firm-wide adoption, and delivering measurable business value across a large, complex professional services organization.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, assess spending and vendor performance, and generate actionable insights.
- Demonstrated experience managing and developing teams and fostering a collaborative working environment.
- A track record of influencing senior stakeholders, navigating competing priorities, and building alignment across functions and teams.
- Effective communication and relationship-building skills, with a track record of influencing senior stakeholders, navigating competing priorities, and building alignment across functions and teams.
- Understanding of emerging AI capabilities and their practical application in data, research, and knowledge-management environments, with the ability to evaluate opportunities that improve how information is accessed, managed, and used.
What Will Make You Stand Out
- Experience gained from within a consulting or professional services environment.
- Strategic thinking around vendor portfolio
- AI activation experience and creative ideas around vendor management
- Setting clear strategic vision for a team
Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit oliverwyman.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
Marsh is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, veteran status (including protected veterans), or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by contacting [email protected].
Marsh is committed to hybrid work, which includes the flexibility of working remotely and the collaboration, connections and professional development benefits of working together in the office. All Marsh colleagues are expected to be in their local office or working onsite with clients at least three days per week. Office-based teams will identify at least one “anchor day” per week on which their full team will be together in person.
