Head of Partnerships and Strategic Events at Apex Group

• We are seeking an accomplished senior leader to join our global marketing team as Head of Partnerships and Strategic Events. Reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer, you will lead Apex Group’s multi-year partnership with SailGP and oversee the planning and delivery of strategic Group events that strengthen brand visibility, deepen senior stakeholder engagement and deliver commercial value.
• This is a high-impact leadership role that brings together strategic partnership management, commercial judgement and event delivery expertise to maximise the value of Apex Group’s relationship with SailGP. The successful candidate will lead the full partnership lifecycle, including rights activation, race-weekend delivery and commercial negotiations, while working closely with the wider Sustainability team and the broader Marketing function to ensure the partnership is fully aligned with business priorities and amplified internally and externally.
• The role requires a strong grasp of best practice in partnership activation, disciplined performance reporting and the ability to measure delivery against agreed objectives. You will engage credibly with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior executives, regional leaders, commercial partners, clients and suppliers, serving as a visible ambassador for the Apex Group brand.
• We are looking for a highly credible and well-organised leader with a strong passion for partnerships, sport and purpose-led impact. You will bring sound judgement, a proactive and innovative mindset, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced global environment while engaging confidently with stakeholders at all levels. You will also be joining a high-performing team with a can-do attitude, strong sense of collaboration and a genuine commitment to enjoying the journey while delivering exceptional results. The role offers the opportunity to travel internationally to key SailGP venues and strategic event locations, representing Apex Group at high-profile activations and delivering standout experiences on a global stage.

Key responsibilities 

• Own the day-to-day relationship with SailGP, acting as Apex Group’s primary liaison across commercial, marketing, sustainability and event teams.
• Develop and deliver the annual partnership plan, ensuring all rights are fully leveraged and aligned with Apex Group’s global brand strategy.
• Coordinate internal teams across Marketing, Communications, Holtara, Sales, CRM and the ExCo Office to ensure partnership and event activity supports wider business priorities.

Strategic Group events

• In addition to leading Apex Group’s SailGP partnership, this role will have responsibility for shaping and delivering strategic Group events that enhance brand visibility, strengthen senior stakeholder engagement and support commercial objectives, including the Apex Foundation gala dinners.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Lead the planning, governance and delivery of strategic Group events, ensuring each event aligns with Apex Group’s brand, stakeholder engagement and commercial priorities.
• Design distinctive event experiences that reflect the Apex Group brand and set a high standard for quality, creativity and execution.
• Lead cross-functional planning for key events and executive engagements, with accountability for concept development, stakeholder management, budgets, content, logistics and post-event impact measurement.
• Oversee event timelines, suppliers, production and onsite execution to deliver consistently high-quality experiences for clients, partners and senior internal stakeholders.
• Partner with the Head of Sustainability to oversee Apex Group’s involvement in SailGP’s Women’s Accelerator Programme, ensuring meaningful participation, visibility and measurable outcomes.
• Support the development of partnership-specific thought leadership and content in collaboration with the Head of Sustainability.
• Ensure contractual rights are clearly understood, tracked and activated across the business.

Skills and experience

• 5+ years of experience in partnership management, event management, marketing and communications.
• A strong track record in client-side partnership management, ideally within sport, entertainment, financial services or global brand environments.
• Experience working with purpose-led partnerships, sustainability programmes or women-in-sport initiatives would be advantageous.
• Highly organised, adaptable and able to perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Degree educated, ideally in business, communications, marketing or a related discipline.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted relationships across geographies and levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and internationally to deliver high-profile partnership programmes.
• Strong experience leading strategic Group events, executive engagements or high-profile partnership activations from planning through to delivery and evaluation.
• Proven ability to manage end-to-end event delivery, including concept development, stakeholder management, budgets, logistics, suppliers and onsite execution.
• Experience creating high-quality partnership, event or campaign content would be advantageous.
• A proactive and innovative approach to solving challenges and identifying opportunities.