Head of Strategy Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Most Head of Strategy interviews in the UK follow a pattern, and knowing it beats guessing. Below are eight questions from our bank of 12, each with a note on what the interviewer is really after.

Eight Head of Strategy interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. How would you go about developing a new corporate strategy for our organisation, from first diagnosis to an approved plan?

Why they ask: This is the signature responsibility of a head of strategy, so they test your method and judgement.

2. How do you evaluate competing strategic options and recommend between them, particularly when the data is uncertain?

Why they ask: They want to see structured judgement under uncertainty, which defines the senior strategy role.

3. What does a head of strategy actually do, and what makes the role different from the leadership team's own work?

Why they ask: They check you understand the role's influence without line authority and its distinct contribution.

4. How do you track whether a strategy is being delivered, and what role should the strategy function play in performance reviews?

Why they ask: They test how you move from strategy to measurable delivery.

5. How do you keep track of external trends, and how would you use horizon scanning and scenario planning to inform strategy?

Why they ask: They want to see systematic foresight rather than ad hoc reading.

6. The chief executive and the finance director disagree about whether to invest heavily in a new market. How do you handle it as head of strategy?

Why they ask: They test your ability to navigate senior disagreement and add value without taking sides politically.

7. Tell me about a time you led the development of a strategy, and how you got buy-in from people who had to deliver it.

Why they ask: They want evidence of leading strategy work and winning commitment.

8. Six months into a new strategy, the results are behind plan. How do you decide whether to persevere or change course?

Why they ask: They test your ability to review strategy honestly and avoid both stubbornness and over-reaction.

A sample answer to question 1

How would you go about developing a new corporate strategy for our organisation, from first diagnosis to an approved plan?

I'd start with diagnosis, spending the first weeks listening: interviews with the executive and board, frontline conversations, and a fact base covering market trends, customer needs, competitor moves, our financial performance and capability gaps. From that I'd define the core strategic questions, such as where to play, how to win and what we should stop doing, and agree these with the chief executive, so the work is focused. Next, I'd develop a small number of distinct strategic options, test them against criteria including financial return, strategic fit, risk, capability and speed, and use scenario work to see how robust each one is. I'd run leadership workshops to debate trade-offs, because strategy is a set of choices, not a list of aspirations. The recommended strategy goes to the board with clear priorities, financial implications, KPIs and a three-year roadmap. Crucially, I'd plan the translation into execution from the start, with owners, resources and governance, and build in an annual review to adapt as conditions change.

Common mistake to avoid: Describing strategy as a vision statement; Developing it in isolation from the executive

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 12 questions are on the Head of Strategy interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.