Lyft Head of Strategy & Corporate Development Interview Preparation Guide

If you’re preparing for an interview for the Lyft Head of Strategy & Corporate Development position, you’re applying for one of the most strategic roles in the company. This role requires a deep understanding of both business strategy and corporate development (e.g., mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, strategic investments) to help Lyft grow, adapt to market changes, and achieve its long-term goals. As someone who has gone through a similar interview process, I’ll share a comprehensive breakdown of the interview stages, the types of questions you can expect, and how to prepare effectively.

Overview of the Role

The Head of Strategy & Corporate Development at Lyft is responsible for overseeing the company’s strategic planning process and leading corporate development initiatives, such as M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions), partnerships, and investments. This role is highly cross-functional, working closely with senior leadership (C-suite), product teams, finance, operations, and other stakeholders to drive Lyft’s strategic direction and growth.

Key responsibilities include:

• Corporate Strategy Development: Defining Lyft’s long-term strategic objectives and aligning the company’s initiatives to meet these goals.
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Leading M&A strategies, including identifying acquisition targets, conducting due diligence, negotiating deals, and integrating new acquisitions.
• Partnerships and Alliances: Building strategic partnerships with key players in the industry, including other tech companies, governments, and service providers.
• Financial Modeling & Analysis: Conducting in-depth market analysis, competitive intelligence, and financial modeling to support strategic decision-making.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnering with teams across Lyft to execute on strategic initiatives and ensure alignment with business objectives.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for the Head of Strategy & Corporate Development at Lyft is typically rigorous, involving several stages that assess your strategic thinking, leadership abilities, corporate development experience, and cultural fit with Lyft’s collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Here’s an outline of the interview process:

1. Application Review & Recruiter Screening
2. Phone Interview (Technical and Behavioral)
3. On-Site or Virtual On-Site Interviews
4. Final Leadership Interview (Cultural Fit and Behavioral)

1. Application Review & Recruiter Screening

After applying, Lyft’s recruitment team will review your resume to determine if your background fits the role. If they decide to move forward with your application, you’ll be contacted for an initial phone screening, which typically lasts 30-45 minutes.

What to Expect:

• Resume Overview: The recruiter will discuss your experience in strategy development, corporate development, and M&A.
  • Tell me about your experience leading strategy initiatives at your previous company. What were your key accomplishments?
  • Have you led any corporate development activities, such as acquisitions or strategic partnerships? What was the outcome?
• Role Fit and Motivation: The recruiter will assess your interest in the position and determine if it aligns with your career goals.
  • Why are you interested in the Head of Strategy & Corporate Development position at Lyft?
  • What excites you about working at Lyft, particularly in a strategic leadership role?
• Logistics & Expectations: Expect a discussion about the role’s logistics, including reporting structure, team dynamics, and expectations for success.
  • This role requires significant collaboration across various functions and senior leadership. Are you comfortable working in a cross-functional environment?

2. Phone Interview (Technical and Behavioral)

If you pass the recruiter screening, the next step is a phone interview with the hiring manager or senior leader in the strategy or corporate development team. This interview typically lasts 45-60 minutes and will focus on your strategic thinking and leadership experience, as well as your technical skills in corporate development.

What to Expect:

• Strategic Thinking: Expect to discuss how you approach defining and executing corporate strategy.
  • How do you approach the process of developing a long-term strategy for a company like Lyft? What factors do you consider?
  • Describe a time when you had to align a company’s strategy with rapidly changing market conditions. How did you adapt the strategy?
• Corporate Development & M&A: You’ll be asked about your experience in M&A, partnerships, and strategic investments.
  • Tell me about a successful M&A deal you led. How did you evaluate the target, negotiate the deal, and integrate the company?
  • How do you identify potential strategic partners, and what criteria do you use when evaluating partnership opportunities?
• Behavioral Questions: You will be asked about how you’ve led teams, driven projects, and managed challenges in past roles.
  • Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team through a challenging strategic decision. What was your approach, and what was the result?
  • Describe a situation where you had to make a strategic recommendation with limited data. How did you proceed, and what was the outcome?

Behavioral Questions:

These will be based on Lyft’s Leadership Principles. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.

• Customer Obsession: Tell me about a time when you led a strategy that focused on delivering exceptional value to customers. What was the impact on the business?
• Deliver Results: Describe a time when you had to deliver results in a complex and fast-moving environment. How did you ensure success?

3. On-Site or Virtual On-Site Interviews

If you perform well in the phone interview, you’ll be invited to an on-site or virtual on-site interview. This typically lasts 4-5 hours and involves multiple rounds with various stakeholders, including members of the strategy team, senior leadership, and possibly representatives from finance, marketing, or operations.

What to Expect:

• Case Study/Strategic Exercise: You’ll be asked to work through a real-world strategic case study or business problem. This is designed to evaluate how you approach complex strategic decisions and the frameworks you use.
  • Imagine Lyft is considering expanding its services into a new international market. What steps would you take to evaluate the opportunity, and how would you approach developing a market entry strategy?
  • How would you prioritize investments for Lyft’s future growth? What metrics would you use to evaluate different business opportunities?
• M&A Simulation: You may be given a hypothetical M&A scenario to evaluate potential acquisition targets and make a recommendation.
  • If Lyft were considering acquiring a smaller competitor, how would you approach due diligence? What factors would influence your decision to move forward with the acquisition?
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expect to be asked about how you collaborate with other teams (e.g., marketing, finance, product).
  • Describe a time when you worked with multiple departments to implement a strategic initiative. How did you ensure alignment and drive successful execution?
• Leadership & Team Development: Since this is a senior leadership role, you will be asked how you lead, motivate, and develop your team.
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
  • Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult leadership decision. How did you handle it, and what was the impact on your team or the company?

4. Final Leadership and Cultural Fit Interview

The final interview will likely involve senior executives or HR and focus on leadership, cultural fit, and alignment with Lyft’s values.

What to Expect:

• Lyft’s Leadership Principles: Expect deep dive questions to assess whether your leadership style aligns with Lyft’s values.
  • Tell me about a time when you had to lead an initiative that was critical to the company’s strategic direction. How did you balance short-term goals with long-term vision?
  • Describe a situation where you faced significant resistance to a strategic initiative. How did you handle the pushback and ensure buy-in from key stakeholders?
• Fit with Lyft’s Culture: Lyft places a strong emphasis on cultural fit, so you will likely be asked about your approach to leadership, collaboration, and innovation within a fast-paced, mission-driven company.
  • How do you ensure that your team remains motivated, even during periods of uncertainty or rapid change?
  • How do you approach decision-making when faced with competing priorities or ambiguity?

Preparation Tips for Success

• Research Lyft’s Strategy: Understand Lyft’s business model, growth strategy, and recent initiatives. Know where the company stands in terms of market expansion, product development, and competition.
• Master M&A and Corporate Development: Be prepared to discuss your experience in M&A, due diligence, valuations, and strategic investments. Understand how these fit into Lyft’s larger corporate strategy.
• Refine Your Leadership Style: Be ready to explain how you lead teams, mentor individuals, and foster collaboration across departments.
• Practice Strategic Thinking: Be prepared for case studies and business simulations. Practice structuring your responses around market analysis, financial evaluation, and strategic decision-making.
• Understand Lyft’s Culture: Lyft is a fast-paced and dynamic company, so be prepared to demonstrate how you thrive in a high-energy, collaborative environment. Understand Lyft’s mission and values, and be ready to align your experiences with those principles.