The Role
Lead end-to-end M&A activities: source, evaluate, negotiate, and close acquisitions. Build financial models, manage diligence and external advisors, own pipeline and target relationships, produce board/executive materials, and drive post-acquisition integration and value capture across cross-functional teams.
Summary Generated by Built In
WHO WE ARE
Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.
Role Summary
The Director, Corporate Development & M&A will partner with the SVP of Corporate Development & Strategy to identify, evaluate, negotiate, and execute acquisitions and strategic initiatives that strengthen Lindblad Expeditions' portfolio of experiential travel businesses. This role leads the end-to-end M&A process, develops acquisition strategy and pipeline, manages relationships with target companies and advisors, and serves as a key advisor to executive leadership on strategic investment opportunities.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
M&A Strategy & Transaction Leadership
- Lead acquisitions from sourcing through closing, including valuation, financial analysis, due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiation support, and integration planning.
- Direct cross-functional diligence teams while managing external advisors including investment bankers, legal counsel, tax, and accounting firms.
- Develop sophisticated financial models and investment analyses to support strategic decision making.
- Ensure transactions remain on schedule, within budget, and aligned with strategic objectives.
Pipeline Development & Relationship Management
- Own the acquisition pipeline by identifying strategic opportunities across expedition travel and adjacent markets.
- Develop and maintain relationships with target company executives, owners, investors, bankers, and industry partners to generate proprietary deal flow.
- Continuously evaluate market trends, competitive dynamics, and strategic adjacencies.
Executive & Board Communications
- Lead development of investment memos, Board presentations, Executive Leadership Team materials, and strategic recommendations.
- Present investment opportunities, financial analyses, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.
Strategic Partnership & Integration
- Partner with Finance, Legal, Operations, Marine, Hotel, Sales, Marketing, and other business leaders throughout the transaction lifecycle.
- Lead post-acquisition integration planning, synergy realization, and value capture initiatives.
GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Experience- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field. MBA strongly preferred.
- 8–12+ years of progressive experience in Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Strategy Consulting, or a related M&A environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading acquisitions from sourcing through closing, including valuation, due diligence, transaction structuring, and integration planning.
- Advanced expertise in financial modeling, valuation methodologies, investment analysis, and capital allocation.
- Proven experience managing cross-functional transaction teams and coordinating external advisors including investment bankers, legal counsel, tax, and accounting firms.
- Strong strategic thinking with the ability to identify acquisition opportunities aligned to long-term business objectives.
- Experience developing investment recommendations and presenting to executive leadership, investment committees, or Boards of Directors.
- Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proven ability to manage multiple complex transactions simultaneously.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
Preferred Experience
- Experience leading Corporate Development within the travel, cruise, hospitality, leisure, or consumer services industries.
- Experience developing acquisition strategy and generating proprietary deal flow.
- Experience leading post-merger integration and synergy realization initiatives.
- Existing network of investment bankers, private equity firms, founders, and strategic advisors.
- Experience evaluating adjacent markets, vertical integration opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
- MBA, CFA, CPA, or equivalent advanced financial credential.
OUR BENEFITS
• Travel benefits for employees and their family
• Voyage of Discovery trips for employees to travel as guests
• Health insurance including Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Long-Term Disability, Life & AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to be used for out-of-pocket medical and dependent care
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit
• 7-8 Paid Holidays
• 1 Floating Holiday Options
• Up to 15 days of vacation (pro-rated per anniversary year)
• Parental Leave
• Sick/personal days per city & state ordinance
• Pet Insurance discount
Communication Skills
Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
COMPENSATION STATEMENT
Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.
For new hires, we strive to make competitive offers allowing the new employee room for future growth. Salaries will be based on the applicant’s location, level of experience, education, and specialized knowledge and skills. An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT
At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.
Lindblad Expeditions is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field
- 8-12+ years progressive experience in Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Strategy Consulting, or related M&A environment
- Demonstrated experience leading acquisitions from sourcing through closing, including valuation, due diligence, transaction structuring, and integration planning
- Advanced expertise in financial modeling, valuation methodologies, investment analysis, and capital allocation
- Proven experience managing cross-functional transaction teams and coordinating external advisors (investment bankers, legal, tax, accounting)
- Experience developing investment recommendations and presenting to executive leadership, investment committees, or Boards of Directors
- Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
- Proven ability to manage multiple complex transactions simultaneously
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
- MBA (strongly preferred)
- Experience leading Corporate Development within travel, cruise, hospitality, leisure, or consumer services industries
- Experience developing acquisition strategy and generating proprietary deal flow
- Experience leading post-merger integration and synergy realization initiatives
- Existing network of investment bankers, private equity firms, founders, and strategic advisors
- MBA, CFA, CPA, or equivalent advanced financial credential
- Strong written and oral communication skills in English
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The Company
What We Do
In 1958 Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the father of eco travel, founded Lindblad Travel and pioneered the first non-scientific expeditions to Antarctica (1966) and Galápagos (1967), subsequently opening the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, China, Bhutan, and more to curious, respectful travelers. In 1979, his son Sven-Olof Lindblad founded Special Expeditions, eventually re-named Lindblad Expeditions, specializing in ship-based expedition travel. In 2004 Lindblad Expeditions forged an unprecedented alliance with National Geographic with a joint mission “to inspire people to explore and care about the planet through expedition travel.” Today the company operates a fleet of 10 ships, including the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer, the world’s ultimate expedition ship, and the 106-guest National Geographic Orion, the newest ship in the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet. All ships sail equipped with sophisticated exploration tools, to provide unique, immersive experiences in the planet’s capitals of wildness and culture. Our expedition ships regularly explore Galápagos, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Norway, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe, the Baltics, Vietnam and Cambodia, and more.
