Chief Financial Officer

Our client is a well-known, highly-respected Consumer brand with an enviable market position and exciting long term growth potential.

Whilst the current, pandemic-related climate is not helpful, our climate is on a clear path to creating value for it's owners and has started the journey towards completing a transaction at some stage within the next two to three years.

As a result, there is a need to add the 'final piece of the jigsaw' which is the recruitment of a CFO with previous experience of creating value and leading a business through a successful exit - either as the CFO or as a direct report into the CFO.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join an energised and focused team and playing an integral role in shaping a business for exit, before helping to lead the business through a formal sale process.

The role is a classic 'CFO in private equity' type remit, with key tasks to include:

• Overall leadership and governance of the finance function
• Motivation and development of individuals within the finance team, focusing on the continual improvement of quality and implementation of best practices
• Responsibility for financial statements and management reporting, ensuring that these are of the highest standard
• Budget setting, cost management and forecasting
• Establishment and maintenance of strong internal control and risk management systems
• Hands-on control of cashflow and broader liquidity issues, managing a group of challenging banking relationships (pandemic related)
• Disciplined and detailed management of the overall Balance Sheet, paying close attention to key risk factors 
• Commercially astute, with strong judgement, and capable of providing insight into key business value drivers
• Data-centric and close to the detail, keen to provide accessible financial insight and meaningful ‘cut-through’
• Extensive financial planning and analysis including proactive KPI management
• Oversight of all matters related to compliance with regulatory, tax and legal requirements
• Management of relationships with external advisors

Qualifications and Experience

Qualified accountant, preferably with experience gained at a top accountancy firm, and a strong academic background

Experience in a No1/CFO role, either in a standalone capacity or of a business unit, region or division of appropriate scale that has afforded substantial international exposure

Alternatively, experience as a key no2 to a CFO within a much larger, private equity backed business and now ready to step up into a first no1 CFO role

Balanced, rounded experience across all areas of finance, including financial control and commercial financial leadership

Experience of working in a sufficiently complex operating environment and working intimately with key stakeholders to lead major, business-wide transformation, successfully implementing an effective growth strategy

Low ego, self-aware and non-political leadership style; willing to give and receive feedback with evidence of strong empathy and intellectual curiosity

Collaborative, team-oriented approach, able to recognise, value and utilise the strengths of both their immediate team and stakeholders in the wider business

Demonstrable ability to handle the pace of a PE-backed environment, and the self-motivated, proactive nature to execute rapid change

Pragmatic yet emotionally intelligent interpersonal approach, with a focus on coaching, mentoring and developing strong teams, capable of coalescing a broad range of characters within and across functions

Balanced approach between influencing high level strategy and the ‘hands on’ execution of day-to-day business priorities

Enthused and motivated by a private equity backed environment, in particular the opportunity to work collaboratively towards meaningful value creation

IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE, or available within a couple of weeks.