Overview
Our client is a renowned retail group with a significant, well-established footprint across multiple international markets. With operations of this scale and geographic complexity, the business now seeks CFO who can further strengthen its financial architecture incluidng systems, controls and capital discipline.
Education, Experience & Skills:
- Chartered Accountant (ACA, ACCA, or equivalent) is mandatory. CPA or CFA is a plus.
- Completed articleship or early career training from Big 4 firm (Deloitte, PwC, EY, or KPMG). This is a required, non-negotiable filter.
- Clear progression from audit/assurance or advisory practice at Big 4 firm into industry finance leadership roles.
- Minimum 15 years post qualification experience (PQE).
- Minimum 5 to 7 years in CFO, Deputy CFO, or Group Finance Director capacity, ideally within a multinational or multi-entity organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own the full financial strategy of a multi-country retail operation, translating board level growth targets into fundable, market by market financial plans that account for currency exposure, local tax regimes and repatriation constraints.
- Lead consolidated, IFRS compliant group reporting across multiple entities and currencies, with full ownership of the month end and year end close process, ensuring numbers are board ready and audit ready at all times, not just accurate in hindsight.
- Act as the primary executive counterpart to external auditors (Big 4 or equivalent), tax authorities and regulatory bodies across every jurisdiction the group operates in, personally defending the numbers rather than delegating that defense.
- Structure and negotiate the group's capital stack directly, including term loans, working capital lines, trade finance facilities and any equity or investor funding, using banking and investor relationships built over a career, not relationships inherited on day one.
- Build and own the treasury function end to end: FX hedging policy, intercompany funding flows, cash pooling across entities and liquidity planning that keeps the group solvent through seasonal and geopolitical volatility.
- Design internal control environment from first principles, benchmarked to Big 4 audit standards, so the business can withstand due diligence from a lender, an investor, or an acquirer with zero remediation required.
- Evaluate and financially model new market entry, store network expansion, and major capex decisions, presenting recommendations directly to the CEO and board with clear risk adjusted return analysis.
- Build a finance organization structured for a multi-country business (regional controllers, group FP&A, group treasury) and develop at least one or two direct reports capable of stepping into a CFO seat themselves within a few years.