CFO - PE backed Food Distribution / FMCG Business
- Recruiter
- Directorbank
- Location
- Loughborough
- Salary
- Competitive
- Posted
- 17 Feb 2018
- Closes
- 23 Feb 2018
- Sectors
- Accountancy
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Our client is a leading food distribution business with revenues of GBP150m. The business has over twenty sites in the UK and over forty thousand customers.
Owned by private equity and the Founder Entrepreneur, the business has a strategy to be the UK's largest food distributor in its field through a combination of organic growth and acquisition. Our client is now looking to appoint a CFO who will lead the finance function, manage cash tightly, provide all reporting requirements to PE and banks, support the integration of the recent and future acquisitions and be a key member of the management team who will lead the business through the next phase of its growth towards a successful exit in 3-4 years.
The Role:
- This is an Executive Director role and will be a member of the Board.
- Strategic financial leadership responsibility for process, planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial related activities including funding and reporting requirements, financial accounting, commercial negotiations, budgeting and forecasting, and strategic planning
- Tightly manage cash which will be a major aspect of the role
- Financially manage B2B, B2C, wholesale and online channels within a multi-divisional business, managing price and margin to maximise profit and growth in markets
- Integrate the financial systems (SAP implementation is underway) and processes of the acquired businesses to create a core financial platform which will support future acquisitions
- Manage and develop a high performing finance team which has operational effectiveness and financial control as their core deliverables
- Manage the financial DD and funding activity for future acquisitions
- Manage banking and wider lending relationships
- Develop contents of monthly reporting packs and provide effective, timely and analysed management information
- Lead management accounting initiatives to ensure accurate timely reporting for commercial decision making, cost control and cash flow management
- Support the CEO to drive the strategy for growth in a disciplined and controlled manner
The Person:
- Previous experience as a CFO or Group Finance Director (number 1 position) in a retail, wholesale or FMCG environment
- In-depth experience of tightly managing cash
- Proven management of PE and banking relationships is a prerequisite.
- Experience in a large blue-chip multinational with more recent experience in a smaller, entrepreneurial environment is ideal.
- Entrepreneurial rather than PLC style is absolutely essential.
- Experience of identifying, leading and completing M&A transactions; financially integrating acquisitions too
- Experience in a multi divisional business and a proven record of consolidating functions to increase profitability
- Experience in a multi channel / online environment
- A qualified Accountant or equivalent (CPA,ACA,ACCA,ACMA or equivalent)
- Hands-on experience of running finance teams including Tax, Treasury, Risk, Audit
- Strong relationship and stakeholder management skills to work closely with external stakeholders including shareholders, lenders, and auditors
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate and manage from the Boardroom to the shop floor
- Problem solving skills and the ability to make decisions based on accurate and timely analysis
- Good commercial and negotiation skills combined with an operational awareness and the ability to be hands-on when required
- Excellent verbal and written skills
- High level of energy, integrity and dependability
- Ability to travel as and when required