Group Financial Controller

As people increasingly move across channels and platforms, Kantar Media’s data and audience measurement, targeting, analytics and advertising intelligence services unlock insights to inform powerful decision-making. Working with panel and first-party data in over 80 countries, we have the world’s fastest growing cross-media measurement footprint, underpinned by versatility, scale, technology and expertise, to drive long-term business growth for our clients and partners.

Following its separation from Kantar Group and acquisition by H.I.G., Kantar Media is entering a pivotal growth phase. CEO Patrick Béhar and Interim CFO Giles Richardson are seeking an accomplished Interim Group Financial Controller to support the transition to a standalone business. Reporting to the CFO, this strategic role will lead the development of a best-in-class Group Finance function—focusing on reporting, processes, and systems. The ideal candidate will be a commercially minded finance leader with strong stakeholder management skills, capable of preparing the business for future exit and ensuring smooth post-exit integration. Much of the separation groundwork is complete, and support from Kantar Group will continue via service agreements.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing all financial accounting to a high level and in accordance with IFRS, including reporting of the Group’s annual and quarterly results to the high standards required by a hands-on PE sponsor.
• Managing the Group’s financial and accounting policies and controlling governance, including management of reporting processes, reporting chart of accounts and intercompany transactions.
• Drive continuous improvement of financial control frameworks, promoting best practices to enhance the efficiency and quality of financial reporting processes.
• Balance sheet and cash flow management, ensuring accurate reporting of company-level balance sheet and cash flow, building in robust review processes with regional teams.
• Strong governance and support of intangible assets, particularly on development of new services, products and platforms.
• Responsibility for the development and implementation of the internal control environment of the business.
• Develop and maintain a strong, robust financial control environment to support current business activities and future growth.
• Technical accounting support, providing leadership in technical accounting across the Group and ensuring compliance with IFRS accounting standards and financial regulations.
• Key point of contact for any finance related questions from the Board and wider business in absence of/in tandem with the CFO.
• Management of the group audit process to a smooth and timely conclusion with no material issues on policy or accounting adjustments.
• Build, lead and coach the Head Office finance team and oversee the insourced finance shared service operation.
• Establish a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external parties including the PE sponsor, suppliers and advisors.
• Development, operation and control of the consolidation and reporting system including managing a project to utilise the system more effectively.
• Support M&A and other significant corporate development activities, such as capital programmes, restructuring, investments and partnerships.

Skills and Qualifications

• Strong technical yet business focused finance professional with a demonstrable track record of career progression in well-regarded PE backed and listed environments.
• The ability to drive the finance agenda across different stakeholders, who will have differing views, knowledge, and appetites towards finance.
• The ability to thrive in a changing and growing international organisation with experience of managing all things finance related in a similarly complex yet collaborative environment.
• Proven track record of setting up relevant functions in new, standalone organisations.
• Comfortable working with significant internal and external pressures and used to prioritising competing demands on time.
• Experience of managing in adversity while remaining calm and balanced.
• A degree and ACA (or equivalent) qualification in a well-regarded professional services/blue-chip corporate.
• 10+ years of strong financial controllership experience, preferably in the Group Financial Controller role of a listed or PE backed global organisation.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, particularly in IFRS and consolidation accounting.
• Demonstrable track record of setting up a standalone Group Finance function in a significant, complex organisation.
• Excellent communication and questioning skills with the authority and credibility to gain respect both internally and externally with people at all levels (including at Board level).
• Specific sector credentials not required, but experience of working in fast paced, high growth environments is essential.
• A proven capability to work within (or with) a PE-backed business and in a fast-paced environment requiring a hands-on and flexible approach.

At Kantar we have an integrated way of rewarding our people based around a simple, clear and consistent set of principles. Our approach helps to ensure we are market competitive and to support a pay for performance culture, where your reward and career progression opportunities are linked to what you deliver. We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion, and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in. Apply for a career that’s out of the ordinary and join us. We want to create an equality of opportunity in a fair and supportive working environment where people feel included, accepted, and are allowed to flourish in a space where their mental health and wellbeing is taken into consideration. We want to create a more diverse community to expand our talent pool, be locally representative, drive diversity of thinking and better commercial outcomes. At Kantar, the diversity of our employees provides a richer environment for our employees and broader depth and breadth of thinking for our clients. Kantar is committed to inclusion and diversity; therefore, we welcome applications from all sections of society and do not discriminate based on age, race, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristics.