Senior Director, EMEA Finance

Ankura is a team of excellence founded on innovation and growth. The finance function is part of Ankura's corporate function. Ankura’s Finance organisation continues to scale in response to sustained growth across EMEA and APAC. This role sits within Ankura Business Services (ABS) and is part of the Global Finance function.

Role Overview

The position reports to the Finance Director EMEA & APAC and has primary responsibility for regional accounting, statutory reporting, tax coordination and financial governance across a multi‑entity, multi‑currency footprint spanning EMEA and APAC—setting a tone of integrity and accountability through robust controls, transparent reporting and timely risk escalation. The role works closely with peer Finance Managers in Asia and the Middle East, as well as Legal / Company Secretarial and the International Tax team, communicating clearly across regions to align priorities and resolve issues quickly. It also provides regional leadership support to global initiatives led from the US, contributing to transformation through process standardisation, Workday enablement and smart automation. The role is based in London and operates under Ankura’s hybrid working model, building strong relationships and an inclusive, high‑performing team culture across locations.

Organisational Context & People Management

• Reports to: Finance Director – EMEA & APAC
• Direct reports: Two Manager‑level finance professionals
• Key collaborators:

• Regional Finance Managers (Asia & Middle East)
• Legal / Company Secretarial
• International Tax team
• US‑based Global Accounting and Finance Transformation teams

Key Responsibilities

• Regional Financial Accounting & Close

• End‑to‑end ownership of regional accounting and close processes for EMEA & APAC group entities, including month‑end, quarter‑end and year‑end close.
• Drive consistency, quality and timeliness of close outputs across multiple jurisdictions and legal entities.
• Act as senior reviewer and escalation point for complex accounting matters, including FX, intercompany, entity changes and acquisition‑related activity.

• Build a deep understanding of available functionality within Workday Financials, including close, journal, reconciliation, reporting and controls capabilities.
• Actively optimise Workday usage to improve the speed, control and quality of the financial close, reducing manual adjustments and offline workarounds.
• Standardise close processes and calendars across EMEA & APAC using Workday‑enabled solutions.
• Partner with IT, systems and US‑based finance teams to enhance Workday configuration, reporting and automation where appropriate.

• Regional lead for external audits, including planning, coordination of fieldwork, issue resolution and timely delivery.
• Oversight of statutory financial statements and regulatory filings, ensuring alignment across accounting, tax and legal positions.
• Manage auditor relationships and support audit tendering or transitions as required.

• Work closely with the International Tax team on corporate tax, indirect tax, permanent establishment risk and cross‑border activity.
• Coordinate finance input into company secretarial matters, including entity governance, restructurings and statutory compliance.
• Support senior stakeholders with finance input into regulatory, risk and compliance matters.

• Drive adoption of AI‑enabled tools (including Copilot and related solutions) to improve close efficiency, review quality and insight generation.
• Identify opportunities to automate reconciliations, variance analysis and review processes where control‑appropriate.
• Support the US Finance team on global finance initiatives, including close optimisation, policy alignment and process improvements.

• Ensure strong financial controls and governance across regional entities, identifying risks and leading remediation plans.
• Champion consistent and disciplined use of Workday Financials as the single source of truth.
• Lead regional contributions to global accounting policies, procedures and operating model enhancements.

• Direct line management of two Manager‑level finance roles, including performance management and development.
• Build strong working relationships across regions and functions, balancing local execution with global standards.

Requirements

• Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Experience in accounting and financial management roles
• Experience operating in a multi‑entity, multi‑currency international organisation
• Professional services or project‑based environment experience strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of IFRS and US GAAP
• Experience with Workday Financials a plus, but close and reporting optimisation in similar ERP environment desirable.
• Proven track record improving financial close speed, quality and control
• Strong Excel skills and comfort working with complex financial data
• Enthusiasm and curiosity in leveraging automation and AI tools in finance processes
• Confident communicator with an authentic interpersonal style.