Group Chief Financial Officer in London

Role Overview

Reports To: Group Chief Executive Officer

Location: London (3/4 days a week)

Role Purpose

The Group CFO is the principal financial adviser to the Group CEO and the Board. The role provides strategic financial leadership across a complex, multi-billion-revenue international corporate portfolio. The successful candidate will act as a key commercial partner and rigorous financial challenger, navigating high-volume, low-margin dynamics while overseeing a highly complex pension fund matching or exceeding the scale of the Group's liabilities.

MUST Haves

• Worked in a highly transformative, large (multi billion revenue) brand with strong exposure to influence international board level decisions.
• In a current CFO, dep CFO or large Divisional CFO role with FTSE 250 or PE backed environments.
• You will have operated in a true 'group' structure and have the ability to vary your executive style between multiple international and UK brands.

Direct Reports

• Group Financial Controller (covering Group corporate accounting, technical accounting, and operational business unit controls)
• Director of Treasury
• Director of Group FP&A
• Director of Pension Strategy / CEOs of Pension Trusts
• Controls and Internal Audit (joint leadership with the GFC)

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnering & Board-Level Engagement
  • Act as the principal financial partner to the Group CEO.
  • Provide high-level, rigorous financial interaction and strategic counsel directly to principal PE investors and key executive stakeholders.
  • Synthesize operational and financial insights from diverse business units to shape and execute overarching corporate strategy.
  • Ensure the Executive Committee executes commercial decisions on a consistent, high-quality financial framework.
  • Represent the Finance function on the Group Board and its respective committees.
• Portfolio Management & Transformational Mandate
  • Actively drive financial leadership within a rapid turnaround and major transformational environment.
  • Successfully navigate a highly diverse corporate portfolio mix, dedicating targeted focus to a heavy-volume, low-margin domestic core operation (~70% of the mandate) while providing high-level oversight to a lighter-touch, thriving international brand.
  • Drive Group-level M&A strategy, including the execution, negotiation, and valuation tracking of partnerships, acquisitions, and strategic disposals.
• Pension Strategy & Governance
  • Lead the Group's comprehensive pension strategy across multiple defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) schemes.
  • Maintain ultimate accountability for a highly complex pension fund.
  • Own the executive relationship with the Trustee Boards, ensuring all pension strategies align with long-term capital allocation and corporate objectives.
• Financing, Treasury, and Capital Structure
  • Own the Group capital structure, funding strategy, and liquidity risk frameworks.
  • Lead all high-level corporate financing activities, overseeing debt facilities, liquidity management, banking relationships, and rating agencies.
  • Provide continuous oversight to an elevated, sophisticated Treasury function.
• Financial Control, FP&A, and Operational Style
  • Maintain a highly detailed, "roll-up-the-sleeves" approach, staying deeply on top of core financial data, volume metrics, and performance indicators.
  • Ensure absolute integrity of Group financial reporting and manage the consolidated control environment across all operational business units.
  • Direct Group-wide planning, budgeting, and rolling forecasting through the Head of FP&A.
  • Establish and run a unified performance framework that operates smoothly across a decentralised finance community.
• Leadership of a Decentralised Function
  • Operate effectively within a decentralised, international matrix model where core operating subsidiaries maintain their own dedicated operational CFOs.
  • Establish clear Group governance, standards, compliance, and strategic performance expectations.
  • Foster deep collaborative relationships with subsidiary finance directors and their management teams.
  • Champion capability, technical training, and leadership succession planning across the broader finance community.

Candidate Experience and Capability

• Corporate Scale: An upward-trend executive coming out of a large, complex, multi-billion-revenue environment.
• Mandate Fit: Proven track record as a leader who actively thrives and delivers results within rapid turnaround, restructuring, and major transformational environments.
• Portfolio Diversity: True "Group" corporate exposure, managing a distinct portfolio mix comprising high-touch mature operations alongside lighter-touch growth assets.
• Capital Markets & Corporate Finance: Deep expertise in capital structure optimization, treasury, and corporate debt alongside a demonstrable M&A track record.
• Stakeholder Management: Broad experience operating with demanding Boards, PE investors, or major long-term institutional shareholders.
• Operational Model: Proven ability to influence, guide, and lead within a decentralised operating model.

Leadership Characteristics

• Operational Style: A hands-on, "roll-up-the-sleeves" professional who is deeply analytical and on top of numbers, balancing detail with macroscopic strategic vision.
• Cultural Fit: A resilient, low-ego, high-output executive focused on execution and performance over hierarchy.
• Strategic Judgement: Commercially astute, independent-minded, and analytically strong when working with complex datasets.
• Relationship Focus: Highly effective partner and constructive challenger to the Group CEO, capable of navigating senior peer dynamics effortlessly.

Package details

£1.4M+ comp with variables. Broken down into basic, car, bonus and LTIPs. Basic £350,000-£400,000 (with a degree of flex for the right candidate).

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