Chief Financial Officer

Our exclusive client is a private equity backed, fast growing acquisitive manufacturer of high value specialist products.

Led by a highly experienced and dynamic management team, it has developed a strong market presence in each of its key markets, and has a forward thinking, ambitious and innovative culture. Having made significant investment in enlarged production facilities and the development of new products, and is now also exploring international markets and is ideally placed to exploit emerging opportunities.

Having reached a turnover in excess of £60m, it has ambitious plans to reach £100m through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

As part of these plans, they are now seeking to appoint an outstanding and commercially orientated CFO who will help deliver further profitable growth and drive the business on towards a successful exit in due course.

Reporting to the CEO, key responsibilities in this broad ranging role will include:

• Leadership and development of the Finance, IT and HR functions ensuring the business has the first-class commercial support, MIS and infrastructure it requires to underpin further growth
• Full responsibility for all annual, monthly and ad hoc reporting and company secretarial duties
• Providing commercial and strategic input to assist in the growth of the business
• Ensuring shareholder value creation is a key consideration within senior management decision-making, and providing robust financial decision-making tools to senior management
• Driving a culture of profit improvement and efficiency across the business
• Communicating financial drivers and issues clearly and simply to internal and external stakeholders
• Continued robust management of working capital, including cash management and tax structuring
• Providing financial, commercial, legal and taxation input into key business decisions, and acting as financial and commercial aide to the CEO and other senior directors
• Taking financial responsibility for strategic / corporate finance / transactional matters (company, business and property acquisitions and disposals, fundraisings, financial projections etc)
• Overseeing and reviewing all major contracts for financial, commercial and legal robustness
• Overseeing all commercial legal matters and controlling the issue of legal work to external parties

The successful candidate will be able to combine high levels of technical and commercial capability, together with the requisite drive, leadership and communication skills that will quickly instil respect and confidence across the business.

Robust, pragmatic with a positive ‘can do’ outlook, they will be able to demonstrate high levels of achievement in their career to date and be passionate about ensuring finance plays a fully integrated role across other operational and commercial areas.

Particularly relevant and advantageous experience will include:

• Experience within growing businesses with exposure to external stakeholders such as private equity investors and bank finance
• Experience within a manufacturing business, with evidence of a successful track record of cash, net working capital and margin improvement
• Experience of commercial and contractual issues within a manufacturing business
• Corporate finance and transactional experience, including potentially acquisitions, fundraisings, private equity deals, flotations and disposals
• Experience of improving and scaling financial, accounting and other information systems as a business grows