Blair West are supporting our client, a rapid growth, Private Equity backed business services firm with the confidential search for a Group FD. The group seeking to appoint an experienced and strategic finance leader to play a key role in delivering an ambitious growth plan which is underpinned by a series of strategic acquisitions. The Group FD will lead a growing finance team and support the Group MD and CEO through strategic, commercial and analytical insight as the business scales.

Our client is a well-established, highly regarded technical business services firm with a multi-disciplined offering and reputation for service quality. Following PE investment and several acquisitions successfully completed to date, the business provides the platform for significant, accelerated growth.

The appointment of an experienced finance professional, with relevant field-based industry experience, that fits with the dynamic of a highly entrepreneurial board room is a key element to the growth plan.

This is the opportunity to join an ambitious business as a key part of the leadership, which will take the business through a period of sustained, transformative growth.

The opportunity:

• Responsibility for the design and delivery of the finance and legal strategies that support the mission, vision and wider business strategy, aligned to Company values.
• Lead and develop the finance function, bringing knowledge of commercial finance, fundraising, corporate structuring, M&A, and upskilling the team where appropriate.
• Lead ongoing and future strategic growth projects, driving analysis, financial modelling and strategic insight workflows.
• Oversee the approval and processing of revenue, expenditure, payroll, ledger, and account maintenance and data entry.
• Oversee and produce, on a timely basis, consolidated and divisional monthly management accounts (P&L, Balance Sheet & Cashflow) and KPI reporting packs.
• Be an inspirational leader, driving accountability for achieving measurable shareholder value, developing internal talent, and identifying external talent who can deliver.
• Work collaboratively with other key central functions, providing support and positive challenge to the senior leaders of each function.
• Oversee and produce a detailed group, divisional, departmental and team annual budgets for board approval.
• Provide strategic financial advice and support to the Leadership Team, providing insight to aid decision-making.
• Drive financial performance and improve business profitability, maintaining a relentless focus on cash flow.
• Identify areas requiring improved robust financial controls and processes that drive stakeholder accountability, maintaining a cost-efficient culture.
• Support the CEO with leadership of external stakeholder relationships, including capital providers, and lead on advisor and investor interactions.

You’ll be the ideal candidate for this position if you have:

• Proven senior leadership experience in high growth, entrepreneurial businesses: ACA/ACCA or equivalent qualified accountant (with strong academics and major firm training) with over leadership experience at FD level and above.
• Previous board-level CFO / FD responsibilities.
• Private Equity experience and/or an understanding of leveraged operating models: Previous experience of a PE backed. environment with exposure to banks (and associated lending instruments) and acquisition/integrations. Buy-and-build/consolidation experience is strongly preferred. This experience should be more than observational.
• Industry understanding: Strong preference for candidates from a fleet service delivery business where planned preventative maintenance is a key part of the service offering, e.g. lift maintenance, boiler maintenance, security & fire alarm maintenance, and electrical safety maintenance.
• Led the financial performance of a business with £10-£20m revenue and multi-site operations.
• A strong preference for candidates with excellent financial modelling skills (Excel).
• Excellent cash management experience.
• Excellent commercial acumen.
• The self-confidence and leadership experience required to succeed: the successful candidate will have the self-confidence and intellect to constructively challenge strategic decision making, identify new strategic opportunities as well as lead and upskill an established finance team.

Our commitment:

Blair West is an equal-opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and inclusion at every stage of the recruitment process. We are committed to fairness, equality, and ongoing diversity training for our team to give our candidates and clients a feeling of belonging during their experience with us. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during their experience with us, please speak to their consultant. 

If you’d like to speak to someone about this opportunity:

Chris Marshall: [email protected] / 07468 359511