Primary Responsibility:
This position directly reports to the Global CFO and is functionally accountable for adherence to Americold’s enterprise finance standards, International finance strategy, governance, and services. This position sits on the International Leadership Team and acts as the primary finance partner to the President, International, co-leading the regional business across APAC and Europe and providing independent financial oversight. This position will lead all aspects of the finance function, including accounting, commercial finance, reporting/forecasting, tax, governance, treasury, JV governance and administration and shared services.
Further, this position contributes to the business growth and culture agenda, ensuring the Finance function supports our growth agenda and operates consistently, promoting Americold values. This position will also serve as a bridge between Atlanta HQ and Americold’s international operations, ensuring consistency in performance management, accountability and operating discipline across regions.
Essential Functions:
- Develop and execute the International Finance Strategy to support both business-as-usual operations and the broader transformation agenda across all regions.
- Lead and build a high-performing finance organization, ensuring the right talent is in place and fostering strong business partnerships through a customer-centric approach.
- Ensure full compliance with accounting standards, governance requirements, and internal policies; oversee enterprise risk management and the internal control framework.
- Deliver timely, accurate, and insightful financial reporting that enables effective decision-making and proactive management of risks and opportunities. Ensure compliance with all monthly, annual, and regulatory reporting requirements.
- Drive an effective, globally aligned budgeting and forecasting process that supports strategic planning and performance management.
- Optimize cash flow management and actively reduce debtor exposure to strengthen financial liquidity.
- Partner with regional and global stakeholders to ensure effective capital allocation, management, and reporting.
- Provide strategic commercial finance support to drive value creation, enhance customer outcomes, and position the business for sustainable growth.
- Evaluate return on investment (ROI) and support the development of robust business cases for capital projects, including new builds, property investments, and acquisitions.
- Ensure compliance with all tax and treasury obligations while optimizing related processes and outcomes.
- Oversee the delivery of finance shared services, driving accuracy, efficiency, and strong customer service; further embed the Barcelona Shared Services Centre through clearly defined SLAs that meet global business needs.
- Collaborate with IT to ensure effective financial systems governance, optimization, and utilization.
- Maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and internal policies.
- Champion a safety-first culture by promoting rigorous standards, consistent processes, and accountable behaviors across all activities.
- Perform additional duties as required to support business objectives.
Education, Training & Professional Experience:
- Proven experience leading an International Finance function, or significant components across all or major parts of APAC, Europe and Middle East.
- Proven leader in developing talent, capabilities and teams.
- Proven track record in executing organizational centralization strategies and leading both in-house and outsourced shared service centers supporting core finance operations.
- Experience in establishment and administration of Joint Ventures
- Relevant REIT and/or logistics Industry experience.
- Relevant tertiary education, in accounting or finance.
- Expertise in forming and maintaining new business relationships.
- Proven ability in strategy development, program implementation, team building, mentoring, planning and budgeting.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a dynamic team within a fast-paced and competitive environment to deliver on business goals.
- Degree qualified and CPA (minimum). MBA preferred
Knowledge & Employment Standards:
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain business relationships with Executive-level decision-makers and internal resources at all levels.
- Excellent leadership, interpersonal, presentation and organizational skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in one-on-one and group settings.
- Excellent operational finance skills (rate development, performance management, operating statements, creative financial solutions).
- Excellent presentation and follow-up skills (PowerPoint & Excel skills are critical).
- Demonstrated excellence across core leadership capabilities, including time management, communication, decision-making, organizational effectiveness, stakeholder engagement, presentation, negotiation, and team and project leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in high pressure, fast paced environment.
- Strong business acumen.
- Demonstrated governance, discipline and accountability to core finance and business programs.
- Professional appearance and presentation required.
- Ability to commit to and manage the demands of required travel.
Physical Requirements & Abilities:
- Requires the ability to sit for long periods of time, with frequent interruptions.
- Requires several hours per day of sitting, getting up and down from chairs, and reaching, or bending.
- Requires manual dexterity with normal hand and finger movements for typical office work.
- Talking, hearing, and seeing are important elements of completing assigned tasks.
- Requires frequent travel approximately 50% of the time or as required by the business.
- May be required to visit facility operations in temperatures at or below freezing.
- Requires the use of various electronic tools and equipment, e.g printer, laptops, computers, etc.
- Willingness to work to global time zone constraints that will require some early morning or later evenings to manage outcomes and team engagements in order to complete objectives or to attend important meetings.
- Requires the ability to relate to others beyond giving and receiving instructions: must partner with colleagues without exhibiting behavioral extremes.
- Requires the performance of work activities including reasoning, negotiating, instructing, persuading, or speaking with others; and respond appropriately to constructive feedback from executive management.
