Group Financial Controller

Kantar Group; London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kantar Group is seeking an Interim Group Financial Controller in London to lead the development of a world-class finance function. This role requires a strategic finance leader with extensive experience in financial management, reporting standards, and stakeholder engagement, particularly within high-growth environments. The successful candidate will help prepare the business for a successful standalone operation.

Benefits

Market competitive salary

Career progression opportunities

Support for mental health and wellbeing

Qualifications

• 10+ years of financial controllership experience.
• Demonstrated experience in PE-backed environments.
• Strong technical knowledge in IFRS and consolidation accounting.

Responsibilities

• Managing financial accounting and reporting according to IFRS.
• Leading the development of a robust Group Finance function.
• Oversight of the group audit process and internal controls.

Skills

Financial controllership

Stakeholder management

Technical accounting

Communication

Education

ACA or equivalent qualification

Degree in finance or related field

Job description

Media help partners understand the changing advertising landscape. Specialising in audience measurement, consumer targeting and in-depth intelligence into paid, owned and earned media, their global coverage and local expertise enable better understanding of media audiences and their relationships with brands.

Kantar Media is a wholly owned but operationally independent part of the Kantar Group.

#LI-KantarMedia

Job Details

As people increasingly move across channels and platforms, Kantar Media's data and audience measurement, targeting, analytics and advertising intelligence services unlock insights to inform powerful decision-making.

Working with panel and first-party data in over 80 countries, we have the world's fastest growing cross-media measurement footprint, underpinned by versatility, scale, technology and expertise, to drive long-term business growth for our clients and partners.

Job Title: Group Financial Controller

Location: London, Gray's Inn Road

Role Description

Following its separation from Kantar Group and acquisition by H.I.G., Kantar Media is entering a pivotal growth phase. CEO Patrick Béhar and Interim CFO Giles Richardson are seeking an accomplished Interim Group Financial Controller to support the transition to a standalone business.

Reporting to the CFO, this strategic role will lead the development of a best-in-class Group Finance function, focusing on reporting, processes, and systems. The ideal candidate will be a commercially minded finance leader with strong stakeholder management skills, capable of preparing the business for future exit and ensuring smooth post-exit integration.

Much of the separation groundwork is complete, and support from Kantar Group will continue via service agreements.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing all financial accounting to a high level and in accordance with IFRS. This includes reporting of the Group's annual and quarterly results to the high standards required by a hands-on PE sponsor - akin to that required of a listed entity.
• Managing the Group's financial and accounting policies and controlling governance, including management of reporting processes, reporting chart of accounts and intercompany transactions. Drive continuous improvement of financial control frameworks, promoting best practices to enhance the efficiency and quality of financial reporting processes.
• Balance sheet and cash flow, ensure accurate reporting of company-level balance sheet and cash flow, building in robust review processes with regional teams. Strong governance and support of intangible assets, particular on development of new services, products and platforms.
• Responsibility for the development and implementation of the internal control environment of the business. Develop and maintain a strong, robust financial control environment to support current business activities and future growth.
• Technical accounting and support, supported by the Technical Reporting accounting, provide leadership in technical accounting across the Group. Ensuring compliance with IFRS accounting standards and financial regulations. Key point of contact for any finance related questions from the Board and wider business in absence of / in tandem with the CFO.
• Management of the group audit process to a smooth and timely conclusion with no material issues on policy or accounting adjustments.
• Build, lead and coach the Head Office finance team and oversee the insourced finance shared service operation.
• Establish a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external parties including the PE sponsor, suppliers and advisors.
• Development, operation and control of the consolidation and reporting system including managing a project to utilise the system more effectively.
• Support M&A and other significant corporate development activities, such as capital programmes, restructuring, investments and partnerships. This will include planning & modelling, transaction support, business integration and acquisition / separation accounting.

Skills and qualifications

• Strong technical yet business focused finance professional with a demonstrable track record of career progression in well-regarded PE backed and listed environments
• The ability to drive the finance agenda across the different stakeholders, who will have differing views, knowledge, and appetites towards finance. The ability to thrive in a changing and growing international organisation with experience of managing all things finance related in a similarly complex yet collaborative environment. Proven track record of setting up relevant functions in new, standalone organisations.
• Comfortable working with significant internal and external pressures. Used to prioritising competing demands on time. Experience of managing in adversity while remaining calm and balanced. A degree and ACA (or equivalent) qualification in a well-regarded professional services / blue-chip corporate.
• 10+ years of strong financial controllership experience, and preferably time spent in the Group Financial Controller role of a listed or PE backed global organisation.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, particularly in IFRS and consolidation accounting
• Demonstrable track record of setting up a standalone Group Finance function in a significant, complex organisation.
• Excellent communication and great questioning skills with the authority and credibility to gain respect both internally and externally with people at all levels (including at Board level).
• Specific sector credentials not required, but experience of working in fast paced, high growth environments is essential.
• A proven capability to work within (or with) a PE-backed business and in a fast-paced environment requiring a hands-on and flexible approach.

At Kantar we have an integrated way of rewarding our people based around a simple, clear and consistent set of principles. Our approach helps to ensure we are market competitive and to support a pay for performance culture, where your reward and career progression opportunities are linked to what you deliver.

We go beyond the obvious, using intelligence, passion, and creativity to inspire new thinking and shape the world we live in. Apply for a career that's out of the ordinary and join us.

We want to create an equality of opportunity in a fair and supportive working environment where people feel included, accepted, and are allowed to flourish in a space where their mental health and wellbeing is taken into consideration. We want to create a more diverse community to expand our talent pool, be locally representative, drive diversity of thinking and better commercial outcomes.

At Kantar, the diversity of our employees provides a richer environment for our employees and broader depth and breadth of thinking for our clients. Kantar is committed to inclusion and diversity; therefore, we welcome applications from all sections of society and do not discriminate based on age, race, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Privacy and Legal Statement

PRIVACY DISCLOSURE: Please note that by applying to this opportunity you consent to the personal data you provide to us to be processed and retained by Kantar Media. Your details will be kept on our Internal ATS (Applicant Tracking System) for as long as is necessary for the purposes of recruitment, which may include your details being shared with the hiring manager(s) and for consideration for potential future opportunities by Kantar and its affiliate Kantar group companies. For full details of our privacy policy please visit www.kantar.com

Country

United Kingdom

Why join Kantar?

We pride ourselves on understanding people, and what makes us think and act the way we do.

And because we know people, we like to make sure our own people are being looked after as well. Equality of opportunity for everyone is our highest priority and we support our colleagues to work in a way that supports their health and wellbeing. While we encourage teams to spend part of their working week in the office, we understand no one size fits all; our approach is flexible to ensure everybody feels included, accepted, and that we can win together. We're dedicated to creating an inclusive culture and value the diversity of our people, clients, suppliers and communities, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds and sections of society. Even if you feel like you're not an exact match, we'd love to receive your application and talk to you about this job or others at Kantar.