Regional Finance Director, EPD APAC

Abbott; Singapore; On-site; SGD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott in Singapore seeks a Regional Finance Director to lead a regional finance and demand planning organization across 11 affiliate markets, guiding strategic financial planning, performance management, and governance. You will partner with the APAC leadership team and the Divisional VP to drive growth, profitability, cash flow, and value creation.

You will oversee a team of 5 direct reports and 30+ indirect, shaping talent development, digital transformation, and compliance with Abbott

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience.
• Experience leading regional finance organizations across multiple countries.
• Proven ability to partner with senior commercial and operational leaders.

Responsibilities

• Strategic partnership with APAC leadership and affiliate GMs to drive growth and value creation.
• Lead annual plans, LBE, strategic plan, and long-range planning across the region.
• Evaluate commercial investments, pricing, and portfolio optimization for profitability.
• Oversee demand planning, S&OP, inventory management, and working capital optimization.
• Ensure governance, compliance, internal controls, and risk management across APAC.

Skills

Strategic finance leadership

Business partnering

FP&A

Forecasting

Risk management

S&OP

SAP ERP

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting

MBA / CPA / CMA / ACCA or equivalent

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Primary Job Function

The Regional Finance Director serves as a key member of the APAC Leadership Team and acts as the principal finance business partner to the Divisional Vice President, APAC. The role provides strategic leadership for all financial planning, business performance management, demand planning, governance, risk management, and finance talent development across the Asia Pacific region.

The position is accountable for driving sustainable growth, profitability, cash flow optimization, and value creation across 11 affiliate markets representing approximately USD 635 million in annual revenue. The role ensures robust financial stewardship while supporting commercial decision-making, portfolio optimization, supply chain efficiency, and long-term strategic planning.

The Regional Finance Director leads a geographically dispersed finance and demand planning organization, fostering a culture of accountability, business partnership, continuous improvement, and compliance with Abbott policies and external regulatory requirements.

Core Job Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as trusted advisor and strategic partner to the APAC Divisional Vice President and affiliate General Managers.
• Influence business strategy through insightful financial analysis, scenario planning, risk assessment, and performance management.
• Drive strategic decision making related to growth investments, portfolio prioritization, pricing strategies, market expansion, acquisitions, divestitures, and business development opportunities.
• Challenge assumptions and provide objective financial perspectives to maximize shareholder value and sustainable business growth.
• Actively participate in APAC Leadership Team discussions, contributing to strategic direction and organizational priorities.

Financial Planning & Performance Management

• Lead the annual Plan, quarterly Latest Best Estimate (LBE), Strategic Plan, and Long-Range Planning (LRP) processes across the region.
• Establish robust forecasting methodologies that improve predictability, transparency, and business decision-making.
• Monitor regional performance against revenue, profitability, margin, expense, cash flow, and working capital objectives.
• Drive accountability for financial commitments through rigorous performance reviews and business operating mechanisms.
• Identify risks and opportunities proactively and recommend corrective actions to ensure delivery of business objectives.
• Develop and implement financial KPIs and dashboards to enhance business insights and operational effectiveness.

Commercial Finance & Value Creation

• Partner with commercial leadership to drive profitable growth and sustainable market expansion.
• Lead financial evaluation of commercial investments, promotional effectiveness, new product launches, pricing initiatives, and business development opportunities.
• Drive optimization of gross margin and operating margin through disciplined resource allocation and investment prioritization.
• Support portfolio strategy by assessing product profitability, lifecycle management opportunities, and market attractiveness.
• Deliver actionable insights that improve resource deployment and maximize return on investment across APAC markets.

Demand Planning, Supply Chain & Working Capital

• Provide executive oversight of regional demand planning and forecasting processes.
• Lead collaboration between Finance, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Affiliate teams to improve forecast accuracy and inventory management.
• Drive initiatives to optimize working capital, inventory turns, service levels, and cash generation.
• Support regional S&OP processes through financial integration and performance analytics.
• Ensure financial implications of supply chain decisions are fully understood and incorporated into decision-making.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Maintain a strong control environment consistent with Abbott policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with internal control standards, local regulations, and corporate financial policies.
• Lead financial risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring activities across APAC.
• Oversee internal and external audit processes and ensure timely remediation of findings.
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency, and ethical business conduct.
• Ensure effective governance around financial reporting, decision-making, contracting, and investment approvals.

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing regional finance and demand planning organization.
• Build organizational capabilities aligned with future business requirements and succession planning needs.
• Create a strong culture of inclusion, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Identify and develop high-potential talent while driving engagement and retention across the finance organization.
• Champion finance functional excellence through best practice sharing, capability building, and process standardization.

Business Transformation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead finance transformation initiatives that improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Drive adoption of digital technologies, automation, advanced analytics, and AI-enabled decision support tools.
• Simplify processes and strengthen operating discipline across planning, reporting, and performance management activities.
• Promote standardization and harmonization of finance processes across APAC affiliates.
• Support enterprise-wide transformation initiatives and change management programs.

Supervisory/Management Responsibilities

Leads 5 direct reports and +30 indirect reports across APAC finance and demand planning organizations.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• MBA, CPA, CMA, ACCA, CA or equivalent professional qualification strongly preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of progressive finance leadership experience within multinational organizations.
• Significant experience leading regional finance organizations across multiple countries and cultures.
• Demonstrated success partnering with senior commercial and operational leaders.
• Strong experience in FP&A, commercial finance, business partnering, forecasting, strategic planning, and performance management.
• Experience in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, FMCG, consumer healthcare, or similarly regulated industries preferred.
• Proven track record in leading organizational transformation and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience managing demand planning, S&OP, inventory management, and working capital optimization.
• Strong understanding of multinational governance and compliance frameworks.

Key Competencies

Business & Financial Leadership

• Strategic Financial Planning
• Business Partnering
• Commercial Acumen
• Performance Management
• Capital Allocation
• Value Creation
• M&A Evaluation
• Risk Management

Functional Excellence

• FP&A
• Demand Planning
• S&OP
• Financial Controls
• Internal Audit & Compliance
• Financial Reporting
• Forecasting & Analytics
• SAP and ERP Systems

Leadership Competencies

• Enterprise Leadership
• Influence & Stakeholder Management
• Executive Presence
• Change Leadership
• Talent Development
• Cross-Cultural Leadership
• Decision Making Under Uncertainty
• Organizational Agility

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
• High level of integrity and personal accountability
• Resilient and results-oriented
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to influence without authority
• Effective communicator with the ability to simplify complex issues