Global Finance Director

The role
As Global Finance Director, you oversee the agency's financial health and operational efficiency. Reporting to the Board and sitting on the Global Leadership Team, you collaborate with senior leadership to drive financial performance, lead the annual budgeting process, manage risk, and create conditions for future growth.

You are responsible for recruiting and managing a world-class finance team, innovating on processes and tools, and regularly representing the company to the Board of Directors.

Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Growth Strategy

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing finance team, including all finance functions and external partners.
• Support business development and commercial strategies through financial insights.
• Evaluate investment opportunities and new revenue streams.
• Oversee strategy and deployment of a future employee incentive scheme tied to company growth, including profit sharing and a potential EMI scheme.

Financial Strategy & Board Reporting

• Develop and execute financial strategies aligned with agency growth objectives.
• Present financial performance, KPIs, and strategic insights to the Board and leadership team.
• Drive improvements to weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting, including preparation of accounts for audit purposes in both the UK and The Netherlands.
• Bring innovations into data and analytics, utilising tools such as Power BI.
• Drive profitability analysis, ensuring optimal pricing models and resource allocation.

Operational & Performance Management

• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management for project-based revenue cycles.
• Improve management and reporting of FX exposure and transfer pricing strategies between studios.
• Help improve utilisation, billable hours tracking, and financial efficiency across teams.
• Implement best-in-class financial tools to enhance reporting and decision-making.
• Lead the implementation of a new financial accounting platform, ensuring seamless integration across global offices.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Manage contracts, client payment terms, and financial risks related to agency operations.
• Ensure compliance with tax regulations, audits, and corporate governance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Mitigate risks tied to project overruns, receivables, and extended payment terms.

Global Leadership Team

You are a key member of forpeople's Global Leadership Team, which is responsible for the overall management of the business, including creative, commercial, operational, and people functions.

Governance

• Meets weekly to review performance, people, client work, and strategic direction.
• Reviews quarterly objectives and drives key company decisions.
• Escalates major strategic decisions to the Board of Directors for input and approval.

Who We'd Like To Find

• Proven track record leading a global finance function, ideally within a creative, marketing, or consulting business.
• Experience driving financial growth in a consultancy business model.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to align financial goals with creative and business objectives.
• Strong expertise in financial modelling, cash flow management, pricing strategies, and revenue forecasting.
• Hands-on experience with board-level reporting and new platform implementation.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-currency, multi-jurisdiction finance operations.
• Experience managing employee incentive schemes including profit share.
• Confident in presenting to boards and senior stakeholders, and making data-informed strategic recommendations.
• Ability to work from our London studio at least 3 days a week, one of which will be Wednesday

Who We Are
We are forpeople, a global strategic creative agency with studios in London and Amsterdam. We are seeking a commercially driven Global Finance Director to lead our financial strategy, optimise profitability, and support business growth.

We work with a global portfolio of clients, with particular strength in the US and Asia. Our long-standing relationships include The Coca-Cola Company, Intercontinental Hotels, NIO, Panasonic, and Cunard.

What We Offer
People mean the world to us. That includes looking after our own, with things like:

• Global clients and world-class work
• A competitive salary
• A strong bonus and benefits package, reflecting both company and personal performance
• Training, support and personal career development
• A generous company pension
• A unique, inspiring working environment filled with incredible, like minded people

Apply for the job
Sound like you? Then we'd love to hear from you