Finance Director, South Asia & Pacific

THE COMPANY
Inchcape is the leading independent multi-brand global automotive distributor, operating in over 40 markets and territories with a portfolio of the world’s leading automotive brands. It is present on six continents and operates across Asia, Australasia, Central and South America, Africa, Europe and the UK. Inchcape employs over 19,000 people worldwide and operate or manage through a third party network of retailers over 1,000 points of sale, as well as a digital sales and marketing network that extends to cover most of its operations.
Inchcape's core purpose is “Bringing mobility to the world's communities – for today, for tomorrow and for the better”. Inchcape is on an ambitious growth journey powered by its Accelerate strategy. The Accelerate strategy is their response to an industry undergoing unprecedented change and is designed to maximise the significant opportunities presented by current and future automotive trends.
Inchcape’s ambition is to become the undisputed number one distribution partner for automotive manufacturers, the employer of choice for current and future employees and the stock of choice for our investors. Underpinning its business operations is the Responsible Business strategy and ‘Driving What Matters’ plan through which Inchcape aims to make a positive contribution to the communities in which it operates and to society at large.

The company has a proud 170+ years’ history and has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1958. It is headquartered in London, employing around 19,000 people globally.

Inchcape’s value chain comprises six key elements which provide full spectrum ‘Differentiated Distribution’ services for our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners:
1. Product planning Through extensive market knowledge, informing the planning and design of new models, tailoring to the needs of each geography.
2. Logistics Operating comprehensive port or border to showroom connections to remove the logistical burden from our OEM partners.
3. Brand and marketing Proposition development and brand positioning from pricing to promotion, maximising market share for our partners.
4. Channel management Optimising reach and communications to our customers and driving conversion through personalised and tailored marketing.
5. Retail services Selecting and appointing independent dealers, optimising the retail portfolio across each market and implementing the omni-channel network for new and used sales, and Finance and Insurance (F&I).
6. Aftermarket services Servicing, body shop and parts via the omni-channel retail network, and multi-brand parts distribution.
Further information regarding Inchcape can be found on the company website: www.inchcape.com

KEY INCHCAPE PLC FACTS
Annual revenue of £11.4bn (2023)
Profit before tax and adjusted items: £502m (2023)
19,000+ employees
6 continents and 40+ International markets
90+ years Automotive experience
50+ brand partners

SA&P scope:
Guam, Saipan, Thailand, Brunei, Philippines

ROLE SUMMARY
The Finance Director for South Asia and Pacific will serve as a key member of the cluster management team. This role places a premium on strategic and inspirational finance leadership and a deep commitment and willingness to learn the cluster.
The successful candidate will report to the Regional CFO (APAC), with a dotted line reporting and key partner to the Managing Director for the cluster. They will also be the key partner to the cluster leadership team and regional finance leadership team to actively lead, participate, and facilitate the company’s growth efforts in the cluster. Supporting the delivery of the global finance transformation agenda will also be a key deliverable.
This is an entrepreneurial Finance Director role where the individual will need to deal with ambiguity and be comfortable balancing the strategic with everyday tactical decisions. They will also help drive the M&A agenda and new OEM contract wins, with further inorganic growth expected in the short term. They will use their growth mindset to enable the ambition of growing its contribution to Inchcape.
The incoming postholder will use their financial insights to evaluate operating data, detect business trends and prepare financial analysis and results that comply with the best industry practices, regulatory requirements, and accounting principles.

JOB ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Strategic business partner. Act as a strategic and analytical thought partner and strategic advisor to the cluster leadership team on a wide range of financial, strategic, operational, IT, and organizational issues that will influence Inchcape’s growth and performance in the cluster
• Operational Finance. Partner with management teams to develop and manage the company's key operating mechanisms. Partner with commercial and operational finance leaders to provide relevant and timely analysis, benchmarks and business insights that inform business decisions and drive profitable growth. Develop and review financial forecasts with management to assure business performance is in line with expectations. Recommend actions for improvement as appropriate.
• Management Reporting and Planning. Develop and oversee strategic long-term planning, cost controls, objectives, goals and policies for the company. Lead the markets annual budget process and overall financial modeling, planning and analysis functions. Deliver consistent financial results year after year.
• Financial management. Provide cross-functional leadership to ensure effective use of capital in the markets. In partnership with regional HQ, lead the evaluation of new growth opportunities for the market. Develop a strong foundation for both financial management processes + management reporting on which we can scale the business
• Team Leadership. Develop, manage, and motivate a strong financial team through trust and mentorship. Be a bridge-builder, collaborating and managing hands on to enhance the capabilities and drive organization excellence. Retain a highly effective finance team capable of working closely alongside corporate and country leadership teams to help drive results. Develop the next generation of finance talent for the organization.
• Stewardship. Partner with the FDs and regional FCs to ensure the fiscal integrity of the business through enhancement and management of accounting systems and controls.

DESIRED OUTCOMES:
• Effectively partner with the regional and cluster leadership team to establish a best-in-class finance function that can drive the continued growth of Inchcape in South Asia and Pacific
• Be a key leader in the continued organic and inorganic growth of Inchcape in the cluster, with the immediate focus on new OEM partnerships already underway.
• Empower and establish a finance team with excellent credentials that is adding value cross-functionally at all levels.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The Finance Director we seek is an accomplished financial executive with unquestionable integrity, a positive reputation, drive, and demonstrated success serving as a market FD of a global business with relevant scale. They will have proven experience as a strategic financial leader and be comfortable partnering with both the regional and cluster teams as a thought partner. The ideal candidate must also have the energy to thrive in a dynamic emerging markets environment, with the desire to increase knowledge and expertise.

The ideal candidate has a strong track record of providing financial and strategic leadership and delivering impressive long-term value. They will be a strategic and operationally focused Finance Director that has experience across all aspects of the finance function, with experience operating in an environment that has an active investment agenda. They will also have a strong future orientation and strategic ability, someone who looks around corners and anticipates both problems and opportunities as Inchcape continue to thrive and grow in the region. They will show experience of having built robust financial processes, instilling a discipline of financial controls and taking responsibility for financial integrity, all of which provide a platform from which the Finance Director and broader leadership can make effective commercial decisions.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES:

1 3-5+ years’ experience as a Finance Director for an organization of similar scale and complexity This could be from a range of industries beyond automotive distribution, but there must be a thread of consumer focus throughout their background, ideally from pedigree corporate environments i.e. retail or consumer products and goods (CPG).

2 Proven Business Partner Strong track record in partnering with Regional and Country leaders as well as the Group CFO and global leadership team to recommend and execute strategies to support business growth.

3 Established Team Leader Proven track record of leading, building, mentoring high-performing finance teams. A respected leader both within the finance function, as well as across the organization.

4 Academic pedigree A Chartered Accountant or other accounting qualification is a strong preference, alongside other academic qualifications.

5 Collaborating and Influencing
• Adapts own influencing approach to individuals, anticipating impact of words and actions
• Invites and incorporates the opinions and perspectives of others and other Inchcape functions to achieve alignment
• Pre-empts or resolves conflicts by discussing individual issues with each person
• Seeks to understand the different sides of an issue or disagreement

6 Strategic Thinking
• Creates well-defined plans for own area or team that translate broader Inchcape organisational goals into decisions or actions
• Considers how critical issues will play out beyond the year
• Thinks through the longer-term implications of decisions and actions and their impact on customers
• Adjusts plans to take new information or events into account

7 Driving Results
• Reviews performance and progress on a regular basis through metrics and KPIs to ensure the team is achieving required results
• Instills in the team a balance of thoughtful and robust thinking with pace, to deliver on goals
• Works to overcome obstacles and/or plans for contingencies
• Checks own and others’ work against required quality standards and recalibrates as needed

8 Building Talent
• Gives timely and specific feedback, offering suggestions for improvement
• Seeks to build a diverse team and to ensure an inclusive culture
• Helps individuals understand how their behaviour impacts their performance or relationships with others
• Meets regularly with team members to coach and support their development efforts
• Leverages HR processes (i.e. gathering 360 feedback) to support personal development