Director Finance

Your Role in Our Story: The APAC Finance Director is the senior financial leader for ACT's Asia Pacific business and a key member of the APAC leadership team. You also have a fiduciary role alongside the VP APAC in the running of the business. Partnering closely with the VP APAC and regional business leaders, you will help shape the commercial and lead the financial direction of the region. You are financially accountable with the business for the value-cash-risk delivery and with that integrate finance, risk, legal, compliance activity for the APAC business: you make the judgment and set the priorities towards business delivery and performance within the boundaries set by the Group. You identify and assess risk and opportunities, also on behalf of Legal, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Risk, Compliance (provided minimal external regulatory obligations are met) This is a broad leadership role spanning commercial finance, financial planning and performance, controllership, cash and working capital, risk and governance, and finance team leadership. You will act as the bridge between APAC and ACT's global Finance and specialist functions to support informed and timely business decisions. You set the finance agenda, shape and challenge strategy, and integrate specialist inputs to ensure decisions are fact-based, timely, and compliant. With APAC being in a scale up phase, a key success factor will be for you to establish and bring together a positive learning environment so that the APAC Delivery accelerates together. The role requires someone who can move comfortably between the boardroom and the detail: challenging commercial decisions, being curious and driving new ideas, understanding the economics and risks and opportunities of transactions, while ensuring that the fundamentals of Finance remain strong. What You Will Do Partner the business and shape APAC strategy • Work closely with the VP APAC and regional leadership team to translate ACT's strategy into financial priorities, resource allocation and measurable business outcomes. • Provide independent financial challenge and insight on commercial opportunities, investments, new products, market expansion and other strategic decisions. The FD acts as the functional coordinator and decision partner to the VP, safeguarding appropriate SoD and the 4-eyes principle and with that provide independent functional support and involving relevant experts or LoD2 where the FD considers appropriate. For activity requiring group approvals, the FD coordinates the required LoD2 review and support and therefore provides assurance that the appropriate LoD2 involvement has taken placed. • Evaluate opportunities through a value, cash and risk lens, balancing growth ambitions with appropriate financial discipline and protection of the balance sheet. • Support leadership with high-quality analysis, scenario modelling and recommendations that enable faster and better-informed decisions. Drive financial performance • Own the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and performance management cycle for APAC. • Provide leadership with clear visibility into revenue, profitability, costs, cash generation and key business drivers. • Identify performance gaps, risks and opportunities early and translate them into actionable recommendations. • Partner with commercial teams to improve margins, capital efficiency and overall financial performance. • Build meaningful KPIs and management information that connect financial outcomes to operational and commercial drivers. Own regional Finance delivery and controllership • Ensure a pragmatic and risk-based control environment that drives integrated delivery, capturing business opportunities, a learning environment and safeguarding speed and entrepreneurship • Ensure APAC's financial reporting, statutory requirements, financial close and audit activities are delivered accurately and on time in accordance with ACT Group standards and applicable local requirements. • Maintain strong financial discipline and ensure appropriate implementation of ACT's accounting policies, governance frameworks and internal controls. • Oversee regional audit requirements and coordinate with external auditors, advisers and local service providers. • Safeguard the pragmatic and risk based LoD2 environment in which the APAC business delivers • Drive standardisation, automation and continuous improvement of Finance processes, working closely with Operations, IT and global Finance teams. Manage cash, capital and financial risk • Drive disciplined working capital and cash management across the region, including receivables, liquidity and banking requirements. • Partner with Treasury and Tax on funding, hedging, tax, transfer pricing and capital considerations. • Work with Risk and other specialist functions to ensure commercial activities operate within ACT's established risk appetite, policies and delegated authorities. • Act as a key first-line business leader in identifying, assessing and managing financial and enterprise risks. • Escalate material risks or activities outside established frameworks and ensure appropriate specialist involvement when required. Strengthen governance across APAC • Provide financial leadership and constructive challenge to APAC management on major business decisions, investments, risk exposures and capital allocation. • Serve as a Board Member or Director of relevant APAC entities where required, fulfilling applicable fiduciary and statutory responsibilities. • Ensure regional operations remain aligned with ACT Group financial objectives, governance standards and risk frameworks. • Maintain effective relationships with relevant banks, auditors, advisers, regulators and other external stakeholders. Build and lead the APAC Finance team and Senior leader for integrated delivery across functions • Lead, develop and coach a high-performing regional Finance team as well as bringing together the…