Chief Finance Officer (International Business)

Business scope CG Foods businesses in Serbia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh and Egypt, covering country finance, consolidated performance and financial oversight of manufacturing, sales and business operations.

Location Serbia, with regular travel across the assigned countries and to India as required

Role Purpose:

Lead finance and business performance management across the four assigned CG Foods businesses. Provide reliable financial information, protect cash and capital, and work with the International Business Head to improve profitability and returns. Challenge business assumptions, identify performance gaps and drive agreed financial improvement actions, while maintaining strong accounting, treasury, compliance and control standards across countries.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial leadership and country finance oversight

• Lead country finance teams and consolidate financial oversight across all four businesses.

• Ensure accurate accounting, timely financial closure, reliable profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash-flow reporting.

• Standardize finance policies, reporting definitions and controls in line with Group requirements and applicable local standards.

• Oversee intercompany reconciliations, consolidation adjustments and financial commitments; develop effective finance teams and decision support.

1. Business planning and performance management

• Lead annual budgets, rolling forecasts, business-plan evaluation and scenario analysis with the International Business Head and country teams.

• Review sales, margins, EBITDA, operating costs, cash conversion and return on capital against approved plans.

• Explain price, volume, mix and cost variances; identify underperformance and propose corrective actions.

• Co-lead performance reviews, assign financial action owners and track implementation and realized benefits.

1. Commercial finance and manufacturing profitability

• Provide product, SKU, customer, channel and country profitability analysis.

• Evaluate pricing, discounts, distributor schemes, promotional spend, export economics and contract terms.

• Strengthen product costing, bills of materials and standard-cost controls; analyze raw-material and packaging costs, yields, wastage, labour, energy, capacity utilization and overhead absorption.

• Challenge cost leakage and validate savings, helping business leaders improve contribution margins and operating efficiency.

1. Treasury liquidity and working capital

• Own consolidated cash planning, funding forecasts, banking relationships and liquidity visibility.

• Manage approved borrowing, credit facilities, trade finance, debt servicing and covenant compliance.

• Monitor foreign-exchange, interest-rate and counterparty exposure under Group policy.

• Set and enforce credit controls; track receivables, collections, payables and inventory.

• Challenge excess, ageing or expired stock and coordinate actions that release cash without disrupting supply or profitable sales.

1. Capital allocation and investment evaluation

• Evaluate capital expenditure, capacity expansion, productivity projects, market entry and other investments with business leaders.

• Validate assumptions, valuations, funding needs, returns and downside scenarios before approval.

• Coordinate financial and tax diligence for proposed investments or partnerships.

• Monitor project spending, commitments and milestones against sanctioned budgets; verify post-investment performance and escalate overruns, delays or returns below the approved case.

1. Audit tax compliance and internal controls

• Lead statutory and internal audit coordination, tax planning and filing oversight, and closure of audit findings through country teams and advisers.

• Oversee applicable corporate tax, VAT or indirect tax, customs, transfer-pricing and statutory reporting requirements.

• Maintain controls over procurement, payments, payroll, revenue recognition, inventory and assets.

• Enforce delegated authority, segregation of duties, fraud prevention and insurance oversight; escalate material compliance and financial risks.

1. Management reporting systems and leadership

• Deliver timely country and consolidated MIS to the International Business Head, Group CFO and designated leadership, with clear outlooks, risks, actions and decisions required.

• Improve ERP, costing, planning and reporting processes; establish consistent data definitions and reliable financial dashboards.

• Build capable country finance leadership, strengthen accountability and provide commercial decision support.

• Coordinate with banks, auditors, advisers and Group functions while preserving independent financial judgment.

Candidate Profile

• CA, CFA, ACCA or equivalent professional accounting qualification, with senior finance leadership experience in international FMCG, packaged foods or manufacturing businesses. At least 15+ years in CxO roles.

• Demonstrated strength in business performance management, commercial finance, manufacturing costing, budgets, treasury and working-capital improvement.

• Experience leading finance across multiple legal entities or countries, including consolidation, audit, tax coordination, internal controls and cross-border transactions.

• Strong ERP and management-reporting capability, analytical judgment and the ability to challenge assumptions constructively and translate financial analysis into business action.

• Effective leadership across cultures and clear communication with business heads and Group leadership. Willingness to be based in Serbia and travel across the assigned businesses is essential.