A global supply group needed a Finance Director after recently acquiring a business operating in several close European markets. The new position will tie local finance work to group regulations and the bigger plan for the purchase.
The Client
The parent company sells paper, packaging, and related products through a broad international distribution network. Its new division operates across a range of countries, all of which have their own tax and filing rules. Local finance had grown before the sale, so the group now needed a leader in the region. No one had ever held the position of Finance Director before, and the role was still being developed. Pay, benefits, and some reporting lines weren’t established when the search began. The new leader had to enter a structure that would still change after the first day.
The Challenge
The brief combined group finance expertise with a good knowledge of local rules and market practice. Group reports were prepared using global standards, but every country still had its own legal and tax requirements. The hiring team worked in other parts of Europe and had limited knowledge of local fair pay levels. This made early offer talks difficult, and some people waited for more details before taking the next step. The job also demanded regular time in the main regional office, which further narrowed the talent pool.
The Solution
Keller Executive Search focused on local finance heads with multi-entity work in global groups. Applicants went through multiple rounds, from initial calls to discussions with senior regional leaders. Two people made it to the last stage after close checks of reports, rules, and change work. Both finalists then met with the top leaders in person so they could be evaluated for skill, style, and trust at the same time. The candidate selected knew the area and remained open as the job and offer were being developed. Her previous roles gave her the right mix of local knowledge and good group finance discipline.
The Results
After a short salary discussion, the candidate accepted and joined once her set notice period ended. She took charge of a local finance team and work with external accounting firms. She was connected to group finance and the local head of the acquired business through a matrix line. Keller Executive Search closed the sole search across several markets and senior stakeholder groups. The hire gave the region one finance lead who could combine local work with global rules. It also established direct ownership for reports and compliance duties across the new part of the group.
The Impact
This appointment fills the gap created by the acquisition in the group’s financial structure. A finance function covering six countries and multiple regulatory environments needs someone senior and present in the region. The new Finance Director understands both the region’s regulatory requirements and the corporate reporting standards of the group. The person who was hired brings just that combination, which was the constraint of the brief at the beginning of the search. This hire means that the finance function will be built properly for the first time for the acquired company. For the parent group, it means regulatory conformity and standardized reports across six markets that were outside its structure previously.
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