Chief Financial Officer

RHH202216

Transportation

THE COMPANY

Our client is an inventive and progressive transportation company with a modernistic design and approach to servicing communities nationwide. Headquartered in the Midwest, they have a diverse portfolio of businesses with revenues of $100 million+. The company culture is an intricate mix of entrepreneurial spirit, integrity, loyalty, analytics, continuous improvement and fun in a fast-paced environment.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and interact with the Board of Directors (BOD) on all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to compliance, finance, accounting, budget management, cost benefit analysis, return on investment, return on equity, return on capital employed and forecasting. The CFO will direct the administrative and strategic affairs of the company related to all public facing financial activities. S/he recommends to executive management major economic objectives, policies, compliance and opportunities. The CFO prepares and/or directs preparation of reports, which summarize and forecast business activity and the company’s financial position.

This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer and has up to four direct reports.

JOB DEFINITION

The ideal candidate will be passionate about the mission at hand and be an interactive participant to help drive transformation with responsibility to the future. A meaningful career history in finance, strategic planning, SOX reporting/compliance, shareholder reporting and mergers & acquisitions (M&A). In alignment with the company culture, candidates must be humble, respectful, results driven, believe in healthy debate, uses common sense, collaborative/cooperative and responsible (“owns it mentality”). Proactive, team-oriented leader who will thrive in an entrepreneurially charged growing company. This is a hands-on leadership role that requires the ability to support both high-level complex accounting and finance responsibilities in a public company as well as not being afraid to dive into the details on a day-to-day basis. Responsibilities will be broad and include coaching and mentoring a cohesive team, as well as building a financial roadmap and organizational structure focused on supporting the company’s continued success.

SKILLS

The primary role for the CFO will be aiding in the development and execution of the company’s strategic direction as it evolves into a public company. The CFO will also partner with members of the executive team to provide consultative support to planning initiatives and financial analyses and recommendations.

Strategic Leadership:

Partner with the CEO to refine and execute the strategies necessary to meet the company’s growth goals by providing counsel and recommendations for the continuous evaluation of short and long-term strategic financial objectives.
Develop and maintain a system of internal controls that safeguard the company and its assets that don’t limit the executive team’s ability to execute in a nimble industry/environment.
Partners with the executive team to provide consultative support to departmental planning initiatives through financial information analyses, recommendations of financial planning and business models to determine the prospective cost effectiveness and ROI.
Advise the CEO and executive team the best ways to navigate and manage within the public markets in a more leveraged environment. Working with the CEO to explore new investment opportunities and provide recommendations on potential returns and risks. In conjunction with CEO, manage investor relations by analyzing and presenting financial trends, competitor behavior, economic analysis or any shareholder issue that could impact investor confidence in the company’s strategy or results.
Create and establish yearly financial objectives that align with the company’s plan for growth and expansion, supporting the executive team by utilizing forward-looking models and activity-based analyses to provide greater financial insight into the company’s plans and operating budget.

Financial Leadership/Management:

Clear communication and liaison efforts between finance and operations; Proactively bring strategic finance thought partnership through best-in-class financial expertise to ongoing tactical and strategic business initiatives as well as insights from industry.
Ensure proper and timely financial and tax accounting in accordance with GAAP and IRS rules and manage/oversee the annual audit on time and with minimal or no adjustments. Remain current on audit best practices as well as state, federal and local laws regarding company operations. Review and ensure applications of appropriate internal controls, SOX compliance, SEC reporting and financial procedures. Ensure timeliness and accuracy of financial management reporting data for investors and companies BOD. Represent company to Banks, financial partners, institutions, investors, public auditors and officials.
Leadership over the company’s investor relations; ensuring a comprehensive investor relations framework and strategy. Ability to lead “C-Suite” and Vice President level leaders on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that optimize and maximize the overall effectiveness of the total operation.
Develop and implement an organizational structure that ensures productivity and effectiveness within the finance and accounting department which do not allow for playing catch-up.
Develop and maintain effective, long-term relationships with all internal and external stakeholders; Travel to offsite meetings on behalf of the company will be 20-30%.
Support decision making in finance, accounting, tax and credit departments with strategic financial guidance, through clear analysis that draws out KPI’s and drivers and articulate principal findings in an actionable format.
Passionate about coaching/mentoring a team. Effective at setting, evaluating and inspiring individual and team goals that develop people to promote a results-driven culture. Set financial and/or performance goals for each department in the finance area which are aggressive, achievable and tied to long-term strategic goals; monitor department performance against performance goals to ensure progress is being made within the organization.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

Must have 15 plus years of experience working as a CFO or Vice President of Finance.
Outstanding knowledge and understanding of GAAP, IFRS, SOX compliance and SEC reporting.
Financial acumen and related analysis skills, including P&L, budget planning and creation, understanding pricing strategies and the ability to create accurate revenue forecasting models. Demonstrated ability in developing financial strategy and supporting budget plan for M&A targets.
Direct leadership/management of teams that consist of “C-Suite” and Vice President level(s).
Successful experience managing the acquisition and integration of multiple companies simultaneously.
Proven career history working within a leveraged environment. Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach senior-level leaders to manage and develop high-performing teams.
Demonstrated ability to motivate and lead cross-functional teams in a matrix organization. Proven ability to work with cross functional teams consisting of highly skilled and technical employees.
Exemplary interpersonal skills, including executive presence and the ability to establish and maintain rapport / trust with stakeholders at a variety of levels, both internal and external to the company.
Strong verbal communication skills: Ability to present and explain complicated information in a public forum in a clear and concise fashion, leverage negotiation and persuasion skills to deliver difficult messages effectively.
Resourceful overachiever who is dedicated, passionate, well-organized, has a sense of humor, willing to get the job done (accountable), works hard and plays hard and is adaptable to a well-developed team.
Persuasive: ability to work with all kinds of people. Strong work ethic, e.g., “roll-up your sleeves” leader.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting is required, and a Master’s Degree in Business, Finance or Management and a CPA designation is highly preferred.

If you have these qualifications and are looking for a challenging career, please submit your Resume using the button below.

Eric Hohauser

President & Lead Consultant

Nicole Regula

Director, Executive Recruitment