Director of Global Finance Services

Director of Global Finance Services

About Flutter

Flutter Entertainment is the world’s leading online sports betting and gaming company with a market capitalisation of c. $37bn operating some of the most innovative, diverse and distinctive brands in the sector.

Flutter brings entertainment to life for over 20 million customers in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. 

We call this the Flutter Edge – the combined power of our talented people, market-leading products, smart technology and the financial capital to succeed. 

Operating in 20+ regulated markets, through our Positive Impact Plan, we are committed to making a positive contribution for our customers, colleagues, communities and the planet that we play on. 

The Group uses a divisional management and operating structure across its companies: each division has an empowered management team, which is responsible for maintaining momentum and growth in its respective markets. 

On 14th May 2024, it was announced that Flutter would be moving its primary listing from the UK to the US, and its global operational headquarters from Dublin to New York (effective 31st May 2024). 

About the role:

The Director of Global Finance Services (‘DGFS’) is responsible for the management of a Global finance shared services function – the Global Financial Control (GFC) centre, operating ‘the Group’s core Finance engine’, which comprises over 100 finance professionals, dedicated to a wide spectrum of Finance activities including: Business Accounting Services & Support, Project and Change Management, Process Improvement, Transaction Processing and operating Sox Controls.

This key leadership position will strategically direct and oversee the activities of the Global Finance Services team, which formulates, designs and delivers continually evolving Finance solutions across every aspect of our core functional competencies and operating across all Divisions.

Excellent all-round Financial Control, Systems and Process expertise, analytical and reporting experience are essential. Additional requisite skills include; proven commercial acumen and solid experience of building and maintaining strong and productive working relationships with a broad range of demanding business customers and across the wider Finance community.

The role requires excellence in leadership, a strategic outlook and the ability to direct the activities of a diverse team, positioned to resolve complex problems. The successful candidate should hold significant experience in commensurately senior finance leadership roles, preferably at Director level or similar, in a plc / multinational corporate environment.

The DGFS will direct the core elements of the GFC function including: Client Funds and Bank Reconciliations; Payments; Operating Expenditure, including Marketing Costs; Capital Expenditure; Payroll Accounting; and Intercompany and Statutory Entity Accounting. This requires a comprehensive HR/people model to be in place to ensure appropriate resources are deployed to meet agreed service levels. From initially supporting Paddy Power and Betfair, the GFC has evolved over the last three years to support FanDuel accounting and finance operations and provide increasing support to Pokerstars in the International division, and SkyBet in UK/I. The model will require ongoing agility to ensure the service offering remains up to date to cope with ongoing development in the divisions, flexing with material acquisitions, projects reorganisations, and changes in products/markets/territories. The role will also involve significant engagement with divisional CFOs to as we migrate further accounting operations to the centre. It is expected that the function will be key to the deployment of centralised and standardised processes, to be developed as part of Project Polaris, and will be key to the roll out of accelerated close processes, in line with our changing SEC obligations.

Accountabilities will include, but are not limited too:

Strategic Direction

• Strategically develop and maintain the Management Accounting and Controlling functions for the Group, maintaining/enhancing an efficient, stable, scalable, and highly effective unit which caters to the current and expected future requirements of the business
• Direct and drive the delivery of synergies and/or efficiencies across the function while continually seeking to create additional capacity for further scaling as the business grows
• Collaborate on all Financial Systems development (Oracle, EPM, FCCS, Treasury Management System and Tax Systems etc.) across the Group

Business Support & Financial Control

• Oversee the development of a highly effective Finance Business support model, working closely and collaboratively with Divisions, Brands/Business Units, Commercial Finance, Group Financial Reporting, Group Treasury and Group Tax and Internal Controls
• Overall monitoring and development of financial control throughout the Business Units, including driving continuous improvement in related systems and processes to ensure the delivery of a robust Sox environment to help meet our SEC regulatory obligations
• Oversee the Intercompany process, integrating the remaining parts that still occur within the Divisions.
• Oversee the production process for Statutory accounts to ensure their timely submission. Integrate the remaining parts that still occur within the Divisions.

Finance Projects & Process Engineering

• Driving/supporting key GFC projects across the wider Finance function including; Finance integration, functional re-design, OCR implementation, Alteryx, EPM, FCCS, Workiva, RPA, and other key initiatives
• Driving force behind process re-engineering, harmonisation and standardisation to drive significant efficiencies across a broad spectrum of processes, including; Payroll Processing, OCR/Payment Processing, Reconciliations, Operational and Capital Expenditure, and overall driving stronger control, greater simplicity and transparency of processes

Leading and Inspiring the Team:

• Lead the ongoing development and implementation of a Global finance shared services function (‘GFS’) for the Flutter Group, adopting a uniform design across locations as far as practicable, tailored for local specific requirements
• Consider the necessary resourcing to facilitate the effective implementation and running of GFS, particularly focusing on the links with divisional finance teams and providing exemplary leadership in these areas
• Optimise the approach to interface with Divisional Finance teams, Internal Controls; Group IA, Operational Risk, Statutory Auditors and Audit Committee, to deliver a joined-up approach to risk management across CFO, including the creation of a central location for monitoring internal and external audit findings, to ensure prompt resolution
• Deliver the strategy for the ongoing migration of finance activities from all divisions to the GFS, linked closely with the roll out of key Financial Systems to remaining businesses not on the Group’s finance platforms. Ensure that we have a comprehensive programme of work which is flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances
• Establishing and monitoring the right metrics and agreeing formal SLAs to ensure that quality service levels are continually maintained
• Defining the agreed metrics to be used to measure and monitor service improvements from the starting baseline upon integration, into the future, to ensure continued improvements in efficiency can be delivered

Implementing, monitoring and developing the Global Finance Shared Services Strategy:

• Clearly articulate the strategy and blueprint for the delivery of standardised and centralised processes into the GFC, in support of Project Polaris establishing ongoing buy-in from the Group and Divisional CFOs, existing team members, and other stakeholders and ensuring congruence with Group CFO vision for Finance
• Work with HR to create the detailed action plan to develop the existing team towards the new Finance target operating model (FTOM) – as developed by Polaris, running effective comms and appointment processes into all roles
• Foster and develop an atmosphere of innovation, learning and development across the function, instilling a defined vision and set of values for the teams, including the development of career paths for colleagues, both within the GFC and across the wider CFO population
• Work hand-in-hand with Finance Technology teams to extract maximum efficiencies through the implementation of uniform platforms, standardised processes and increasing automation for stronger control, while leveraging data capabilities
• Conclude the full integration of UKI – to include a post Project Cactus stable SkyBet model and integrated Tombola, and provide additional support to International and Australia as required
• Define our philosophy for the integration of new acquisitions such BetNacional/Snaithech and smaller entities such as Adjarabet, Junglee Games, which is appropriately sized to extract maximum efficiencies available and enhance the control environment and reporting capabilities of new additions
• Contemplate the evolution of GFC to cater for additional activities such as FP&A, Procurement and other areas, further automation leveraging data & RPA, location strategy for centralised activities and also the development of a Global Business Services Centre with HR

Competencies:

• Effective Communicator: Provides clarity on business goals; is effective in all types of communication; adjusts communication style to fit the audience; consistently communicates the mission, vision and values to inspire, energise and motivate others throughout Flutter; ensures others understand how their efforts positively impact the bigger picture; creates an environment that encourages effective communication and the sharing of diverse perspectives.
• Commercial awareness: Understanding of the different functions within the Flutter group. Remains up to date with key developments within the group and the wider gambling industry. Basic understanding of core products and the interdependencies between them.
• Big Thinker: Constantly explores and analyses future scenarios and possibilities, learning where necessary from leading external examples, peers or subject matter experts, to help Flutter respond to change and shape the future; drives self and others to pursue opportunities that will create sustainable value for Flutter; contributes to the functional and the Flutter strategy, mapping and aligning efforts to strategic imperatives.
• Wins Together: Gains trust and support of others, generous with time, advice and knowledge; is able to establish and engage networks to get stuff done rather than depend on authority; seeks out opportunities to break down barriers and collaborate and partner across organisational boundaries.
• Resilient: Creates a climate where people are curious, resilient, determined, learn and adapt; handles and manages crises effectively; anticipates and shows the way forward during setbacks; builds energy in others to stick with it/ to stay on track / push through.

Technical experience:

• Extensive experience at senior level of Financial Control / Internal Controls / Risk management / Internal Audit is essential
• Holds appropriate professional qualification for the role (e.g. Qualified accountant with recognised body)
• Significant experience working in Finance functions of publicly traded companies
• A proven track record in:
• Senior leadership of large Financial Control functions in large Corporates
• Creating an Internal Control Framework within a global business
• Leading change that contributes to the successful delivery of strategic objectives
• The ability to engage with and deliver change through others
• Strong capability to understand and deliver stakeholder requirements

We’re working to be an inclusive employer, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, ways of thinking and working to apply. Everyone brings different perspectives and experiences; you don’t have to meet all the requirements listed to apply for this role. If you need any adjustments to make this role work for you let us know, and we’ll see how we can accommodate them.

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