Global Head of Business Partnering (Finance)

Standard Life Aberdeen plc is one of the world’s largest investment companies, created in 2017 from the merger of Standard Life plc and Aberdeen Asset Management PLC. Operating under the brand Aberdeen Standard Investments, it is the largest active manager in the UK and the second largest in Europe. Aberdeen Standard Investments is now a truly global Asset Manager with 46 offices and investment centres in 24 locations.

The newly formed Standard Life Aberdeen plc has a published ambition as follows:

“We are driven to be world class in everything we do, whether it’s looking after our clients’ investments, offering our employees a rewarding career path, or fulfilling our responsibilities to our shareholders.”

Following two back to back Class A transactions the opportunity now exists to review the overall structures and capabilities across the organisation with a view to creating a world-class finance function across the plc – one which reflects this vision statement, and which can help shape the future success of the business.

Under new leadership, and a new finance structure aimed at creating one finance function across Standard Life Aberdeen plc, there is now a requirement to add a Global Head of Business Partnering to the business, which is one of three newly created roles.  This will be a senior, strategic and influential role within the business, reporting to the Head of Finance, who in turn reports to the Chief Financial Officer of Standard Life Aberdeen plc.

This role will have global responsibility for the implementation of a new model for, and delivery of, strategic and commercial financial business partnering to the most senior stakeholders in our business.

As a member of the senior plc finance leadership team you will take responsibility for the delivery of the finance strategy, integration and future development and success of SLA finance in addition to playing a key role in supporting and challenging business strategy.   This role requires significant senior leadership experience and influencing skills to ensure the finance function can help shape the future of the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Play a key leadership role in the Finance function, contributing to the future direction and key activities of the function.  On a personal level be a role model to demonstrate the key behaviours expected in the function
• As part of the Finance leadership team, lead, direct and motivate a team of finance professionals to ensure clarity of purpose and work towards common goals
• Develop and maintain the vision for the creation of strategic and commercial financial business partnering to the most senior stakeholders in our business
• Lead and motivate a small team of high calibre individuals playing a key role in the creation, development and execution of the business strategy, taking personal accountability for quality and delivery.  Take an innovative approach to production and delivery of information and insight
• Play a critical role in assisting the generation of additional revenues, control of costs and financial diligence around key decisions such as new investment opportunities
• Operate as a ‘CFO’ to key business customers, interfacing between Finance’s centre of excellence to provide insight to customers
• Develop capabilities of team members to deepen commercial acumen and provide credible support and challenge to key business customers
• Build trusted relationships with the most senior stakeholders in our business to further enhance the strategic and commercial financial management
• Use role and personal experiences to lead the enhancement of commercial awareness in the business with the development of stronger financial disciplines
• Support preparation of business cases for business driven investment, leveraging analytical activity to identify business opportunities and recommend courses of action

 For further information, to request a full candidate brochure or a confidential conversation please contact:

Michael Dickson at michael@fwbparkbrown.com

Alternatively, you can contact us by phone on 0131 539 7087

To apply please enquire or send your CV to enquiries@fwbparkbrown.com