Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Overview

The organization is seeking an experienced Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead Group financial strategy and governance across UK and international entities within the insurance and financial services sector. This is a senior executive role with executive access to the Board and its Audit and Risk Committee.

Working arrangement: Remote
Location/coverage: South Africa | UK Business Hours

Responsibilities

Financial Strategy and Planning

• Own the Group budget, monthly Group forecast, and rolling 13-week cash forecast.
• Build and maintain the Group financial model, including scenario and sensitivity analysis for new ventures, carriers, and acquisitions.
• Establish and maintain a consistent Group definition of revenue, recognizing cash received for cash-flow purposes and bound and invoiced margin for profit and loss—ensuring each receipt is counted only once at Group level.
• Apply appropriate cash controls and approval gates to new hires and ventures to ensure fixed costs do not increase ahead of revenue.

Reporting and Consolidation

• Deliver monthly management accounts and a consolidated Group financial view across UK and international entities, including sterling and other currencies.
• Prepare and deliver the monthly Board finance pack and the weekly Friday finance one-pager.
• Lead year-end reporting, statutory accounts preparation, and audits across Group entities, working with external auditors and accountants.
• Maintain accurate, reconciled, and reporting-ready financial ledgers using Xero.

Cash, Treasury and Client Money

• Maintain daily cash visibility and oversee banking arrangements across the Group.
• Oversee the segregation and reconciliation of client and insurer funds, ensuring funds are released only against appropriate supporting evidence.
• Support capital and solvency requirements of the licensed entities backed by the Group, working closely with their respective boards and management teams.

Capital Management and Corporate Transactions

• Prepare and maintain investor and lender materials, financial data rooms, and the financial components of capital-raising documentation.
• Lead financial due diligence for acquisitions and strategic partnerships.
• Provide financial leadership and support for potential sales or partial disposals of Group businesses.
• Manage investor and lender reporting obligations, including financial covenants.

Financial Controls, Tax and Risk Management

• Own and maintain the Group’s approvals matrix, payment controls, and segregation of duties.
• Manage VAT, Insurance Premium Tax, corporation tax, and cross-border tax matters in collaboration with external advisers, including intra-group charging arrangements.
• Report financial risks to the Board and ensure the finance-related elements of the Group risk register remain accurate and current.

Finance Team Leadership, Systems and Automation

• Lead, manage, and develop the Group finance team, establishing clear performance measures and accountability for each team member.
• Drive automation across reconciliations, reporting, and forecasting through system integrations and AI agents.
• Work closely with the Head of Agentic Operations to improve finance processes and systems, including Xero, Salesforce, monday.com, and Microsoft 365.
• Deliver measurable operational efficiencies while maintaining a lean finance structure.

Key Performance Measures

• Month-End Close: Management accounts closed within 5 working days of month-end by month 3.
• Cash Forecasting: Rolling 13-week cash forecast maintained within 10% of actual results.
• Board Reporting: Monthly Board finance pack issued within 10 working days of month-end every month.
• Revenue and Margin Reconciliation: Group revenue and margin reconciled to Xero monthly, with no unexplained differences.
• Audit Compliance: Statutory audits completed on time with no material adjustments or qualifications.
• Capital Readiness: Financial data room and capital-raising financial information maintained at all times, with requests answered within 2 working days.
• Automation and Efficiency: Demonstrable reduction in manual finance hours each quarter.

Targets will be confirmed in writing during the first week of employment.

Requirements

• Professional Qualification: Qualified Chartered Accountant or equivalent, holding CA(SA), ACA, ACCA, or CIMA accreditation.
• Senior Finance Leadership: Minimum of 10 years’ post-qualification experience, including at least 3 years in a CFO, Finance Director, or Head of Finance position.
• Industry Experience: Previous experience within insurance, insurance intermediary businesses, or the wider financial services sector.
• Group Consolidation: Proven experience managing multi-entity and multi-currency financial consolidation under IFRS or UK GAAP (FRS 102).
• Cash and Treasury Management: Demonstrated expertise in cash-flow management, treasury operations, and maintaining strong cash discipline.
• Corporate Transactions: Direct involvement in at least one capital raise, acquisition, refinancing, or business sale process.
• Financial Modelling and Systems: Advanced financial modelling capabilities and strong working knowledge of a cloud-based accounting platform such as Xero or equivalent.
• Board and Investor Communication: Ability to prepare and present clear, concise financial reports to senior boards, investors, and lenders, with excellent written English communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to the London insurance market, Lloyd’s or offshore insurance jurisdictions, including Guernsey, Cayman Islands or Bermuda.
• Knowledge of client money handling requirements within insurance intermediary businesses and familiarity with IFRS 17.
• Previous experience working remotely from South Africa for a UK-headquartered group.
• A proven track record of implementing finance automation, process improvements, and AI-enabled financial tools.
• Experience within surety, construction insurance, or real estate finance.

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified.