Controller
WHO:
Our client is a leading supplier of lithium-ion battery systems for electric cars, trucks, and buses. Their mission is to provide state-of-the-art battery solutions that meet the challenge for a seamless transition to a zero-emission lifestyle. Founded in 2009, they have over 2000 employees working in facilities in the US, China, and India.
WHAT:
We were retained to find a skilled financial professional to work closely with the US President to develop and implement the division’s operational strategy. Experience in an international, multi-business-unit environment was critical, as was a strong background in financial analysis. The Controller also drives data simplification by maintaining knowledge of and the use of the company’s financial and operating data and business intelligence and ERP tools.
LOCATION:
Fully remote, with an expectation of 10-15% travel to India and China.
OPPORTUNITY:
The client was looking for a person who had experience with global manufacturing companies and working with multiple business units. In addition, he or she must have demonstrated the ability to remain objective and independent as a guardian of good business practices while maintaining the trust of leadership, operations, and engineering to troubleshoot and manage the risks inherent in growth initiatives. Finally, the individual needed to be able to do deep dive data analyses with complex spreadsheets to translate KPIs into immediate improvement actions, decreasing costs/increasing revenue.
OUTCOME:
We developed target lists of high-tech manufacturing firms and commenced a broad screening process to identify over 500 potential candidates. We screened them and created a target list of 99 individuals with the necessary financial skills set and the ability to develop and communicate a strategic vision based on solid financial data. From there, we presented the six best qualified candidates to our client for in person interviews, which were then followed by additional meetings with the leadership teams in China and India. The candidate they selected has the unusual combination of deep financial analysis experience with a global high-tech firm and the desire to think strategically yet creatively about driving the business’ finances. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with this client again as they expand their business across the United States.