Finance Director - Informa Markets

Informa Markets, a division within Informa, creates global platforms for industries. We organise over 500 large-scale branded and transaction-oriented events in 14 specialist markets. These are typically not-to-be-missed annual events where buyers and sellers build relationships, see and show products and do business.

We also provide year-round online platforms where companies showcase their businesses and products and buyers conduct research, generating valuable leads, and we provide data and digital content that supports the flow of knowledge and transactions in markets.

Informa Markets Infrastructure and Construction Group is seeking a Finance Director to drive budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and strategic decision-making. In this pivotal role, you will collaborate with commercial teams to ensure financial accuracy, align business operations with strategic objectives, and deliver measurable returns.

Key Responsibilities will include: 

Budgeting and Forecasting:

• Responsible for submission of timely, accurate and commercially focused budget and forecasting, in line with agreed templates and timetables
• Challenge commercial team on business issues and revenue/cost assumptions, including demonstrable ROI on all costs incurred
• Work with commercial team to identify key commercial issues and ensure commentary highlights these issues concisely
• Anticipate likely review questions and answer them in advance (with supporting analysis where appropriate)

 Cost and investment appraisal:

• Demonstrate a deep, fundamental understanding of all costs in product and portfolio P&Ls, including investment/capex
• Be able to clearly advise and communicate the reasons for incurring costs, demonstrating financial/commercial returns
• Review and challenge cost budgets from a granular zero-base (i.e. building from scratch, not rolling forward prior year)
• Prepare and challenge investment/business cases
• Understand the importance/priority of each cost line so that savings can be made to fund investment

Physical & Digital Event/Product planning:

• Provide commercial and strategic insight and analysis to the business in setting product/portfolio strategy
• Take shared responsibility – with commercial team – for ensuring event plans are delivered on time and in line with agreed format and TM1 Product Tracker
• Liaise with internal JV partners and external partners to agree event plan strategies, financials and timetables
• Ensure best practice is followed when preparing plans, using experience across multiple events/portfolios
• Support decisions/recommendations with accurate and relevant data
• Work with commercial team – for setting pricing and re-book targets

 M&A proposals:

• Work with commercial team to create projections and estimate synergies
• Shared responsibility – working with commercial team – for producing integration plan
• Work with SSC as needed

Event launches:

• Shared responsibility – working with commercial team – for evaluating attractiveness of launches
• Help commercial team to create projections based on underlying market data and customer segmentation
• Prepare launch proposals using Group template

 Revenue accruals:

• Review and approve any revenue accruals
• Ensure third party contracts are place and approved by Legal
• Ensure commercial team and the Finance Team have copies of contracts with third parties

 Cost accruals:

• Review and approve any expense accruals working with product/event teams
• Review balance sheet on a monthly basis
• Approve significant items as required
• Work with Finance Team to determine risks/upsides on a monthy basis and make timely adjustments to P&L
• Ensure material releases do not come as a surprise to CFO

 Month end reporting:

• Review and approve month end flash report highlighting key variances
• Review and approve month end performance bridges
• Provide relevant and concise commercial commentary to central team

 Sales commissions:

• Review and approve sales commission payments
• Ensure commission structures and targets aligned to deliver budget and strategic goals

 Capital expenditure:

• Shared responsibility – working with commercial team – for creating clear and concise capex proposals, including financial returns, cash flow, implementation and risks
• Challenge commercial team on assumptions and returns

 Sales reporting:

• Review and approve weekly sales report, ensuring it includes concise commentary on trading vs target and risks/upsides
• Raise trading issues with commercial teams and propose solutions for material variances

 Audit and compliance:

• Support external and internal audit processes as necessary

• Commercial agility: able to use technical accounting and analytical skills to highlight data trends and deliver business results
• Customer orientation: able to develop a deep understanding of products and markets, as well as the needs of customers and other stakeholders
• Operational excellence: able to instill a strong and seamless control environment, developing and using KPIs to support growth and tightly manage costs
• Technology: has a good understanding of reporting systems and analysis tools to provide commercial insight
• High performance: able to contribute to the success of a high performing team, communicating effectively with others and influencing in a matrix without direct authority
• Degree in Finance or Accounting with 10 years of relevant experience preferably in the Event or Media business.

The salary range for this role is $135K-$165K, depending on experience

This posting will automatically expire on 6/3/2024

We work hard to make sure Life at Informa is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone. Here’s some of what you can expect when you join us. But don’t just take our word for it – see what our colleagues have to say at Life@Informa

Our benefits include:

• Freedom & flexibility: colleagues rate us highly for the flexibility and trust they receive, and we support a range of working patterns
• Great community: a welcoming culture with in-person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on-demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning. When it’s time for the next step, we encourage and support internal job moves
• Time out: 15 days PTO rising to 20 after three years and 25 after six years, plus 10 national holidays, a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year
• Competitive benefits, including a 401k match, health, vision and dental insurance, parental leave and an ESPP offering company shares at a minimum 15% discount Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, free access to a wellness app and more
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programs
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world

We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. If it sounds like a match and you have most – although not all – of the skills and experience listed, we welcome your application.

At Informa, you'll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer. This means we base decisions on relevant qualifications and merit and do not discriminate on the basis of key characteristics and statuses, including all of those protected by law. Ask us or see our website for full information.

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