CLIENT AND EXECUTIVE PROFILE
STEPHEN GOULD
Stephen Gould is the largest independent custom product and packaging solutions provider in the United States. Celebrating 85 years of service while privately held and family owned, we have grown into an international organization. With headquarters in Madison, New Jersey, 40 locations throughout the U.S and operations in seven countries outside the U.S, we have grown tremendously while staying true to our 5 Principles: People First, Attitude Matters, Deepen Trust with Every Engagement, Consistent and Flexible, and Leverage Our Vast Network and Experience. (https://www.stephengould.com/our-story/#5-principles).
At Stephen Gould you will find challenging work, a creative, fun work environment, and leadership that supports an entrepreneurial spirit. We have a proven track record in retaining employees for the duration of their career. Positions come with excellent benefits, competitive compensation, career development opportunities, and workplace flexibility. At Stephen Gould, we recognize that maintaining a happy, healthy and productive workforce is essential to business success in the industries we serve. People are the core of what we do, and we value that have a strong work ethic, but also enjoy working in a collaborative, fun environment.
THE POSITION
Reporting to the Executive Vice President, the VP of Finance is a highly strategic, key member of the Stephen Gould finance team and carries responsibility for all financial reporting, accounting, standards, and procedures across all 34 sites in seven different countries. Our ideal executive should have the potential to become the Chief Financial Officer for Stephen Gould. The VP of Finance will ensure compliance with bank covenants, tax and regulatory requirements, and manage accounts receivable, credit and collections, and billing across all of Stephen Gould. Key responsibilities for this role include:
- Oversee the finance operations of over 80 individuals within the accounting, finance planning & analysis, accounts payable, billing, and credit departments.
- Develop and maintain financial and operational controls, policies, and procedures.
- Prepare budgets, forecasts, and financial statements on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
- Ensure compliance with debt covenants, tax filings and government reporting requirements.
- Oversee implementation of new global accounting policies.
- Assist in implementation of new ERP system, including ensuring appropriate controls are place to mitigate risk and new procedures are continuously implemented for efficient and effective processing.
- Manage financial statement, benefit plan, and bank/collateral audits.
- Prepare and present financial reporting and analysis to management and Board of Directors.
The VP of Finance will deliver value and growth with a continuous focus on improving profitability, managing costs, creating efficiencies and mitigating risk for the company. He/she will instill a continuous focus on sustainable business process improvements while better connecting the components of the value chain to fully capitalize on the business potential and operational effectiveness. As a financial leader, this individual will be expected to be a key senior finance leadership member, contributing to the overall success of the VP of Finance function. Superior technical finance skills, influencing skills and engagement with operating businesses, team leadership skills, a strong change orientation, and an international perspective are critical skill sets and values.
As a part of the leadership team, the VP of Finance will be a highly visible and autonomous role, fully accountable for driving the results to meet target objectives of the business. She/he will serve as an active contributor to the development of business strategy and will play a leading role in the development of financial analytics and operating performance measures that support profitable operations, growth, new business opportunities and investment strategies. She/he will help to drive profitable growth and be passionate about building functional excellence and creating value for the firm. He or she will develop the capabilities of the finance team, processes and financial systems to keep pace with, and enable, the continued success and growth of Stephen Gould.
QUALIFICATIONS / REQUIRED KEY SKILLS
- 10 to 15 years in progressively responsible financial leadership roles, with Public Accounting experience.
- Current experience should include a Divisional CFO or VP of Finance or similar senior finance executive of a company with relevant scale and complexity.
- Undergraduate degree in accounting or finance is preferred. MBA or master's degree in finance and/or CPA license is strongly preferred. If not a CPA, this individual at a minimum needs an accounting degree.
- Background must include experience with FP&A.
- Experience implementing enterprise performance measures, rigorous financial controls and financial management systems to drive performance and improvement of operating and financial results.
- Strong working knowledge of GAAP, including rules specific to cost accounting/inventory; valuation and purchase accounting; experience with analyzing manufacturing variances.
- Experience with implementation of closes according to a defined calendar (monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting)
- Responsible for preparing the annual budget, rolling financial forecasts and building out new functions.
- Prepare monthly financial reporting packages, which evaluate financial performance against budget/prior year and provide actionable forward-looking information to support management of the business.
- Experience with financial reporting requirements and budgeting cost control.
- Continue to develop and define internal control guidelines, policies, and procedures for budgeting, accounting, cash and credit management, administration, and other activities.
- Experience with acquisition integration along with mergers and acquisitions, including coordinating due diligence and financial modeling around scenario analysis, financial impact and valuation.
- Coordinate and oversee activities for annual independent audits, including annual consolidated and foreign audits, regular (a few times a year) bank audits of loan collateral, annual employee benefit plan audit, and ad hoc tax audits as well as and tax preparation.
- Ensure quality control over financial transactions and financial reporting.
- Experience implementing new ERP Systems-SG is currently moving towards Epicor.
- Ability to work well under pressure and lead a team in a lean environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to articulate recommendations in a concise and timely manner.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
- Collaborative, team player, mentor, coach, and self-starter energized by building high quality accounting controls and procedures in a fast-growing company.
- Highly skilled Excel user. Proficiency in other Microsoft Office programs, as well as experience with (AI, machine learning, data science / analytics).
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS
Financial Acumen:
Direct experience from a large-scale segment VP of Finance and/or Divisional CFO role in a multinational environment is preferred. Ideally, the VP of Finance has experience working with a highly complex supply chain in a business. The VP of Finance must have experience managing a world-class finance infrastructure and enhancing the performance of the functional leaders in finance. He or she will have a track record of success at cultivating meaningful relationships with the investment and regulatory communities. M&A experience is desired, SG anticipates acquisitions in their future. Analytical finance skills, including the ability to develop analyses, performance measures and incentives that drive profitable operations, are highly important.
Strategic Business Partner:
The VP of Finance will possess a strong commercial orientation and proven ability to partner with line managers, Sales teams, and operating teams to drive and monitor performance and to develop strategic plans. She/he will be a strategic leader who can impact and change business-level strategy beyond the finance area. She/he will possess change agility and can mobilize others in the organization to initiate change. The VP of Finance possesses backbone and professional stature to influence senior executives with fact-based arguments and ideas that ensure optimal performance and results. Experience helping lead an organization through change is preferred, including direct experience with M&A, operating initiatives and cost control programs that build growth and profitability. Ideal candidates will be capable of challenging senior and line management in a constructive, balanced way, offering solutions and fresh thinking. Accordingly, the VP of Finance will need to develop best-in-class analysis and planning capabilities to improve decision making and establish credibility as a business partner.
Leadership/Executive Presence:
Seasoned business judgment, board-level stature, and a passion for improving processes across Stephen Gould. A leader who empowers the team to perform independently and mobilizes others to initiate change. An intentional advisory and mentorship style; An exceptional manager and motivator of people and teams who can recruit and develop high potential people and set high standards for finance personnel across the organization.
Other Personal Characteristics:
- Strong and consistent personal ethics and a high sense of integrity.
- Adaptable, flexible, and not easily frustrated.
- Ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to for relationships.
- Strong focus on investing and developing talent.
- Ability to flex between interacting with the C-suite level and executives, and all levels of the organization and willingness to roll-up their sleeves to get work done.
- Drives results through inclusion and collaborative behavior.
- Track record of developing cultures where team members are passionate about winning.
- Consistently demonstrates humility and prioritizes listening over directing.
- Genuinely passionate about people and their development.
- A talented communicator with the ability to impact, influence and motivate external and internal stakeholders.
OTHER KEY ATTRIBUTES
- Delivers Business Results. Identifies and drives key levers of the business and develops mechanisms to hold people accountable. Proactively develops solutions and marshals the right resources to attain short- and long-term financial outcomes.
- Capable Business Leader. A true business partner with the CFO and proactively offers insights on how to continuously make the business better. Leveraged by CFO as second in command at all aspects of running the financials in the business.
- Conviction. Has well supported views and appropriately advocates while being open to ideas of others. Takes personal responsibility to ensure full execution.
- Good Judgment and Decision Making. Considers all factors to form the best overall solution for the company.
- Effectively Consumes Data. Good at spotting trends and interpreting data. Looks at data from different angles and asks the right questions to gain additional insights.
- Intellectual Curiosity. Deep desire to understand the business and offers short- and long-term strategic insight. Immerses oneself through experiencing first-hand, both internal (other functions, employees, operations) and external (customers, suppliers) constituents to understand their perspective.
- Sets the Tone. Understands that employees look to Finance for indications of business health and provides a realistic, but optimistic view. Possesses the self-awareness to monitor and adjust the signals sent to the organization (mood, demeanor, mannerisms, the way people are treated) to have a positive impact.
Five Principals that Stephen Gould Adheres to:
Behind every great product is a team of dedicated people. Stephen Gould exists for them. We are here to make their lives better.
How we deliver is just as important as what we deliver. Seeing the opportunity in every challenge, we are relentless in our commitment to each client.
- Deepen Trust with Every Engagement
We recognize that our services can make or break whether a product makes it to market. We don’t take that responsibility lightly.
Designing, finalizing and shipping products is wrought with complexities and emotions. We offer solutions that are flexible, adaptive and empathetic to our clients’ fluctuating circumstances.
- Leverage Our Vast Network and Experience
We straddle various sectors operating in both mature markets, and rapidly changing and evolving markets. We see this complexity as an opportunity to pioneer change.
