Senior Vice President of Global Business Services – Europe

Senior Vice President of Global Business Services – EuropeApply for job

Our client, a multinational consumer brands company, is now seeking to appoint a Senior Vice President of Global Business Services. This newly created role will be instrumental in the C-suite sponsored, group-wide 2020 business change programme that the group is currently undergoing to mature and expand the capability of the existing Global Business Services function. The incoming SVP of GBS will possess an impressive track record of having delivered technology-enabled change management programmes; they will have operated as a strategic leader and trusted advisor to C-level leaders in the international implementation of GBS transformation and they will be considered a subject matter expert in this field.

The group is headquartered in Switzerland but has many European offices, including the UK (outside London) and in Central Germany. As such, the role, if not based in Switzerland, could feasibly be located in one of the other alternative European offices if relocation is not desirable.  Flexibility will be offered on location as this position demands global mobility, for the group operates in more than 80 countries with in excess of 70,000 employees.

The remit of this role is bold, broad and international, with the position for the SVP for GBS arising due to the necessity for improved alignment of GBS within the organisation as part of the group’s high profile 2020 GBS vision-for-change programme. To that end, the 2020 GBS initiative is predicated upon the desire to drive transformation further than the already mature realms of HR, procurement and finance so as to encompass sales, marketing, service management, digital engagement, supply chain, robotics and analytics. It would be preferable that candidates applying for this position will have acquired comprehensive experience across all of the above areas in their last leadership position so as to be able to scale the 2020 GBS programme at pace. Furthermore,  as the SVP for GBS, you will formulate and deliver the business case which is targeting a significant global cost reduction.

In expanding the capability of the existing GBS functions, the incoming executive will establish high-performing multi-functional teams across multiple geographies, ensuring that processes are fully optimised for long-lasting value creation. Working alongside the leadership team, you will make an outstanding individual contribution and elevate the profile of GBS within the organisation so that it is viewed as an indispensably important business function that can accelerate and enhance cost efficiencies,  business process simplification, service improvements, risk mitigation and digital engagement.

Lastly, the business has a progressive values-driven culture of agility, continuous improvement and ethical practice. It is expected that the incoming SVP will align with these values to deliver the programme successfully in accordance with the business’ ethos. As a leading figure within the GBS function, it is vital that you are able to influence upwards and downwards across the organisation and that you are able to sustain high levels of employee engagement through an enterprisingly ambitious and complex process of GBS transformation