Chief Risk Officer/VP IC & Risk

Company

Our client is a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal and regulatory sectors. Our client maintains operations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific and is headquartered in the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

Job summary

The successful candidate will need to have a clear vision and proven senior experience on the field of Enterprise Risk Management and the related required internal control framework in design, implementation and operational maintenance, preferably in a changing and ICT dominant environment. He or she is an analytical problem solver with a proven track record in this discipline within a (listed) multinational. The ideal candidate has a methodical approach who can influence and work with the board, senior management, local Internal Control Officers and internal and external auditors. Excellent leadership, political and communication (verbal and written) skills (in English) are vital for this role.

Tasks & responsibilities

• To further create and implement a vision on (the application of) an enterprise risk management approach and the creation and implementation of a matching internal control framework given the context of our client: a company with spread roots and an increasing dependence on ICT.
• To chair and set up via the Risk Committee the required internal structured risk dialog, ensuring the right level of risks to be addressed at the right levels.
• To create a solid buy in of the business stakeholders for ERM, ensuring they understand the business benefits and hence embrace and support the approach and their expected contribution thereto.
• To monitor risk ownership and the timely follow up by management thereof.
• To prepare for the local Internal Control officers (ICO’s) in the businesses (dotted reporting line) the internal control test of design and operations testing plans, covering the responsibilities of the internal control department. This based on the aforementioned enterprise risks.
• To schedule and assign work to the ICO’s/ businesses on a risk-related basis internal control framework based on COSO, currently containing approx. 100 key controls) endorsed by the Executive Board and Audit Committee and estimate resource needs.
• To review procedures and evaluate systems of internal control, to ensure their adequacy and effectiveness. Where necessary, to update the procedure manual for any changes, thus ensuring it is maintained as a live document documented in the electronic global internal control system (ICARO). To manage and improve the internal ICARO tool used for these activities.
• To test compliance with established policies, procedures and systems of internal control. 
• To keep the relevant management informed about the progress of the internal control review in order to allow significant findings to be discussed as they arise. 
• To exercise due care in collecting and interpreting testing evidence and in presenting combined internal control and audit findings, conclusions and recommendations at the right levels.
• To discuss with the management these findings and conclusions of either the testing or the audit review and consider feasible courses of action where a control weakness has been uncovered, or opportunities for improving performance have been disclosed.
• To follow up by reviewing progress in implementing previous internal audit recommendations.
• Every three months to submit joint with the VP Internal Audit a report to the EB and Audit Committee and to attend Audit Committee meetings. 
• To show vision and leadership on all mentioned fields and to foster constructive working relationships with management, staff and internal and external auditors. In particular to consult with the auditors to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure they are briefed on any areas of concern.

Candidates profile

The successful candidate will need to be an analytical problem solver with a methodical approach and has the natural authority to influence and work with the board , senior management and the internal and external auditors successfully. This capability to influence is fully based upon personality. Other criteria:

• Masters in Finance, and/or Register Accountant/CPA or an accountancy degree with an MBA.
• Minimal 12 years of relevant experience.
• In your track record you can show experience in the risk based approach to manage a company (preferably (a listed) multinational integrating concepts of strategic planning, operations management and internal control.
• Demonstrated abilities or a proven record to attain the abilities to set up an ERM and conduct internal control and audit reviews of financial, human resource, purchasing and IT controls and information systems.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, evaluate and solve problems, to assess their materiality, significance and to formulate practical solutions and strategies necessary to effect added value to the internal control community and business operations.
• Demonstrated maturity to manage assignments and contribute to the professional development of other internal control staff in the achievement of control and audit objectives in an effective and efficient manner.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuing professional development activities for the acquisition of knowledge and skills pertinent to developing / maintaining contemporary internal control competencies, including sound understanding of concepts and principles relating to enterprise risk management, internal audit controls and governance processes (Sox, Tabaksblat, Frijns, etc.).
• Sound communication and report writing skills with the ability to communicate and balance with multinational management at all levels and to provide authoritative advice on risk management, internal controls and governance processes (content owner of risk management in annual report) based on internal control framework.
• Political awareness and sensitivity.
• Hands on
• Ability to work in an virtual organisation
• Excellent verbal and written skills (English).
• Willingness to travel about 30% of her/his time
• Based at the corporate HQ’s the Netherlands.

Information

For more information please use the form below or contact Confius Executive Search Mr Paul van Maarschalkerwaart at +31 20 301 2175 or at + 31 6 46633769.