General Manager – Global M&S Finance CoE

Location
Chennai
Workplace
Hybrid

About this role

General Manager – Global M&S Finance CoE & Modernization will serve as the operational and strategic anchor for the Marketing & Sales Finance Center of Excellence (CoE). This leader will drive matrix interactions, talent capability building, and large-scale finance modernization initiatives. Working in close partnership with the Global Structural Cost Controller, this individual will lead benchmark global processes and deploy next-generation capabilities (including iERP/SAP and AI-driven analytics) across M&S Finance.

Responsibilities

1. CoE Leadership, Talent Development & Skill Nourishment

  • Lead, mentor, and upscale a high-performing CoE finance team supporting global M&S, FCSD, and Integrated Services.
  • Build a future-ready talent pipeline by driving cross-skill training, modern financial modeling, digital literacy, and business acumen across the team.
  • Foster an inclusive, high-accountability culture that shifts team focus from standard reporting to strategic, forward-looking business insights.

2. Modernization, Transformation & Project Management

  • Lead end-to-end Finance Modernization programs, including workflow automation, reporting standardizations, and iERP (SAP S/4HANA) implementation/adoption.
  • Partner with Global IT, Data & Analytics, and cross-functional teams to integrate modern financial tooling and self-service dashboards.
  • Champion AI fluency and digital adoption across finance workflows (e.g., predictive forecasting, anomaly detection, automation, GenAI use cases).

3. Global Benchmarking & Value Creation

  • Establish and run benchmarking frameworks across M&S operational spend and finance processes to identify cost-efficiency and optimization opportunities.
    • Design and implement scalable global solutions, harmonizing best practices across regions and functional lines.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications & Skills:

  • Education: Chartered Accountant (CA), CPA, CIMA, CMA, or MBA in Finance from a top-tier institution.
  • Experience: 12–16 years of progressive post-qualification experience in Finance Controllership, and CoE operations within a multinational environment or top-tier GCC.
  • ERP & Systems: Working knowledge of modern enterprise ERPs (specifically iERP / SAP S/4HANA).
  • Leadership Track Record: Proven track record of managing and developing medium-to-large teams (10–25+ professionals), with demonstrated success in talent development.
  • Transformation Credibility: Direct experience leading or playing a core workstream lead role in a large-scale Finance Transformation / ERP.
  • AI & Digital Fluency: Practical exposure to evaluating or implementing AI/ML, automation (RPA), and GenAI capabilities in Finance workflows.

    Desirable / "Good to Have":
  • Project Management Certification: PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, or Agile/Scrum certification.

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