Divisional Finance Director

Position: Divisional Finance Director, Europe

Reporting Line: Regional MD Europe and Group CFO (Robert Rostas)

Location: Based in Italy with regular European Travel

About the Company

Phenna is a leading provider of Testing, Inspection, Compliance and Certification services, with a strong heritage and market leadership position in Europe. It provides mission-critical services to a wide range of B2B clients across diversified end sectors, underpinned by regulation, accreditation requirements and a highly specialised workforce.

Backed by Oakley Capital since December 2022, Phenna has a global footprint, with the UK currently representing approximately two-thirds of operations and Europe acting as a core engine of growth. The Group has completed more than 80 acquisitions since its inception in 2018 and continues to consolidate the highly fragmented TICC market, becoming the acquirer of choice for founder‑managed businesses.

Phenna now employs over 8,000 people across five continents and benefits from a resilient, a‑cyclical business model, driven by regulatory demand, accreditation needs and long‑term customer relationships. The senior leadership team, led by Executive Chairman Paul Barry, Group CEO Phil Marshall and Group CFO Robert Rostas, has a long track record of scaling international businesses, executing buy‑and‑build strategies in private equity environments and delivering successful exits.

Background

Phenna has been highly successful executing a buy‑and‑build strategy, rapidly scaling into a diversified, mission‑critical TICC platform. The size and complexity now reached requires continued investment in the senior leadership team to enable the next phase of growth and further professionalisation of divisional structures.

A new Group CFO was onboarded in late 2023, followed by the appointment of a Divisional Leadership Suite in mid‑2024, including Divisional MDs and FDs. The European division, as Phenna’s largest and most mature region, has a significant growth agenda driven by organic initiatives, platform development and bolt‑on acquisitions.

The European division is expected to maintain strong growth while expanding its footprint across priority European markets, deepening capabilities in infrastructure, built environment, food & pharma, niche industrials and certification & compliance services.

The Role

The Divisional Finance Director – Europe will play a critical role in scaling and further professionalising the European division’s operations in line with Phenna’s ambitious growth strategy. This is a highly visible, hands‑on leadership role, responsible for building a scalable finance function, optimising financial performance and integrating acquired businesses across multiple European jurisdictions.

The role will be key in preparing the European finance function for continued M&A activity, increased operational sophistication and an eventual exit event. The Divisional FD will act as a strategic partner to the Regional MD Europe and Group CFO, while remaining deeply involved in day‑to‑day finance operations.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Strategy & Leadership

• Own all divisional financial operations across the European portfolio, acting as the primary finance business partner to the Regional MD Europe.
• Establish scalable financial systems, processes and reporting to support rapid, multi‑country expansion and integration.
• Drive financial performance, focusing on sustainable, cash‑generative growth and disciplined capital allocation.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and long‑term planning for the European division, ensuring alignment with Group strategy and private equity value‑creation plans.
• Provide clear, data‑driven insight to regional and Group leadership on performance, risks and opportunities.

M&A & Business Scaling

• Lead finance workstreams for European acquisitions, including financial due diligence, valuation support and synergy identification.
• Design and implement robust post‑deal integration plans, ensuring timely consolidation of newly acquired businesses into divisional reporting and control frameworks.
• Develop and roll out standardised financial policies, processes and KPIs across acquired companies to create a cohesive, scalable divisional finance model.
• Support the commercial and operational teams in capturing synergies, optimising pricing and improving profitability at both platform and bolt‑on level.

Operational Finance & Governance

• Manage multi‑entity, multi‑currency finance operations across key European jurisdictions, including the UK and wider continental Europe.
• Strengthen financial controls, governance and compliance, ensuring consistency with Group policies and private equity‑grade standards.
• Drive working capital optimisation, including cash flow forecasting, DSO reduction and effective management of billing and collections.
• Oversee statutory reporting, tax compliance, audit processes and regulatory obligations across the European division, liaising with local advisers where appropriate.
• Ensure timely, accurate and insightful divisional reporting into Group, including monthly performance packs and board materials.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor and develop the European finance team, fostering a high‑performance, accountable and commercially oriented culture.
• Assess existing finance talent across the region, identifying gaps, restructuring where necessary and building a high‑calibre team capable of supporting growth and M&A.
• Embed best practice in financial management, business partnering and performance management across divisional and local finance teams.
• Champion change management and continuous improvement, driving process efficiency, systems enhancement and greater automation.

Key Requirements

Experience & Technical Skills

• Proven FD/CFO‑level experience in a high‑growth, private equity‑backed or highly leveraged environment.
• Track record of combining strategic financial leadership with hands‑on ownership of day‑to‑day finance operations.
• Strong M&A experience, including due diligence, integration and scaling of acquired businesses, ideally across multiple European countries.
• Deep understanding of multi‑entity, multi‑country finance operations, including multi‑currency environments and cross‑border tax and regulatory considerations.
• Demonstrable experience building scalable finance infrastructures (systems, processes, controls, reporting) from the ground up or through transformation.
• Experience within TICC, business services, industrial services or adjacent sectors is advantageous but not essential.

Geographical & Language Requirements

• Europe‑based, ideally within easy reach of key Phenna hubs in the UK or Western Europe.
• Fluency in English is essential; additional European languages (e.g. German, French, Spanish, Italian or others) strongly advantageous for working with local finance teams and portfolio businesses.

Cultural Fit

• High‑energy, proactive and resilient leader who thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑growth, change‑oriented environment.
• Comfortable operating with entrepreneurial, founder‑led businesses as well as within a more structured, data‑driven private equity‑backed Group finance context.
• Culturally agile, able to build trust and credibility with diverse teams across multiple European countries, including family‑owned and mid‑market businesses.
• Strong change‑management skills, with the ability to simplify complexity, implement new ways of working and drive measurable performance improvement.