Regional Senior Director Finance APAC

About Sonova

Sonova is a global leader in innovative hearing care solutions: from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems to audiological care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. Our 18,000+ employees across our group companies and retail locations around the world are connected through Sonova's vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing. Our portfolio of brands includes Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova, Sennheiser and Advanced Bionics as well as various recognized regional brands.

The Group is headquartered in Staefa, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. In financial year 2024/205, Sonova Group achieved consolidated sales of CHF 3.8 billion with adjusted EBITA of CHF 808 million. The newly created Asia Pacific region, which unifies our Hearing Instruments (wholesale) and Audiological Care (retail) businesses, currently accounts for CHF 225 million and is a strategically important region with tremendous growth potential.

About the role

The Sr. Director Finance APAC is the financial leader of the regional organization (excl. CHB and CI businesses, operations and corporate roles) and will manage a team of 44 regular FTEs across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea and India. He/she jointly steers the regional P&L with the Regional Business Head, driving profitable growth: revenue growth, margin improvement, disciplined cost control and sustainable value creation. The Sr. Director Finance APAC is a copilot to the Regional Business Head with regards to developing business strategies and leads the development and implementation of the Group Finance strategy for the Asia Pacific region (excl. China).

The Sr. Director Finance APAC reports to the Group CFO, working closely with Group Accounting, Group FP&A and the Corporate Finance functions, as well as with the MD’s and GCCs in the region. The role plays a critical part in translating strategic priorities into financial outcomes and ensuring alignment with the global finance transformation agenda, including the implementation of harmonized processes and systems. The Sr. Director Finance APAC is responsible for the full business control cycle and financial stewardship for the region.

Key responsibilities:

Leadership

• The Sr. Director Finance APAC has direct leadership responsibility for the regional business controller, the supporting teams and the GCCs in the region
• Responsible for the overall development of a strong Finance function in the region by leading and developing local GC teams
• Drives efficiency in finance processes and the overall Finance function in strong collaboration with Corporate Finance
• Champions talent development and succession planning across the regional finance organization
• Leads the regional finance change agenda, ensuring adoption of global processes, systems and ways of working, and supporting the implementation of the Global Finance Operating Model in close alignment with Corporate Finance, GBS and Centers of Excellence

Business Partnering

• Drives business growth, OPEX and working capital efficiency by providing strategic leadership and business modelling, financial analysis and decision making and performance management
• Responsible for the roll-out of group initiatives to local organizations
• Ensures strong commercial finance support on pricing, profitability, and ROI of initiatives
• Supports the execution of the regional strategic plan by linking financial targets with operational KPIs and growth drivers

Acquisitions and Expansion

• Assesses and challenges expansion plans in the region
• Partners on acquisitions business case, LOI, transaction & closing through to integration of acquired businesses
• Ensures disciplined post-merger integration, including synergy tracking, governance and financial performance follow-through

Budgeting, Forecasting & Planning

• Responsible for the budget & forecast process of the region
• Develops and implements other planning and control procedures and analyzes and reports variances
• Challenges the GC Management Teams on financial figures of their GC
• Leads scenario planning and risk/opportunity assessments to support decision making
• Ensures consistency and quality of financial plans across all GCs by applying Group standards and methodologies

Finance & Controlling

• Supports the GCs in financial plans and policies, internal control systems, accounting practices (local legislation, IFRS closing), financial and performance reports and financial analyses of operations
• Leads cashflow, working capital and capital expenditure governance across the region
• Strengthens data quality, controls and reporting consistency in close alignment with Group Controlling
• Partners with Shared Services / GBS teams to ensure consistent, efficient and high-quality finance processes across the region

Reporting

• Business performance reviews of the region and the business segments in the region
• Recommends changes to improve financial performance (profitability and capital employed) and drives those changes in partnership with the management team of the region
• Closely align with the Corporate Finance team to drive the adoption of digital reporting and analytical tools under a shared agenda

Internal Controls, Risk Management, and Tax

• Responsible for the Internal Control Framework across the region by ensuring strong financial governance, controls and risk management, including Internal Audit follow up. The Sr. Director Finance APAC ensures alignment with corporate standards for the region and supports the Region Management Teams in securing all different processes (alignment with corporate compliance)
• Ensure compliance on tax questions and issues and align these with the corporate tax department
• Leads the regional financial risk management framework, including regulatory, operational and FX risk considerations

About you

• Bachelor’s or Master´s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or Business Administration; Certified Public Accountant preferred
• Extensive and progressive Finance experience in multiple APAC markets, of which at least 5 years in a management position; experience in Hearing, Retail, Healthcare or MedTech is preferred
• A reliable and committed individual with high levels of integrity, having earned respect from the business and corporate functions through proactive communication, challenging and impartial analysis and reporting
• Strong presentation and interpersonal skills; the ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities and communicate with all levels of the organization in a multi-cultural matrix environment; capable of influencing senior stakeholders across functions and discussing complex financial topics clearly and persuasively
• Strong leadership skills; leading and managing complex organizations in times of organizational change with a high degree of empathy, proactiveness and enthusiasm
• Proven strong functional knowledge of Business Controlling, Financial Accounting (IFRS and Statutory), Tax & Treasury, and Systems and Processes;
• Strong strategic thinking skills, including financial modelling that drives business growth and performance
• Demonstrated ability to work on cross-functional projects, including M&A & integration experience
• Ability to see the big picture, while also paying attention to details and maintaining high quality standards
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in pricing, P&L management and value creation levers
• English fluency is a must; proficiency in other Asia languages is an advantage
• Willingness to travel 20-30%
• A strong set of personal guiding principles that align with our company values: We care; We drive innovation; We strive for excellence; We take accountability; We build the best team