Head of Global Shared Services Northern Europe

Location: London (with occasional travel across Northern Europe)
- Industry: Media & Entertainment
- Reporting Line: Group SVP, Global Business Services (plus dotted senior stakeholder exposure)
- Travel: Approx. once per month initially (may reduce over time)
GALENT are recruiting for a senior leadership opportunity suitable for an experienced finance transformation and shared services professional who seeks to work within a globally recognised media and entertainment group headquartered in London.
Environment and benefits / general selling points
This newly created position plays a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of a large, international finance organisation. It offers the opportunity to lead a multi-country shared services model, modernise processes, and help drive a significant systems transformation programme, all while having visibility with senior group-level stakeholders and contributing to long-term strategy. You’ll work in a complex, dynamic environment where innovation and operational excellence are encouraged and where your expertise will directly influence how the business delivers finance services across Northern Europe.
You will:
- Lead the Northern Europe Global Business Services function, overseeing delivery of accounting, reporting, and transactional finance services (AP, AR, treasury, general ledger) across multiple European countries.
- Manage and develop a senior leadership team with responsibility for a wider network of c.100 finance professionals across the UK, Scandinavia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and other regions.
- Drive standardisation, digitisation and process improvement, ensuring compliance with IFRS, local GAAP and group policies.
- Oversee period-end close and statutory reporting, coordinating with group functions and external auditors.
- Build strong partnerships with local finance teams, group stakeholders and external advisors.
- Optimise how and where finance activities are delivered to create a scalable, efficient operating model.
- Play a key role in large-scale system transformation, including the ongoing S/4HANA rollout and associated data migration, testing and implementation projects.
The ideal Head of Global Business Services Northern Europe will possess the following attributes/skills:
- Senior finance leader with 10+ years’ experience in accounting/finance and several years leading a shared service or global business services organisation.
- Proven ability to run large, distributed teams across multiple countries and manage change with discretion and empathy.
- Strong technical knowledge of IFRS, local GAAPs and multi-country compliance.
- Track record of finance process transformation, ERP implementation and operational excellence, SAP/S4HANA experience strongly preferred.
- Excellent leadership, stakeholder management and project/change management skills, with a service-oriented mindset and intercultural awareness.
- Professional qualification (e.g. ACCA, CIMA, CPA) desirable; fluent English essential (other European languages a plus).
Why this is an excellent opportunity
This is a strategic, career-defining role where you will help shape the future of a complex multi-entity finance organisation at one of Europe’s most recognisable media and entertainment groups. You will gain senior leadership exposure, influence how finance is delivered across multiple countries, and lead transformation in a forward-thinking, evolving environment that rewards innovation and operational excellence.
If your background matches the above, please do not hesitate to apply at your soonest convenience.
We look forward to hearing from you