Growth Finance & Commercial Executive - Auto Retail, Property, Finance, Investments Industry - JHB

Introduction

Privately Owned Entrepreneurial Group  with interests spanning automotive retail and rental, property, finance and private investments .

We are looking for an exceptional Group Finance & Commercial Executive to work directly alongside the owners in managing, strengthening and growing the group.

This is not a conventional Financial Manager position .

While strong financial skills are essential, we are looking for a commercial thinker first — someone capable of analysing opportunities, challenging assumptions, structuring transactions and helping determine where capital should be deployed.

The successful candidate will become a trusted adviser to the owners, with direct exposure to significant financial, commercial and strategic decisions across the group.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You are likely to have a CA(SA), CIMA or equivalent high-level financial qualification , although exceptional commercial and financial experience will be equally important.

Ideally, you will have approximately 10–20 years of relevant experience , with meaningful exposure to privately owned, entrepreneurial, investment-focused or diversified businesses.

You should be comfortable operating in an environment where decisions are made quickly and opportunities do not always arrive neatly packaged.

You must be able to take a question such as

“We have R10 million available. Should we reduce debt, acquire property, expand an existing business or invest elsewhere?”

…and return with a properly researched, financially modelled and commercially considered recommendation.

We are specifically looking for someone who can say

“I have analysed it. These are the alternatives, these are the numbers, these are the risks, and this is what I recommend.”

Duties & Responsibilities

Working directly with the owners, you will have exposure to virtually every significant financial and commercial decision across the group.

Your responsibilities will include

• Group cash-flow management and forecasting.

• Management accounts and financial performance analysis.

• Capital allocation across the group's businesses and investments.

• Financial modelling of new ventures, acquisitions and property transactions.

• Analysis of return on capital and investment performance.

• Banking relationships, funding structures and debt management.

• Budgeting, forecasting and financial controls.

• Evaluating business, acquisition and investment opportunities.

• Property acquisition and development feasibility analysis.

• Vehicle fleet economics, asset utilisation and funding analysis.

• Oversight and coordination of accountants, auditors, tax practitioners and other professional advisers.

• Preparation of concise and meaningful financial information to support owner decision-making.

• Assisting with negotiations, transaction structuring and commercial due diligence.

• Identifying financial and commercial risks before they become significant problems.

• Following major commercial decisions through to implementation and performance measurement.

• Providing independent analysis and commercially sound recommendations to the owners.

Over time, you will increasingly become a trusted financial and commercial adviser to the owners and play a meaningful role in determining the future direction of the group.

Desired Experience & Qualification

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Qualifications

• CA(SA), CIMA or equivalent senior financial qualification.

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce, Economics or a related discipline.

• An MBA or postgraduate qualification in Finance, Investment Management, Corporate Finance or Business Management will be advantageous.

Experience Required

• Approximately 10–20 years of progressive finance and commercial experience .

• Experience operating at senior management or executive level.

• Meaningful exposure to privately owned, entrepreneurial or diversified businesses.

• Strong experience in financial modelling, forecasting and investment analysis.

• Experience evaluating acquisitions, investments, business opportunities or significant capital projects.

• Exposure to banking, funding structures, debt management and capital allocation.

• Experience in one or more of the following sectors will be advantageous:

• Automotive retail

• Vehicle rental or fleet management

• Property

• Investments

• Financial services

• Private equity

• Corporate finance

• Diversified group operations

THE PERSON

The successful candidate will be

• Highly numerate and financially sophisticated.

• Commercially minded and entrepreneurial in outlook.

• Analytical, but capable of making clear and decisive recommendations.

• Naturally curious and interested in understanding how businesses actually make money.

• Comfortable challenging the owners constructively and professionally.

• Able to move comfortably between detailed analysis and high-level strategy.

• Capable of managing several businesses, projects and opportunities simultaneously.

• Strong enough to operate independently without constant supervision.

• Discreet, trustworthy and able to handle confidential information.

• Proactive, practical and focused on solutions.

• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving and evolving business environment.

We value judgement, integrity, initiative and commercial intelligence more than corporate titles .

KEY COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong capability in

• Financial modelling and scenario analysis.

• Cash-flow forecasting and working capital management.

• Capital allocation and investment decision-making.

• Return on investment and return on capital analysis.

• Debt and funding analysis.

• Business valuation and investment evaluation.

• Property feasibility and development analysis.

• Acquisition and transaction analysis.

• Budgeting and financial planning.

• Financial risk identification and mitigation.

• Management reporting and performance analysis.

• Commercial negotiations and transaction structuring.

• Strategic analysis and decision support.

The ability to simplify complex financial information into clear, practical recommendations for entrepreneurial owners will be critical.

WHAT THIS POSITION IS NOT

This is not a bookkeeping position .

It is not primarily a statutory reporting position .

It is not a role for someone who wants to spend their career reporting what happened last month .

The group already has accounting and professional support structures.

We are looking for someone who wants to help determine what happens next .

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

Performance will be measured against

• Quality and commercial value of financial and strategic recommendations.

• Effective management of Group cash flow and liquidity.

• Improved capital allocation and return on investment.

• Successful evaluation and implementation of new business and investment opportunities.

• Accuracy and usefulness of financial modelling and forecasts.

• Financial performance and profitability across the Group.

• Effective management of debt, funding and banking relationships.

• Identification and mitigation of financial and commercial risks.

• Successful execution of major transactions and strategic initiatives.

• Quality of information and insight provided to the owners.

• Contribution to long-term growth, profitability and enterprise value.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The successful candidate will work closely with experienced entrepreneurs and gain direct exposure to significant real-world decisions involving businesses, vehicles, property, debt, investments and capital allocation .

For the right person, this position has the potential to develop substantially over time into a broader senior executive leadership role within the group .

We are therefore interested not only in what you have already achieved, but also in what you are capable of becoming over the next five years .

Th