VP, LATAM Controller

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Your New Role

The Vice President, LATAM Controller is responsible for the overall accounting controllership of the LATAM accounting operations (excluding GBS/shared services). This includes managing the financial close process; leading the relevant accounting teams within the region; preparing and reviewing budgets; managing the statutory filing processes, including services provided by external service providers (external auditors, outsourced accounting service firms); establishing and building strong relationships with key stakeholders in the region and globally; managing the service levels to FP&A and within the shared service function (GBS); and leading new business projects, acquisition integrations and process improvements with the support and input of regional finance, GBS organization, tax and treasury.

• Lead and oversee the LATAM controllership organization of approximately 80 employees located primarily in Mexico, Brazil, Columbia and Venezuela. Oversight responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, ensuring all critical accounting deadlines are met, effectively managing the LATAM accounting close process, ensuring complete and accurate accounting in all relevant areas, maintaining compliance with SOX requirements, analyzing financial statement results against expectations and prior periods
• Managing the LATAM statutory filing process (approximately 20-25 legal entities per year), including the preparation and review of statutory financial statements and related audits. Working directly with the external auditors, local authorities, and WBD management to ensure all statutory filings and audits are completed on time and within budget. Ensuring local tax filing obligations and accounting requirements are maintained and compliant
• Engage with and build strong relationships with key LATAM stakeholders, including LATAM CFO, FP&A, shared service functions (GBS), country specific business leaders, and other Accounting Process Owners. Ensure a robust understanding of the LATAM business in core operating sectors and provide responsive information as required in key business decisions. Be the central / key connection point between business and controllership accounting and facilitate information requirements and process efficiency. Partner with accounting teams responsible for global content and digital revenue teams to ensure accurate results in LATAM companies. Provide career and professional development/coaching/training to staff, and implement process improvements to drive operational improvements
• Understand and support the LATAM business operations and activities, to effectively identify and communicate complex accounting analysis and decisions to FP&A and business teams
• Interface with Tax and Treasury to address business requirements and statutory reporting compliance matters
• Partner with Technical Accounting team on implementing new GAAP guidance and evaluating new contracts or business transactions under US GAAP
• Manage SOX compliance requirements and continuously strengthen the control environment and manage the team to 100% SOX compliance
• Support the controllership leadership team in developing the medium- and long-term vision for the controllership function for LATAM
• Working closely with the Finance Leadership Team to identify key strategic and operational projects necessary to support the company's financial reporting objectives, deliver quality financial information to the business and external stakeholders on a timely basis
• Understand the impact of accounting decisions on the overall reporting process for other support functions (e.g., IT, HR, Procurement, etc.) and ensure appropriate communication of the same
• Lead and drive the effective implementation of corporate policies and procedures and be the owner of business process and policy and procedure for the regional networks
• Partner with internal and external audit teams, fulfill audit requests in a timely manner and work with auditors to understand testing approach and provide timely and comprehensive information
• Ensure timely consideration and assessment of local accounting implications of business transactions and work with the Technical Accounting team to determine US GAAP accounting positions of the same
• Provide leadership and management of key system and process integrations in the LATAM controllership area, including leading through acquisitions and/or divestments from a finance perspective. Identify issues timely and propose solutions to ensure project success. Frequently assess current accounting operations, offering recommendations for improvements and implementing approved new processes. Specific areas of focus to include, but not limited to:
• Effectively manage the impacts to the LATAM accounting systems and processes related to large ERP implementation projects
• Support key accounting global projects (e.g., implementation of new accounting standards, reorganizations, process improvements for LATAM controllership)

• Extensive years of work experience in accounting with a strong understanding of US GAAP, IFRS, SOX 404 and relevant local GAAP as required
• Substantial supervisory experience of large accounting teams. Prior Controller experience strongly desired.
• CPA, Chartered Accountant (CA), or equivalent required
• BS/BA in Accounting (or local equivalent) from accredited university
• Master's degree in accounting or MBA a plus
• Strong leadership and staff management skills, including demonstrated ability to motivate teams
• Strong finance technical and analytical skills, deep knowledge of multiple LATAM-based country statutory filing requirements, broad tax and treasury knowledge, and project management experience across a range of financial projects
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, meet stringent deadlines, lead and drive projects, and work under pressure including adaptability to changing priorities and/or deadlines
• Strong understanding of a range of financial systems, including SAP, and experience in system implementation and conversion projects
• Strong understanding and experience managing the preparation and filing of statutory requirements within the LATAM region, including coordination and management of the statutory audit process
• Experience working in SOX control environment, including review and establishment of SOX control framework
• Experience working with Regional CFOs and delivering exceptional advice based on experienced business acumen
• Highly skilled and adept at performing financial statement analytics and monitoring of key business performance metrics
• Experience working in multi-national corporations and a global accounting organization
• Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and critical thinking to solve complex and unstructured business and accounting problems
• Ability to determine proper revenue recognition, including multi-element revenue
• agreements, revenue accruals, customer's incentives and commissions and financial
• impact of settlement in complex foreign currency environments
• Excellent attention to detail
• Clear communicator, professional oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, able to manage relationships effectively within the accounting team, internal customers, outsourced service providers
• Team player with consensus driven style, demonstrably able to influence a wide constituency
• A superior work ethic and dedication to the highest work quality and job excellence
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to a culture of excellence, integrity and accountability and able to effectively function in a changing environment
• Experience implementing best practices that require significant innovation for improving processes by applying advanced understanding of complex functional/technical and business issues and challenges
• Ability to anticipate resource requirements and to adjust based on emerging issues and priorities
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office
• Business and conversationally fluent in English required
• Willing and able to travel internationally. Annual travel not expected to exceed 10-15% of the year