Chief Financial Officer

Middle East Recruiter Senior Executive Search FS Technology Energy

About the Company

Our client is a fast-growing digital financial services business within a leading global financial group. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the platform delivers consumer-focused digital products and payment solutions across multiple customer segments.

With a strong balance sheet, a clear growth mandate and increasing transaction volumes, the organisation is now seeking a strategic, hands on CFO to lead its finance function and play a central role in its next phase of expansion.

Role Summary

The Chief Financial Officer will sit on the executive leadership team and be responsible for financial strategy, performance management, capital efficiency and financial risk oversight.

You will partner closely with the CEO and business heads to drive sustainable growth, optimise unit economics and ensure the platform remains compliant, well governed and investor ready in a fast moving digital and regulatory environment.

Key Responsibilities Financial Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute the financial strategy aligned to the company's growth agenda, product roadmap and risk appetite.
• Act as a strategic sparring partner to the CEO and Board on pricing, investment, and capital allocation decisions.
• Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing Finance & Treasury team, fostering a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement.

FP&A, Performance & Unit Economics

• Own the budgeting, forecasting and long range planning processes, ensuring robust analysis and insight into business performance.
• Build and refine product level and segment level P&L, including unit economics for key digital products and revenue streams.
• Develop and track KPIs and dashboards covering revenue, margins, acquisition costs, retention and customer lifetime value, providing actionable insight to commercial and product teams.

Capital, Liquidity & Treasury Management

• Oversee capital and liquidity planning, ensuring the business is appropriately funded and able to meet all regulatory and operational obligations.
• Manage relationships with the wider group's treasury and finance functions to optimise capital structure, funding lines and cost of capital.
• Implement best practice cash management and hedging strategies to manage FX, funding and settlement risks in a high volume transaction environment.

Financial Controls, Governance & Regulatory Alignment

• Ensure robust financial control, governance and reporting frameworks, including closing, consolidation and statutory reporting in line with IFRS and local regulations.
• Work closely with Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements applicable to licensed financial institutions and digital channels.
• Strengthen policies, controls and systems across revenue recognition, reconciliations, refunds/chargebacks and third party settlements.

Commercial Finance & Business Partnering

• Partner with Product, Commercial and Partnerships teams to shape pricing, incentives, campaigns and partner deal economics.
• Evaluate new initiatives (new products, features, segments, partnerships) through business cases, scenario analysis and ROI assessment.
• Provide commercial challenge and support on acquisition, retention and cross sell strategies, ensuring sustainable and profitable growth.

Data, Systems & Transformation

• Drive the evolution of finance systems, reporting tools and data architecture to support real time insights and scalable operations.
• Champion automation and digitisation initiatives within finance (e.g. reconciliations, reporting, dashboards), supporting the company's broader technology agenda.
• Contribute to group level and platform level transformation projects, ensuring financial implications are understood and managed.

Candidate Profile Experience & Background

• 15+ years' total experience, with at least 5-7 years in a senior finance leadership role (FP&A Head, Finance Director, CFO, etc.).
• Strong background in financial services, digital payments, fintech or consumer banking; exposure to high volume transaction businesses is highly desirable.
• Experience in a regulated financial environment (bank, licensed financial institution, or regulated fintech).
• Proven track record in building or scaling finance functions in high growth or transformation environments.
• Solid regional exposure in the GCC / MENA, with strong understanding of local regulatory and market dynamics (UAE experience an advantage).

Technical & Professional Skills

• Deep expertise in FP&A, financial control, capital & liquidity management, and financial risk management.
• Strong understanding of IFRS, revenue recognition for financial products and complex fees/commission structures.
• Comfortable working with data rich, high transaction businesses, reconciliations and complex settlement flows.
• Demonstrated ability to build product level P&Ls, unit economics, and profitability models for digital products and platforms.
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills; familiarity with modern ERP/BI tools and data platforms is an advantage.

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA or equivalent.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or related field; MBA or relevant Master's preferred but not essential.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with the ability to zoom in and out between detail and big picture.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills; comfortable engaging with boards, regulators and senior stakeholders.
• Hands on, pragmatic and comfortable operating in fast paced, evolving environments.
• High integrity, sound judgement and a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Seniority level

Executive

Employment type

Full time

Job function

Finance, Accounting/Auditing, and Strategy/Planning

Industries

Financial Services and Banking

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE