Western Europe Bill to Cash (B2C) Lead

Reporting to the Global Head of Bill to Cash (B2C) with dual reporting lines into regional Corporte Risk & Broking (CRB) and Health & Benefits (H&B) operations leads this is a leadership role with full responsibility for planning and managing all B2C Western Europe onshore operations and accountability for Western Europe offshore operations delivered by GSD (excluding France). The role holder will work closely with the WEU business to bring in additional B2C work performed by the business teams e.g. Billing, Collections. This position will play a significant role on the B2C senior leadership team fostering close relationships with other regional leads and contributing to the vision and strategy of the function. The role oversees and sets the direction of the Western Europe operations driving alignment and consistency with the global standard; the key performance indicator being free cashflow. The role will drive the necessary changes for the improvement of operating and organizational efficiency of the team.

The Role

• Operating in a regional structure, this highly collaborative role is responsible for the operational teams across multiple geographies which deliver free cashflow and manage debt for CRB and H&B businesses.
• The role holder will drive the standardization of business processes and maximise adoption of the technology ecosystem to optimise cashflow and efficiency for the Western Europe region. 
• Liaise with offshore counterparts to ensure that B2C operations are delivering the expected level of service to the businesses, are operating in line with appropriate regulatory requirements
• Ensuring that the B2C policies and process standards are being adhered to by both onshore and offshore Western Europe B2C operations.
• Builds relationships and works cross-functionally with our frontline client-facing teams, finance, and treasury to enhance business performance.

Key Accountabilities

• A key member of the Global B2C Leadership team and accountable for developing the long-term Western Europe strategy for the Bill to Cash function.
• Develop and manage the annual and long-term budgets for B2C Western Europe Operations expenses in conjunction with the Global Head of B2C and GSD team.
• Strategic planning for B2C Western Europe Operations. Continue to transform the BAU operation, identifying opportunities & building business cases for transitions, technology and automation.
• Manage regional/ cluster B2C teams by providing direction and support, and managing / resolving any escalations from country or GSD teams
• Ensure B2C policies and process standards are being adhered to both onshore and offshore within the region. Driving consistency across the operation and ensuring that process improvements opportunities are identified and implemented in a controlled and effective manner.
• Establish and proactively manage and monitor progress against B2C key performance indicators to drive improved performance outcomes through adoption of best/leading practices. Cascade these as appropriate to country/cluster level.
• Ensure the appropriate controls (financial, operational effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and regulatory controls) are maintained.
• Ensure compliance to all internal and external regulatory/legal (e.g., SOX control and reporting requirements).
• Develop managers, communicate clearly, set expectations, follow up to ensure success, conduct business reviews and hold team accountable for commitments and success criteria
• Ensure that all colleagues maintain focused on both cashflow and efficiency by developing and administering performance targets and objectives which ensure individuals and teams deliver effective cash management practices alongside successful client outcomes.
• Execute plans to upskill the workforce in line with the WE DO, Enterprise Operations and GSD talent strategies.
• Maintain close partnership and collaboration with the business to deliver on key operational priorities.

Key Performance Drivers

• Commitment to working with shared leadership and in cross-functional teams
• Ability to supervise and manage multiple projects at the same time
• Strong creative, strategic, analytical, organizational, and personal negotiation skills
• Capacity to conceptualize as well as operationalize business strategies
• Ability to efficiently interact with business senior leaders
• Communicate a clear set of guidelines and expectations from the top down.

The Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field 
• Potential Industry Qualifications (i.e., CPA, CFA, CMA)
• Minimum 10+ years in operations management or operations improvement role including some tenure in complex, multinational, multi-site environments
• Understanding of free cashflow and levers to improve it
• Demonstrated experience leading international teams, and high-volume finance operations delivery teams
• Experience in operations management, billing and accounting process training, quality assurance, automation tools, and implementation of operating models driving process standardisation
• Understanding of key finance and cash metrics and associated performance indicators 
• Experience and knowledge of financial reporting standards
• Experience of working in regulated environments

Competencies

• Knowledge of financial invoicing and fiduciary accounting
• People leadership & motivational skills
• Stakeholder Management – particularly diplomacy and influencing skills
• Customer orientated
• Strong communication skills
• Business acumen
• Drive for results
• Learning agility
• Organization acumen
• Problem solving
• Business English required, preferred to have German or Spanish in addition

Equal Opportunity Employer

At WTW, we believe difference makes us stronger. We want our workforce to reflect the different and varied markets we operate in and to build a culture of inclusivity that makes colleagues feel welcome, valued and empowered to bring their whole selves to work every day. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive work environment throughout our organization. We embrace all types of diversity.

At WTW, we trust you to know your work and the people, tools and environment you need to be successful. The majority of our colleagues work in a ”hybrid” style, with a mix of remote, in-person and in-office interactions dependent on the needs of the team, role and clients. Our flexibility is rooted in trust and “hybrid” is not a one-size-fits-all solution.