Director (Performance Improvement - Financial Services Industries)

Description

Company Overview

Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”) is a global consulting firm with more than $2+ billion in revenues, c.7500+ staff and over 70 offices around the globe and a broad range of professional services including Turnaround, Financial Restructuring, Transaction Advisory, Performance Improvement, Corporate Transformation, Financial Institutions Advisory, Tax, Valuations, and Disputes and Investigation Services. 

The Team

Our respected Financial Services Industries (FSI) team is built on deep industry sector expertise with a demonstrable and differentiated ability to address the most complex business problems and deliver dramatic and sustainable business performance improvements.

Our highly experienced teams thrive in critical situations where clients are looking to respond to external changes such as competitor dynamics or industry disruption. We help our clients to define and redefine strategy, plan and execute transformation, and navigate complex merger integrations and carve-outs. We provide advisory services to commercial banks, NBFC’s, insurance companies, regulators, central banks, sovereign wealth funds and public finance institutions across multiple functions including strategy and performance improvement, transformation and implementation, revenue improvement, risk mitigation and regulatory approval, due diligence and post-merger integration amongst others.

A&M Culture

A&M is a fast-paced environment with a highly dynamic culture which emphasizes diversity and inclusion. We empower, coach and mentor future leaders and endorse meritocracy to develop skilled consultants who deliver tangible results and build long-lasting relationships. Our entrepreneurial culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry.

The collaborative, supportive environment, and engaging work—guided by A&M’s core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are the main reasons our people love working at A&M.

Inclusive Diversity means just that–we embrace diversity and foster inclusiveness. It runs through how we recruit, develop employees, conduct business, support clients, and partner with vendors. It is the A&M way.

The Role

A&M is rapidly growing in the Middle East and seeking to hire a Director to be based in Riyadh who will be responsible for leading a diverse range of complex client assignments alongside other experienced professionals. You will develop and implement forward-looking concepts and support your clients in the context of developing and implementing strategy, performance improvement, transformation (including digitalization), operational turnaround and pre- and post-deal support. We are looking to hire a leader who has a successful track record of value creation with a blend of operational and commercial skills, an entrepreneurial approach, understanding of the local and regional markets as well as the regulatory environment, and a network across the Middle East.

You will have the opportunity to build leadership skills and leverage on your interest in motivating and inspiring others. You will assist in growing our practice, broadening out our routes to market, and building a robust yet flexible plan to generate both deal flow and develop a sustainable business, externally and internally. You will also contribute strongly to business development activity including developing successful pitches and selling, on from the initial “diagnostic” project phase into implementation work.

Culture is important for A&M and our consultants actively participate in firm-building committees and initiatives such as recruiting, learning and development, culture, marketing, and finance.

The Requirements

You will be a high-energy individual with excellent operational and commercial skills and a track record of success. You must like new challenges with true desire to continue to grow. You must also bring consulting experience from a leading strategy consultancy with a track record in delivering projects. You will be able to demonstrate a record of success in delivering major performance improvement / transformation projects and will have a tight grasp on current industry trends and operational challenges. We would expect the successful candidate to bring:

We are looking for people who have:

• at least 10 years of prior full-time consulting experience or at least 7 of full-time non-consulting work experience in financial services roles such as banking, asset management, etc, or a combination of consulting and financial services industry experience
• a high-grade bachelor’s degree (or equivalent/higher) from an accredited top-tier university (business/management, engineering, law, accounting or similar disciplines are preferred but not essential)
• master’s degree / MBA from a top-tier university is preferable
• a recent track record of successfully leading teams & delivering major transformational assignments with a proven record of achieving agreed benefits
• possess excellent financial & business and/or financial modelling skills. Can conduct an initial rapid diagnostic into the company’s immediate and future cash needs, product profitability, cost base and major operational issues
• experienced in resolving complex operational and financial problems including implementing cost reductions and operational improvements
• willingness to travel to client sites across Middle East and beyond, at short notice as part of the working week
• strong problem-solving skills and analytical skills, and deep dive analysis
• excellent knowledge of Excel (to analyse the data) and PowerPoint (to present the analyses
• strong problem-solving skills and financial background combined with deep understanding of business and operational drivers
• high integrity that is characterised by the ability to deliver messages even when they are difficult to hear
• Fluent in English, both written and oral. Arabic language skills is preferred
• Saudi nationality is preferred
• Previous exposure in financial services, especially in relation to operational transformation, business transformation and/or performance improvement are desirable

Personal Style

• Thrives in a fast-paced, challenging, and unpredictable environment.
• Has the ability to project fun and a sense of achievement into the work that they do and team that they join
• Hands-on and non-hierarchical operator who is equally effective in managing up and down and relates well at all levels and cultures
• Driven by values and integrity, straight talker, builds confidence and leads by example
• Demonstrable ability to balance a high-level view with detail
• A natural ability to prioritize – especially in highly pressurized situations
• Autonomous – A&M has a flat structure with a self-sufficient culture
• Entrepreneurial spirit

Diversity & Inclusion

A&M’s entrepreneurial culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who can positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M’s core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are the main reasons our people love working at A&M. Inclusive Diversity means we embrace diversity, and we foster inclusiveness, encouraging everyone to bring their whole self to work each day. It runs through how we recruit, develop employees, conduct business, support clients, and partner with vendors. It is the A&M way.

Voluntary Inclusion

It is Alvarez & Marsal’s practice to provide and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, pregnancy, marital status, family status, religion, national origin, age or disability or any other non-merit based factor or any other characteristics in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Unsolicited Resumes from Third-Party Recruiters

Please note that as per A&M policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening and in alignment with our Inclusive Diversity values. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that A&M will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.