As a result of the upcoming departure of the current Secretary General (“SG”) (in February 2024), FCI has mandated Stanton Chase to support the organisation in the identification and selection of potential successors.

The Position

The SG’s primary task is to ensure that FCI achieves its objectives and implements the decisions as laid out by the Executive Committee to which he/she reports. He/she is responsible for the sound day-to-day management of the organization, ensuring that effective contacts at all levels are maintained with members and institutions, with other relevant businesses, political and research organizations and, through the media, to the public at large. He/she will be also responsible for budget achievement, expense-control and thereby ensure that the organization maintains a healthy financial condition.

He/she is also responsible for the promotion of the factoring industry in new and existing markets, to convince new members to join the association and to introduce solutions in facilitating international trade through receivables finance services. This means that the SG will travel frequently (minimum 30%).

The incumbent is expected to reflect the wishes and concerns of the members and promptly initiate proposals that will promote, support and defend their business interests to the benefit of each country, representing FCI as the global ambassador in all regions of the world.

Besides the important role as a trading function for cross border and reverse factoring, FCI supports its members with industry promotion, advocacy for domestic and international factoring, education, legal services, compliance and technological solutions. Since members transact business in both import and export factoring, he/she will guarantee a balanced approach and support and represent fairly all FCI services.

This is a high-profile leadership position whose main challenge will be to execute the strategy, expand the business network, achieve a timely and meaningful consensus on difficult issues, at the same time appreciating the needs and concerns of the members and by persuading the varied executive and political decision makers to participate in the association and take full account of their expressed views.

The Secretary General will be expected to focus on:

• Further strengthening the trading network of the association
• Ensure further growth of FCI in terms of membership, visibility and credibility.
• Advocate for sound public policy and legal framework for the benefit of the industry.
• Further strengthen the organization to create efficiencies, transparency and security.

He/she will ensure that FCI is backed by a united team and that all human resources feel supported and appreciated. The position is based in Amsterdam.

The Candidate

The ideal candidate is university educated with prior successful experience in senior executive positions within a financial institution or industry association. Experience in the factoring, receivables and supply chain finance industry is considered highly beneficial but not strictly required.

The candidate has a strong international mindset and is fluent in English whereby knowledge of other languages is a clear advantage. The ideal candidate possesses most or all of the following key competencies:

Strategic Orientation & Market Knowledge: He/she should understand the business drivers, including detailed technical issues relating to the industry in general but also business management principles. The candidate can develop priorities and a strategic vision reflecting a range of differing competitive issues and accommodating conflicting objectives. He/she can analyse trends and developments in the factoring industry, to understand and resolve complex, contradictory views and to develop a proactive strategic approach.

Results-Oriented: He/she can develop a strategic vision and translate this vision into well- chosen and feasible actions. He/she possesses a good organisational talent and knows very well what is going on in the field. He/she is a problem solver, able to improve structures where needed, and get results even where structures are not optimal. The ideal candidate has a good track record in project management and has led multiple parallel projects to a good end. He/she has managed to respect deadlines as well as work within budgets and has achieved or exceeded goals to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Commercial & Communication Skills: The ideal candidate will possess a natural way of networking and influencing, both internally and externally, and is used to working in environments where collaboration is critical. This implies excellent listening skills, a diplomatic approach towards problem solving and consensus building, without lacking in leadership and the drive to move things forward. The ideal candidate will inspire confidence and trust, based on his/her professional and personal gravitas, behaviour and communication style, both in speech and writing. He/she will have a “political” brain to deal both with politicians, officials and members, as well as an ability to understand their interests and to present a case in a way which will attract them. He/she has an open, transparent and convincing communication style both internally and to the outside world, including towards the media.

Team Leadership Experience: Candidate will have a convincing personality, strong character, well developed leadership skills and have demonstrated an ability to lead people through changing and challenging circumstances and unifying them behind a leading idea/vision. He/she should be able to coach, develop and recruit, where necessary, a team of qualified and motivated direct reports. The candidate must be able to delegate tasks and monitor results. FCI looks for someone who has a transparent, direct style, leads by example who be readily trusted.

The role offers the suitable candidate an opportunity to play a key-role and drive an ambitious agenda at a time of significant change. FCI welcomes entrepreneurial individuals who are able and willing to generate ideas, take initiative and responsibility with a solid team-spirit. Successful candidates will bring resilience and the ability to switch continuously between short(er) term commercial goals and long-term strategic issues with a keen eye for market and client developments. They are excellent communicators, able to deal with ambiguity through persistence and resilience.

An attractive compensation package commensurate with the responsibilities of this critical role is available to attract the ideal candidate. It is supplemented with a discretionary variable component and secondary benefits.

Contact

Remco Franzen

Partner Financial Services NL r.franzen@stantonchase.com

+31 621 105 755