US-MN Eagan, DIRECTOR, CONSOLIDATED RESULTS, The Thomson Corporation 0841
FEATURED COMPANY: The Thomson Corporation
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Position: Director, Consolidated Results
Date: July 5, 2007
JOB #0841
Location: Eagan, MN
Status: Full-time

DESCRIPTION: Director, Consolidated Results

The Thomson Corporation is a global leader in providing essential electronic workflow solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare. The Thomson Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). 

Primary Objectives: 

Leads all efforts related to the operational aspects of the Consolidated Results for the respective business units within Thomson. The incumbent directs a wide variety of responsibilities including internal and external financial statements and reports for Thomson, directing monthly accounting closes and leading a variety of strategic initiatives. Responsible for identifying process improvement initiatives that promote operational efficiencies, maximize value and ensure the long-term success of the organization.  

The incumbent will provide support to business units on the consolidation of results and the corresponding processes.  They will also help ensure that related accounting policies are consistently applied throughout the Business Units.   Additionally the position will provide strategic business and operational advice /counsel to management that will drive company performance, reduce business risks and leverage opportunities across the business.  The role will also support the annual audit process with external auditors, ensure appropriate financial controls are in place in accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley, prepare corporate financial analysis, reports and other indices in order to measure performance, analyze processes and systems of merger and acquisition targets and identify processes to integrate. 

The incumbent must have the ability to make decisions, execute against objectives of the business and influence key contacts within the Strategic Business Unit (SBU), Global Service Center (GSC) and the Regional Service Center (RSC) to leverage efficiencies and build on the synergies to meet the business plan. The incumbent must have knowledge of the Thomson businesses as well as the finance operation including both the general accounting perspective and that of the operating systems.  

The individual must be self directed and able to lead others either directly or through influential means. Decisions will need to be made with limited information and in tight timeframes so it is necessary to be able to identify possible solutions, conduct risk assessment and mitigation and act promptly to remedy issues that arise in a proactive manner. The individual must be very client focused and keep the customer at the forefront of their operational objectives.  

Proactive management of business issues that arise will require a high degree of innovation and creativity in order for the business to be successful. The outcome of these decisions will impact the immediate SBU, NA RSC, potentially the other Shared Service Centers as well as the Global Service businesses.  

Major Areas of Accountability:

1.      Oversee the financial accounting reporting process for Thomson businesses and effectively communicate actual results to senior management.

2.      Provide guidance to business units on accounting applications that impact financial consolidations and related financial activity. Ensure that accounting policies are consistently applied throughout the Thomson organization. Develop and implement operational efficiencies to reduce costs and leverage synergies as well as to ensure consistency across the Thomson businesses.

3.      Relationship management and customer focus is paramount in this role. The individual must be able to build and maintain existing relationships with a focus on exceeding customer expectations. The ability to proactively identify solutions to improve the business operation is key to success in this customer centric business model.

4.      Provide strategic business and operational advice/counsel to management that will drive company performance, reduce business risks and leverage opportunities across Thomson

5.      Direct the strategy of the Consolidated Results area within the RSC to ensure that performance metrics and expectations are identified and are being met and if not, identify remedial opportunities for improvement and system enhancement.

6.      Provide leadership for special projects and initiatives that have financial implications (e.g. system implementations, revenue recognition process/system changes, acquisitions and divestitures, etc.).

7.      Direct the annual audit process with external auditors and senior management

8.      Ensure appropriate financial controls are in place in accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley

9.      Knowledge of the RSC and GSC operations is necessary to provide key input on design issues related to systems, processes, and alignment matters. The individual in this role needs to be able to operationalize conceptual frameworks to meet business objectives. They need to be able to think big and execute on those concepts through effective delegation skills to build the NA RSC reputation and customer orientation in a global and multi-dimensional business operation. Business integration and system implementation is critical to this role.  

10.  Process improvement will be a continuing force in this role and the incumbent will be responsible for promoting system enhancements and/or process improvements to increase the operational efficiency of the RSC and meet the business objectives and leverage standards across the organization.  

Requirements/Education and Previous Work Experience Requirements:

MBA, CPA, CMA or graduate degree in finance, accounting, business or a related degree preferred. Twelve years of progressive financial management experience, including high level interaction with corporate and business unit executives in a dynamic, high volume business environment. Strong experience in both finance and accounting in a global business operation is necessary. Experience with strategic operations in a multi-location, global operating environment is required for the incumbent to be successful in the business-driven, customer-focused role. Ideally, experience within Thomson is preferred.  

Knowledge and Skills Inventory:

• Proven ability to interact and communicate with senior executives verbally and in writing in an effective manner. 
• Proficiency in building relationships, well-developed interpersonal skills, and proven leadership skills.
• Full working knowledge of financial and general accounting practices and procedures.
• Strong business acumen and demonstrated proficiency in general business disciplines.
• Adaptive to changing business needs and the ability to work in a variety of different business situations, which includes the international arena.
• Strong organizational skills; ability to manage multiple projects with competing demands for resources.
• Highly motivated with ability to drive results.
• Leadership skills in directing and developing staff; ability to retain, acquire and develop talent is a key skill for building the RSC and the high-performance team needed to make it successful.

• Previous experience in a key financial leadership role in a large corporate setting.
• Experience with an ERP system such as SAP required.

• Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy in making decisions and implementing systemic changes.
• Customer focus is key to success in this business initiative.
• Resilience and the ability to lead a team and customers through significant operational change is critical to the success of this role. An understanding of change leadership principles and how to improve effectiveness in transitional periods through standardization efforts in systems and processes.
• Results orientation and delivering against vision of this new entity is crucial to establishing a reputation for high performance and customer satisfaction.
• Ability to collaborate and interface effectively with client groups and business partners; the ability to listen and incorporate feedback is very important in this role
• Able to delegate and negotiate effectively to meet the operational needs across the business, functions and geographies.
• Ability to travel on both domestic and international trips.

Thomson Culture Statement: 

Our employees embrace a number of commonly shared values - collaboration, accountability, customer focus, a bias toward action and results, appreciation and respect for diversity, entrepreneurial spirit and, at all times, the highest ethical standards.  These values represent the behavior each employee is expected to exhibit in their role. In our view, fostering a culture that embodies these values will lead to success and growth for our employees and our business.        

The Thomson Corporation is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION:

For consideration, please apply on line by going to www.thomson.com, reference Job# ACC00000320.