MINIMUM SKILLS REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting or Business, from an accredited institution. Master’s Degree a plus.
• At least 15+ years prior experience in mid to senior level finance and/or accounting roles.
• Strong knowledge of Finance, Accounting, Budgeting, and Cost Control principles including U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Experience in ERP/financial system implementations and best practices
• Knowledge of Federal and State financial regulations
• Working knowledge of short- and long-term budgeting and forecasting, including product-line profitability analysis.
• Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections.
• Executive presence and strong communication skills (i.e. oral and written).
• Must be able to travel as needed.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

This position is responsible for overseeing the North America Finance and Accounting departments. This role will also provide the Management team with valuable information to make effective decisions and improve profitability, while promoting sales growth. This position will also be part of the team involved in the global digital transformation initiative.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as a strategic business partner to the executive leadership team, contributing to long-term financial planning and growth initiatives.
• Lead enterprise risk management efforts by identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial and operational risks across the region.
• Lead and manage the regional finance and accounting team, fostering a culture of financial excellence and accountability.
• Oversee capital planning and investment strategy, including ROI analysis and long-term investment prioritization.
• Build and develop a high-performing finance team, with a focus on talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, supply chain, legal, and HR to align financial strategies with broader business objectives.
• Provide financial leadership in support of mergers, acquisitions, or major business transformation initiatives, as applicable.
• Direct and manage the Accounting Department for the North America region, with over $2.0 billion in annual sales.
• Direct and manage the preparation of monthly forecasts, weekly updates to forecast and annual budgets.
• Monitor and analyze monthly operating results against forecast and budget.
• Provide various financial reports to Executive team to monitor the region’s performance on a monthly basis.
• Oversee all financial aspects of Avocado procurement and packing operations in Mexico.
• Oversee all financial aspects of North America distribution network, including 20 Distribution Centers in the U.S. of which 9are Fresh Cut processing plants, and a large fleet of distribution assets.
• Oversee all financial aspects of North America agricultural Melon production in Virginia.
• Oversee all financial aspects of North America logistics, including internal fleet and external carriers, with over $170 million in spending.
• Oversee grower liquidation process, primarily for Chilean products.
• Prepare financial analysis for contract negotiations and product investment decisions.
• Design, establish, and maintain an organizational structure to effectively accomplish department goals/objectives and operating procedures.
• Responsible for providing all information and documentation required by internal and external auditors for North America.
• Work with CECAB finance team to forecast potential cost changes and its impacts regularly and provide leadership with any changes in a timely manner.
• Ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements, manage financial risks within the region and maintain effective and efficient internal control.
• Responsible to lead finance and accounting implementation of new ERP and other financial systems in alignment with global digital transformation strategy