Chief Financial Officer (Expat) - Shipping and Logistics

Our client is a leading global organization within the shipping and logistics industry, currently seeking an experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join their Indonesia business. As part of a global governance initiative, the organization strategically pairs local Managing Directors with expatriate CFOs to strengthen financial oversight, governance, compliance, and regional alignment.

This role offers a unique opportunity for a senior finance leader with strong international exposure (specifically in Asia) to oversee the full finance function of a complex logistics operation while partnering closely with local and regional leadership teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the strategic finance partner to the Managing Director and regional leadership team, providing financial guidance to support business growth, profitability, and operational excellence.
• Lead and oversee all finance functions including financial planning & analysis, accounting, treasury, tax, audit, compliance, internal controls, and reporting.
• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of statutory, management, and group financial reports in accordance with local regulations and corporate requirements.
• Drive financial governance and strengthen internal control frameworks in line with global policies and best practices.
• Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, and performance management processes.
• Monitor business performance through financial analysis, KPI tracking, and profitability assessments, providing actionable recommendations to management.
• Manage relationships with external auditors, tax authorities, banking partners, and regulatory bodies.
• Support business transformation initiatives, process improvements, digitalization projects, and operational efficiency programs.
• Provide leadership and development to the local finance organization, fostering a high-performance and compliance-driven culture.
• Collaborate closely with regional and global finance stakeholders to ensure alignment with corporate objectives and reporting standards.
• Act as a key member of the country leadership team, contributing to strategic decision-making, investment evaluations, and commercial initiatives.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline; CPA, CA, ACCA, or equivalent professional qualification is highly preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive finance experience, including significant exposure in finance leadership, controlling, audit, and corporate governance functions.
• Proven experience as CFO, Finance Director, Country Finance Head, or equivalent senior finance leadership position.
• Mandatory industry background within shipping, maritime, port management, freight forwarding, integrated logistics, or supply chain services.
• Strong preference for candidates currently working within international freight, shipping, maritime logistics, port operations, or logistics service providers.
• Experience managing finance operations in multinational and matrix organizations with regional and global stakeholder exposure.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, risk management, compliance, treasury, taxation, and corporate governance.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with commercial and operational teams while maintaining strong financial discipline and oversight.
• Experience leading external audits and interacting with regulators, auditors, banking institutions, and tax authorities.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Prior expatriate, regional, or international assignment experience will be highly advantageous.
• Open to expatriate candidates currently based in Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, or other locations across Asia-Pacific.
• Fluent English communication skills are required; additional regional language capabilities will be advantageous.