Global Business Services Director

MissionTo build on the existing Shared Services Centre (SSC) organisation, transforming it into a Global Business Services (GBS) organisation, and to ensure Azelis is ready for it
- evolving the organisation, operating model and capabilities, and preparing the business for the change. Once this foundation is in place, to drive standardisation, automation and data-driven decision making that create measurable business value, positioning GBS as a strategic partner to the Executive Committee rather than only a back-office service function.
Main accountabilitiesStrategy & transformationPhased roadmap
- Build and execute a multi-year, phased GBS roadmap, translated into clear near-term priorities and milestones.
Design phase
- Prepare and onboard the project team; design the future state and organisational structure; drive stakeholder alignment; develop the transition roadmap and talent strategy; and design site enablement.
Prepare phase
- Establish the governance and leadership structure; prepare the operational infrastructure and site launch; develop change management strategies; and finalise the talent strategy and training plan.
Deliver phase
- Implement GBS governance and KPI tracking; track and realise value; onboard and train associates; stand up the site; and execute the transformation and go-live.
Beyond
- Expand
- Extend GBS to other functions and processes, based on clear business cases and organisational readiness.
Transformation mindset
- Champion continuous improvement, simplification and innovation across GBS, rather than steady-state operations.
Operating model & governanceDesign the future-state GBS operating model, including end-to-end process maps and the location strategy.
Establish the Global Process Owner roles and the GBS governance structure, with clear ownership, decision rights and accountability for each end-to-end process.
Drive end-to-end process standardisation, balancing global consistency with local and business-specific needs.
Own GBS business planning, budget and resources.
Monitor benefits, risks and mitigating actions; resolve issues escalated from GBS or regional level.
Service excellence & customer experienceEnsure consistent, reliable service delivery to local and regional teams across more than 60 countries, managing the complexity of standardising processes across different regulatory, fiscal and cultural contexts.
Own service quality as a key requirement
- setting clear standards, monitoring user satisfaction and performance, and acting promptly where delivery falls short.
Define and evolve the service catalogue, SLAs and performance framework.
Govern service change requests so changes are assessed, approved and implemented without affecting delivery quality.
Build a customer-centric, continuous improvement culture where service excellence is the standard.
Digitalisation & automationDefine and deliver the GBS digital and automation roadmap with the Group Information Services Director, making automation and simplification a core lever of the transformation.
Simplify and standardise processes before automating, then scale intelligent automation and AI-enabled service delivery across countries.
Build reliable data and reporting that enable data-driven decision making for the Executive Committee and the business.
Drive the adoption of new digital tools and ways of working across local, regional and Group teams.
Enterprise value creationOwn the GBS value case, delivering measurable cost, productivity and quality improvements through standardisation, automation and process redesign.
Track value realised against the business case through clear KPIs, and report progress transparently to the CFO and Executive Committee.
Build a scalable GBS platform that supports Azelis’ growth, including the fast integration of acquired companies.
Free up capacity in local and regional teams so they can focus on customers, principals and growth.
Stakeholder leadershipAct as a strategic partner to the CFO and Executive Committee, aligning GBS priorities with Group objectives and growth ambitions.
Build strong partnerships with regional leadership teams and function heads (Finance, HR, SHEQ, IT, Supply Chain etc.), securing their sponsorship and commitment at each phase of the transition.
Balance global standardisation with local needs, building consensus and taking clear decisions when trade-offs are required.
Manage key external partners, including technology and service providers, in support of GBS priorities.
Organisation & talentLead the reshaping and strengthening of the GBS organisation with the Regional CFO, regional HR Directors and Group Information Services Director, including recruiting key leadership and staff positions.
Guide them through workload rebalancing during the transition and stabilisation phases.
Partner with HR on the GBS talent strategy, developing and deploying talent where it is needed most.
Build a diverse, collaborative organisation, with associate engagement as a leadership priority.
Living our valu