Group Controlling Manager

Schelstraete Delacourt is supporting Ardo in its search for a Group Controlling Manager.

Ardo grew from a family business into a world leader in sustainable, deep-frozen plantbased food. With €1.4 billion in revenue, 3,300 employees and more than 16 production, packaging and distribution sites across 9 European countries, Ardo serves retail, foodservice and B2B customers in more than 100 countries.

The Group Controlling Manager has the mandate to take group-level controlling to the next level.

The role reports directly to the Group CFO and is a member of the Ardo Group Leadership Team. The Group Controlling Manager directly leads the Commercial, Cost & Supply Chain controllers and provides functional leadership to the Plant Controllers in the various countries. Acting as a connecting factor across the Finance organization and a bridge to the business, the Group Controlling Manager aligns diverse stakeholders and drives adoption of new ways of working. Through strong people leadership, the role builds and coaches a high-performing controlling team, challenges the business with actionable analysis, and supports decision-making to achieve financial objectives and budget targets across both revenue and costs, supported by monthly reporting, continuous improvement, and performance management.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic & Financial Management

• Full responsibility for Controlling on group level, with the autonomy to professionalize the function.
• Combine strategic oversight with strong day-to-day financial control in a highgrowth and dynamic environment.
• Own the strategic planning cycle, including the budgeting process, forecasting process, and variance analyses.
• Establish robust financial processes and clarify key P&L and cash drivers to strengthen financial discipline and decision-making.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Manage financial analysis, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis together with the team.
• Strengthen controlling and project cost tracking processes to increase visibility on profitability and cash generation.
• Provide monthly/quarterly reporting to the business, the CFO and the Executive Committee.
• Drive improvements in transparency, reporting quality, and process discipline across finance and controlling.

People Management & Leadership

• Lead and coach a team of controllers, while also driving indirect impact across multiple functional domains.
• Act as an active member of the Finance leadership team, challenging and supporting peers to enable fast, informed decision-making.

Stakeholder Management & Business Partnering

• Act as a connecting factor between finance teams and the business, ensuring alignment and effective collaboration.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with diverse stakeholders, maintaining a positive and pragmatic style, staying calm under pressure and focused on solutions.

Transformation & Systems

• Play an active role in IT and transformation projects, including the further rollout and integration of SAP.

The ideal profile:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in finance, including at least 5 years in controlling, within an international industrial environment.
• Proven experience in leading, coaching and further developing teams.
• Experience with ERP systems and management information systems.
• Excellent communication skills and proven experience in stakeholder management at executive and group level.