Regional Audit Director, Diageo
More information about location
Office located in 1HQ, London
Alcoholic beverage company
Open for applications
Alcoholic beverage company
1001+ employees
Open for applications
More information about location
Office located in 1HQ, London
1001+ employees
Company mission
To be one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world.
Role
Who you are
- The successful candidate will be externally curious, able to collaborate efficiently and act decisively
- Strong business acumen and financial understanding of Diageo’s processes to be able to challenge existing practices and work to bring results which better manager risk by improving the design of controls and make processes more efficient
- A track record of working in an audit function and driving the development of an Internal Audit function to be ‘leading edge’ in terms of creating a future focused audit agenda, high quality people, ways of working, and relationships with the business
- The ability to influence change and build strong objective relationships internally with senior leadership members across Diageo
- CA / MBA / ACCA/ CPA / CIA Other equivalent degrees
- 15+ years of work experience
- Good understanding of Audit (Statutory / Internal), and /or SOX, Risk management processes
- Expert level understanding of risk and mitigation approaches
- Attention to detail with ability to go in-depth and leverage data meaningfully
- Excellent written and presentation skills
- Experience in broader business finance and Big 4 is a positive differentiator
- A collaborative approach and stakeholder influencing skills
- Strong project management skills
- Ability to leverage technology to drive efficiencies
- Ability to work across cultures
- Ability to prioritise, move with urgency and overcome challenges / obstacles
What the job involves
- There is a high degree of complexity in the role. Global Audit has a global remit, providing assurance over all Diageo operations including Demand companies, Supply operations and Global Functions. Successful candidates need to be able to understand the risks and deliver high quality audit work across everything Diageo does
- The role has direct exposure to senior executives (Audit Committee, senior management including the Diageo executive) and is responsible for providing quality assurance and support to understand Diageo’s key risks and risk management capability, and influencing to take actions where there are gaps and/or opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of controls
- Delivery of high quality and holistic risk management and internal audit assurance across a broad range of functions. Skilfully influence the Diageo leadership population to take additional / different action when gaps are found in the organisation’s management of risk
- Provide insights and solutions that promote effective and efficient business governance, enhanced controls, and better risk management. Support governance, risk, and compliance across the business by providing regular guidance to functional and business unit management
- Identifies needed changes or directions that require adjustment, challenges assumptions and norms – within the internal audit function, as well as in the broader business
- Challenges assumptions about ‘the way things are done’
- Communicates explicitly what must change, why changes are necessary, and possible outcomes and costs. Delivers this message with a degree of commercial empathy
- Adjusts communication style to the audience to help them understand and accept the change
- Encourages people to support and propose changes and ideas. Fosters a culture of openness in this regard
- Act as an ambassador for the function and champion the value and importance of a risk and control mindset to protect value and support growth across Diageo
- Impactful and can ‘stand your ground’ where required with senior stakeholders. Quickly build strong relationships in fieldwork with business partners
- Demonstrate an understanding of business risks across multiple process areas
- Ensure audit results and key risks are well understood and accepted by leaders. Need to influence and skilfully manage conflicts where these arise. Deliver thoughtful and value-adding insights on audit assignments that convince leaders to take actions that enhance Diageo's performance and or risk / control environment
- Empowered to articulate effective and efficient risk mitigation strategies. Demonstrate thorough and consistent knowledge and application of our ways of working (WoWs)
- Own business partnering relationships with business leaders and mid-management outside of audits. Provide ongoing proactive advice and support to help those leaders better anticipate and respond to risks
- Understand the Diageo Purpose (specifically the importance of governance and compliance) and can clearly articulate how others can understand, connect to and help deliver it
- Partner with the business in finding solutions for risks and opportunities
- Understand the internal and external risk radar to enable the business to identify solutions to existing and emerging risks
- Provide functional support and coaching to less experienced team members
- Leverage strengths within Global Audit and the wider business and be open to ideas and learnings from others
- Grow both functional and leadership capability and experience
- The Regional Audit Director role, is an integral member of the CARE leadership team and a key contributor to the global agenda, including enhancing both the capability and breadth of assurance across the organisation and upskilling the team and the business in risk and control thinking
Application process
- End Date: April 30, 2025
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Multinational beverage company Diageo was the result of a merger between Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, a leisure and property conglomerate, in 1997. Spearheaded by then-Guiness executives Anthony Greener and Philip Yea, the merger sent stocks skyrocketing and by December of the same year, Diageo was listed on the London Stock Exchange.
As the owner of many of the global leaders in alcoholic beverages (think Ciroc, Smirnoff, and Tanqueray), Diageo has made a number of savvy acquisitions and sell-offs, expanding its portfolio beyond Europe and into the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia.
Over the past decade, however, it has had to face the rise of craft and independent brewing, with companies like Brewdog becoming new competitors. Rather than acquiring these craft beer companies, Diageo has focused on branding Guinness in a way that fits the craft mould. This involved initiatives like The Brewers Project.
During the early 2020s, Diageo also weathered an alcohol sales decline and has bounced back with a renewed focus on cold brew coffee liqueurs and Guinness blends, as well as further acquisitions that have included that of actor Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (1 round)
Aug 2023
$8.6m
GRANT
Total funding: $8.6m
Company HQ
Park Royal, London, UK
Leadership
Debra Crew
(CEO)Currently a Board Member at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Previously Board Member at Mondelēz International, Newell Brands and previously a Board Member at Diageo before becoming its CEO.
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