WHAT DOES A GROUP CONTROLLER DO?

Published: May 09, 2025 – The Group Controller supports financial integration of acquisitions and ensures accurate, harmonized reporting across the Group through KPI monitoring and collaboration with local controllers. This position generates periodic financial reports, manages budget processes, analyzes variances, and proposes improvement plans to enhance financial transparency and strategic alignment. This role oversees M&A reviews, maintains SAP analytical structures, and contributes to group-wide projects and continuous process improvements.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Group Controller

1. Group Controller Duties

  • Budget Analysis: Identify and analyze deviations against the budget and forecast on the Group level and for respective departments & entities.
  • Report Preparation: Prepare & coordinate the selected monthly & quarterly reports and selected ad-hoc Controlling reports, including follow-up with the Executive Team and other FP&A teams concerning financial and non-financial measures.
  • Reporting Design: Design and set up reports and reporting tools with a strong focus on the presentation of financial data and findings to top executive levels.
  • KPI Tracking: Track and report key financial and non-financial measures for the Group & selected departments, including SaaS business-specific KPIs.
  • Financial Reconciliation: Prepare reconciliations of financial documents and analysis, including analysis and presentation of issues with a high level of complexity.
  • Budget Collaboration: Cooperate with team members of other departments in the design and setup of budgets and corresponding reports.
  • Process Design: Cooperate with team members of other departments in the design and setup of processes within Syncron, including the design of controls and workflows and changes to existing routines.
  • Executive Support: Support and back up the FP&A Director in his areas of responsibility.
  • Policy Compliance: Maintain focus on compliance with internal & Group policies.
  • Close Collaboration: Work closely and independently with other departments, including cooperation with the Finance team in month-end and year-end closing processes and ad hoc analyses.
  • Stakeholder Coordination: Serve as a point of contact for other departments within the assigned area of responsibility (including preparation and follow-up of selected reports).

2. Group Controller Details

  • Closing Process: Implement and develop a monthly, quarterly, and annual closing process including new subsidiaries
  • Group Consolidation: Develop a consolidation process at the Group level
  • IFRS Implementation: Implement and develop IFRS standards on the Group level
  • Timely Reporting: Report actuals according to the agreed timetable
  • Report Preparation: Prepare interim and annual reports
  • Transfer Pricing: Responsible for the transfer pricing model and related development
  • Tax Coordination: Coordinate tax reporting for income tax and VAT
  • Audit Cooperation: Co-operate with auditors and Internal Controls
  • Financial Setup: Handle financial setup in subsidiaries
  • Process Management: Manage and develop outsourced finance processes
  • Board Support: Prepare board meeting and audit committee materials together with the CFO

3. Group Controller Responsibilities

  • Accounting Transparency: Ensure effective and transparent accounting for the company to safeguard company's values
  • IFRS Implementation: Ensure implementation of group accounting standards, policies (IFRS), and procedures
  • Closing Management: Manage the timely and accurate month-end, quarter-end, and year-end financial closing process
  • Data Validation: Ensure that submitted numbers from group companies are validated and consolidated, and with a continuous eye for how to increase quality
  • Report Support: Support the preparation of the Annual Report
  • Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain strong relations with regional finance teams, senior management, and other relevant stakeholders
  • System Expertise: Super user on the group consolidation system
  • ERP Alignment: Ensure that the local ERP systems used for accounting support business activities, as well as support the responsible or local accounting teams
  • Cashflow Management: Responsible for cash flow forecasting, cash flow reporting and optimizing of group cash pool
  • Audit Responsibility: Responsible for the Internal Audit program
  • Policy Development: Develop and document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls
  • Control Compliance: Operate a high-performance internal control environment in complete compliance with US parent requirements (including SOX)

4. Group Controller Job Summary

  • Acquisition Integration: Support the management and finance teams in the integration of current and future acquisitions
  • Ad-hoc Analysis: Perform ad-hoc analytical and controlling tasks
  • Reporting Guidance: Provide local controllers with guidance instructions to ensure a harmonized and transparent reporting structure within the Group
  • Account Accuracy: Ensure the accuracy of the Group’s monthly and annual accounts based on the adequate follow-up of the KPI’s of the company
  • Budget Evaluation: Work closely with other departments to evaluate and investigate deviations between budget and actual
  • Board Reporting: Generate monthly/quarterly/annual reports for the Board of Directors and financial analysis for all the corporate bodies
  • Budget Management: Prepare the financial analysis of the monthly actual, manage the group-wide budget process, explain the deviations, and propose improvement plans
  • Result Transparency: Ensure the transparency of business results, finance, processes, and strategy
  • M&A Review: Review M&A operations, assist yearly impairment testing and capex reviews
  • SAP Structure: Set up and maintain the analytical accounting structure in SAP and ensure transparency and data quality
  • Action Improvement: Contribute actively to the identification of improvement actions to be implemented
  • Project Assistance: Assist Group wide projects

5. Group Controller Accountabilities

  • Close Coordination: Coordinate and ensure that the month-end close is done accurately and on-time for all entities and Group (including IC transactions/netting)
  • Project Management: Project management for strategic projects like system implementations, integration of acquisitions and Transfer Pricing policy
  • Report Development: Develop and maintain a (consolidated) Monthly Reporting Pack for the management team
  • Report Coordination: Coordinate the activities around the delivery and submission of Annual reports for the entities and the Group
  • Audit Liaison: Liaise with auditors, safeguard process and manage timelines, ensure the quality of deliverables from the inlumi side
  • Budget Coordination: Coordinate the budgeting and forecast cycle for the entire company, from Group level to country level
  • Process Improvement: Drive a culture of continuous improvement and standardise and streamline processes across countries (within finance and around finance)
  • Cashflow Forecasting: Coordinate the weekly Cash Flow Forecast
  • Admin Cooperation: Cooperate with local administration offices to ensure they deliver financial information timely in line with group timelines and policy
  • Team Supervision: Supervise and manage financial department staff, including accountants and financial assistants
  • Team Leadership: Motivate and lead finance team members by clarifying roles and providing helpful feedback