Group Chief Financial Officer

About the RoleWe are seeking an exceptional financial leader to serve as Group CFO for CENORION — the first Chief Financial Officer of a rapidly scaling emerging-markets company with a NASDAQ listing horizon of approximately three years. This is not a traditional CFO role. You will be building the financial function from scratch while simultaneously designing the economic architecture of a complex, multi-line business spanning Africa, South Asia, and beyond.CENORION operates across five interconnected business lines with distinct economics, all running simultaneously across multiple markets:SaaS platform with dedicated licensing for financial partnersProprietary and third-party device restriction technologyBranded smartphone manufacturing via contract partners (ODM)Global and local distribution network (hundreds of local distributors)Device service and support operationsPlus a separate investment economy for marketing, retail activation, and customer acquisition.Your core responsibility is not accounting — we have accountants. Your role is to own the economic model of the entire value chain: where capital gets locked, for how many days, at what cost, and where each participant earns. You will model complex commercial structures, size guarantee facilities, optimize working capital flows, and advise leadership on which deals make economic sense. You will be the CFO who shows the path to listing, not the one who follows a path that already exists.Your ResponsibilitiesAs Group CFO, you will:Own the economic model of the platform, distribution, and device value chains — understanding capital requirements, payment flows, working capital cycles, and unit economics across multiple markets and geographiesDesign and manage trade finance structures — bank guarantees, trade credit insurance, and working capital facilities that enable the business to scale without capital constraintsBuild the financial infrastructure for a NASDAQ listing in three years — IFRS as issued by IASB, audit-ready from day one, internal controls, tax and treasury architecture, and auditable history from day oneConsolidate four separate legal entities across the DIFC, manage intra-group settlements and transfer pricing, and build a unified financial picture of the groupConduct auditor selection, recommend the firm, and drive audit and compliance processes suitable for the US public marketStructure and model complex commercial deals — understanding incentive economics, pricing, risk allocation, and capital requirements for each party in the chainBuild management reporting and Board reporting that shows the full economic picture: P&L by operating model, cash flow dynamics, working capital, capital exposure, forecasts, and decision pointsAdvise leadership on what the company can commit to — not what maximizes short-term profit, but what creates sustainable, scalable economicsWhat We're Looking ForEssential qualifications:12–15 years of progressive finance experience, ideally as CFO or Deputy CFO, with experience through at least one audit or listing cycleDemonstrable expertise in trade finance and working capital management — bank guarantees, letters of credit, trade credit insurance, receivables financing, or similar instrumentsDeep understanding of multi-jurisdictional consolidation, intra-group settlements, and transfer pricingTrack record building financial models of commercial structures, deals, and business programs — not just budgets, but economic modeling where capital and timing are centralExperience preparing companies for capital markets — IFRS financial reporting, audit readiness, internal control frameworks, and the discipline of auditable historyComfort with emerging markets and cross-border supply chains (physical goods, inventory, tariffs, currency dynamics)Judgment and independence — the ability to advise leadership constructively, push back when necessary, and articulate what is financially sound versus what is merely possibleFluent English (written and spoken)Desired qualifications:Prior experience in fintech, device financing, or paymentsBackground with fast-growing technology companies or consumer electronicsExperience in deal structuring, investment banking, or strategic financeM&A or capital markets transaction experienceFamiliarity with implementing and scaling financial systems and processesWhat Makes This Role Unique:This is not a job where you inherit a mature financial function. It is a role where you define it. The economic model is not simple SaaS or simple hardware — it is five operating models with different margins, different capital requirements, and different payment rhythms, all working together in multiple jurisdictions.The role requires the judgment to ask the right questions: Where does the supply chain get financed? Who carries the working capital? What does a guarantee actually cost, and does it pay for itself? What will an institutional investor test first, and what can we prove? The answers shape everything — pricing, partnerships, and path to market.You will report directly to the Chairman and, when appointed, the Group CEO — not to an operations executive. You will have direct access to the Board and audit committee on financial strategy, compliance, and listing preparation. From day one, you are architecting a company for scale and public markets.Our Hiring ProcessWe believe the best way to assess a CFO is through practical work, not just conversation. Your interview process will include:Initial conversation about your background, experience with financial modeling and deal structuring, and your approach to trade finance and working capitalA practical assignment after the first interview — one hour, three parts: chain economics (with real numbers), guarantee and insurance mechanics, and first steps to audit readinessFinal interview discussing your assignment, your approach to financial decision-making, and times you have pushed back on leadershipReference calls with previous managers focused on your judgment, your ability to model complex economics, and your independenceWhy This Matters:CENORION is not a venture-backed experiment. We are building sustainable, profitable infrastructure for financial inclusion in emerging markets. We operate across hardware, software, distribution, service, and marketing simultaneously. We are bootstrapped profitably and moving toward institutional scale and public markets.The first Group CFO does more than manage numbers. You architect the financial infrastructure that makes scaling possible, that makes institutional investors confident, and that makes the path to NASDAQ credible. You are building the financial discipline that enables the business to grow responsibly across multiple countries and multiple business lines.If you have spent your career managing mature financial functions, or if you want to build something meaningful from scratch — a financial organization that powers a global business — this is your opportunity.