Head of Accounting and Shared Services Italy

Location: Milan, Italy (Hybrid)

Company Overview: AniCura is a leading family of veterinary clinics specializing in the medical care of pets. With over 500 locations across Europe, AniCura provides modern, high-quality veterinary services. Each year, AniCura’s 13,000 passionate veterinarians care for three million pet patients. Since 2018, AniCura has been part of Mars Veterinary Health, a family business focused on veterinary care.

Role Overview: We are looking for an experienced and qualified Head of Accounting and Shared Services to lead our financial team. This pivotal role ensures the accuracy and integrity of our financial reporting, provides leadership and development for the team, and oversees various accounting and financial operations activities, ensuring compliance with accounting standards and company policies. You will collaborate closely with our external Shared Service Centre and drive the deployment of various transformation projects in cooperation with AniCura Group Finance peers. Your team will provide guidance and support for approximately 35 clinic locations in Italy, ensuring excellence in financial processes and operations and potential new acquired business integrations. Reporting to the CFO of Market Italy, this role offers a hybrid working arrangement (50%) in our Milan office and occasional travel to clinic locations within Italy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a team of ca 10 accounting professionals and contractors.
• Set up and reshape critical financial processes in a dynamic and growing environment.
• Ensure the accuracy of periodic financial reporting to Mars Group (US GAAP) and the Italian statutory annual financial statements.
• Present balance sheet movements to the management team.
• Serve as the main point of contact for authorities, bank, internal and external auditors, and tax advisors.
• Identify and monitor provisions and maintain general ledger accounts.
• Handle ongoing business transactions and ensure compliance with statutory reporting requirements.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including market operations, business controllers, clinics, and the AniCura group to ensure effective financial processes, compliance, and reporting.
• Initiate and lead projects to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness within the finance function.

Preferred qualifications:

• University degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. Professional accounting qualification is preferred
• 10+ years of experience in accounting or finance operations
• 5+ years in a people manager position, ideally within an international corporation
• Experience in structuring and optimizing accounting processes
• Proficient in MS Office applications, especially MS Excel
• Fluent in Italian and English language
• Team-oriented with strong social and communication skills
• Structured, thorough, and independent working style
• Experience in private equity or M&A companies would be an advantage
• Background in auditing is a plus

Benefits:

• Permanent employment in a fast-growing company
• Solid personal development opportunities within Mars ecosystem
• Modern workplace in spacious and friendly premises in “OneMars office” (office space for AniCura, Mars, Royal Canin) in Milan.
• Flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home 50% of time.
• Complementary fresh fruit and coffee in the office
• AniCura employee discount for vet services in the clinics, yearly salary review process
• Meal vouchers

Application:

Have we sparked your interest, or do you know someone who might be interested in this position? Please read on the next page more about who we are, how we work and what are the opportunities and challenges you might face.

We look forward to receiving your application if you see yourself in this role and as part of our team!

Drive Financial Excellence in AniCura: Join and help us to set up a Dynamic Team in Italy"

At AniCura, we are proud to be part of the Mars family, a global leader in pet care. Our business falls under the Mars Veterinary Health division, which, together with other divisions like Pet Nutrition and Royal Canin, creates a remarkable ecosystem for the future of pet care. This synergy offers tremendous potential for long-term growth and sustainability within the Mars ecosystem. We are committed to fostering a setup that ensures sustainable and profitable growth, positioning ourselves as leaders in the pet care industry. Our ultimate purpose is making a better world for pets because they make a better world for us, their pet parents.

Working with Us:

We are looking for someone who is not only skilled and experienced but also shares our enthusiasm for making a difference. You will work closely with the CFO of Market Italy, benefiting from a hybrid working arrangement with two-three days a week in our Milan office and occasional travel to clinic locations within Italy. This role offers a unique blend of strategic oversight and hands-on involvement, providing you with ample opportunities to innovate and excel.

You will also closely cooperate with the regional operations managers of the clinics, who will embrace your financial operations advisory. Together, you will work to improve processes and tools in the clinics, ensuring that financial operations are efficient and effective across all locations. This collaborative effort will be essential in driving continuous improvement and operational excellence throughout our network. All in all, we are not very hierarchical and having flat structures to operate in. This brings both advantages and disadvantages - e.g. many stakeholders to manage, good communication and influence skills.

Challenges and Opportunities:

Joining our team means embracing a fast-paced and ever-evolving environment. You will encounter challenges that will test your skills and creativity, from streamlining financial processes to navigating complex regulatory landscapes. However, with challenges come opportunities. You will have the chance to lead impactful projects, drive efficiency, and contribute to the overall growth and success of AniCura. Your efforts will directly influence our ability to provide the best care for pets and support our clinic teams across Italy.

For success in this role, you need to be self-driven to achieve results while also inspiring and developing others in the team. You must be able to deal with ambiguity and constant change effectively. Additionally, the ERP system is not perfectly set up for local books, and there are workarounds and processes needed to overcome this challenge. We are looking for a personality who can spark great collaboration within the team while maintaining a strong focus on value-driven processes.

There is a significant opportunity to establish an engaged and highly collaborative team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and mutual support. One of the main challenges will be working with clinics that were acquired and integrated in the past, but do not all share the same level of business acumen and financial literacy. Your role will be pivotal in harmonizing these diverse operations, ensuring that all clinics operate at the highest standards of financial excellence.

Embracing Diversity and Collaboration:

Despite being based in Italy, we collaborate across Europe with our peers from diverse cultures. Our leadership team currently includes three nationalities, and we have relationships with four to five nationalities within AniCura Italy. We embrace diversity and believe it enriches our workplace and enhances our ability to serve our clients.

We are excited to attract you, a unique personality, to join our team. Together, we will work hard, but we will also have fun. Whether it’s enjoying some aperitivos after work or playing table football in the office during a break, we believe in creating a positive and enjoyable work environment.