Lesha Bank is searching for the greatest talent and brightest minds to contribute to the current growth phase at our bank. We are looking for top-tier individuals who are passionate and hungry to add value from day one. Every day at Lesha is different, presenting a new challenge with the opportunity to contribute and grow. We are looking for a VP, Strategic Finance & Corporate Initiatives.
Role Purpose
The VP, Strategic Finance & Corporate Initiatives supports the leadership team in driving strategic priorities, financial analysis, governance, performance management, and cross-functional initiatives.
The role combines the analytical rigor of Big Four Audit, Transaction Services, Deals Advisory, or Corporate Finance with the execution skills required to coordinate senior stakeholders, evaluate complex business matters, and ensure that management decisions are translated into measurable actions.
The position will operate across finance, strategy, governance, operations, and special projects, serving as a trusted resource to senior leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Executive and Strategic Support
- Support the executive management in the planning and execution of strategic priorities.
- Prepare executive briefings, management presentations, decision papers, and board materials.
- Conduct research and analysis on financial, commercial, operational, and strategic matters.
- Coordinate cross-functional initiatives involving multiple departments.
- Track executive decisions, commitments, and action items through completion.
- Identify issues that may affect delivery and escalate them appropriately.
- Maintain clear oversight of key priorities, deadlines, dependencies, and accountable owners.
Corporate Finance and Business Analysis
Conduct financial and commercial analysis relating to:
- Business cases
- Investment opportunities
- Acquisitions and disposals
- Joint ventures and strategic partnerships
- Capital allocation
- New products and business lines
- Cost optimization
- Organizational restructuring
- Operational improvement initiatives
Prepare and review:
- Financial models
- Forecasts
- Scenario analyses
- Sensitivity analyses
- Valuation assessments
- Budget impact analyses
- Commercial recommendations
- Management decision papers
Enterprise Performance Management
- Monitor financial, operational, and strategic performance across departments.
- Coordinate the preparation of executive dashboards and management reports.
- Analyze variances against budgets, forecasts, business plans, and strategic objectives.
- Identify operational bottlenecks, financial risks, delivery delays, and resource constraints.
- Work with business owners to define corrective actions and implementation plans.
- Follow up on agreed actions and provide regular progress reporting to management.
- Support annual strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and business-planning processes.
Strategic and Special Projects
Manage or support high-priority initiatives, including:
- Business transformation
- Operating-model reviews
- Organizational restructuring
- Process improvement
- Cost-reduction programs
- Digital transformation
- Post-transaction integration
- Governance enhancements
- Strategic partnerships
- New business initiatives
Responsibilities will include:
- Developing project plans and timelines
- Coordinating internal and external stakeholders
- Monitoring risks, dependencies, and deliverables
- Preparing progress reports
- Escalating delivery concerns
- Ensuring agreed outcomes are implemented
Governance and Management Reporting
- Coordinate materials for Board, Executive Committee, and management meetings.
- Ensure papers are complete, accurate, concise, and submitted within required timelines.
- Maintain records of decisions, actions, owners, and deadlines.
- Follow up with accountable executives and departments on outstanding matters.
- Support the development and enhancement of governance frameworks, policies, and reporting structures.
- Coordinate with Finance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Internal Audit, and other control functions as required.
- Assist management in maintaining disciplined decision-making and accountability processes.
Financial and Operational Reviews
Conduct or coordinate reviews of:
- Departmental performance
- Investment and business proposals
- Capital expenditure requests
- Budget variances
- Major contracts
- Vendor performance
- Cost structures
- Operational processes
- Control frameworks
- Present findings to management with clear, practical, and commercially focused recommendations.
Risk, Controls, and Investigative Support
- Support confidential financial, operational, and governance reviews.
- Assist with internal investigations, conflict-of-interest reviews, and control assessments where required.
- Analyze financial records, transactions, supporting documentation, and management information.
- Identify control weaknesses, inconsistencies, unusual activity, and potential areas of risk.
- Coordinate with Internal Audit, Compliance, Risk, Legal, and external advisors.
- Maintain strict confidentiality and professional independence when handling sensitive matters.
Stakeholder Management
Develop effective working relationships with:
- Executive management
- Department heads
- Board and committee secretariats
- Finance and control functions
- Internal and external auditors
- Consultants and professional advisors
- Regulators and other external stakeholders, where applicable
The Manager will be expected to challenge assumptions constructively, maintain professional objectivity, and support collaboration across the organization.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
- Professional qualification such as CPA, ACA, ACCA, CA, CFA, or equivalent is strongly preferred.
- MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification is advantageous.
Required Experience
- 6–10 years of relevant professional experience.
- Minimum of 3–5 years of experience with a Big Four firm: PwC, Deloitte, EY, or KPMG.
- Current or previous experience at Manager or experienced Assistant Manager level.
- Background in one or more of the following areas:
- External Audit
- Transaction Services
- Financial Due Diligence
- Deals Advisory
- Corporate Finance
- Valuations
- Forensic Services
- Business Consulting
- Corporate or industry experience following Big Four employment is advantageous.
- Experience supporting senior executives or managing cross-functional projects is preferred.
- Exposure to banking, investment management, private equity, financial services, or regulated organizations is advantageous.
Technical Competencies
- Financial statement analysis
- Financial modelling
- Corporate finance
- Business-case development
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Management reporting
- Valuation principles
- Strategic planning
- Enterprise performance management
- Risk and control assessment
- Project and program coordination
- Process improvement
- Advanced Microsoft Excel
- Executive-level Microsoft PowerPoint
- Data analysis and presentation
Behavioral Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strong commercial and financial judgment
- High attention to detail
- Sound executive communication skills
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
- Ability to challenge senior stakeholders constructively
- Clear and concise writing skills
- Strong organization and prioritization
- High ownership and accountability
- Ability to work independently
- Resilience under pressure
- Professional maturity
- Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
- Strong follow-through and execution discipline
Key Performance Indicators
Performance may be assessed against:
- Timely completion of strategic and executive initiatives
- Quality of financial and commercial analysis
- Accuracy and timeliness of management and board reporting
- Completion of executive action items
- Delivery of projects against agreed timelines
- Identification and realization of cost or performance improvements
- Effectiveness of cross-functional coordination
- Quality of governance and decision-support materials
- Responsiveness to CEO and executive-management priorities
- Stakeholder satisfaction
- Quality of recommendations and follow-through
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is a Big Four Manager or experienced Assistant Manager from Transaction Services, Deals Advisory, Corporate Finance, Financial Due Diligence, Valuations, or Forensic Services.
The candidate will combine strong financial analysis with the ability to manage senior stakeholders, coordinate complex initiatives, prepare executive-level materials, and follow management decisions through implementation.
They should be comfortable moving between financial modelling, board reporting, performance analysis, governance, special projects, and confidential assignments. The role is suited to a commercially minded finance professional seeking broader exposure to executive management and enterprise-wide decision-making.
