Chief Finance Officer

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | £Competitive Equity | Bristol or Berlin with partial remote working possible

Profile

TravelLocal is a high-growth, VC-backed scale-up providing a global managed marketplace for tailor-made holidays. This is a huge global market segment and one of the last areas of travel yet to be disintermediated and brought fully online. Its carefully selected local partner companies (LTOs) around the world are at the heart of its ethos – that local knowledge is best, that local economies should benefit more from tourism and that the best holidays are made with creativity and imagination from real experts who live and work in the destination itself. TravelLocal combines the convenience of booking online with the benefits of expert human advice. We are a highly ambitious, purpose-led business, looking to change our industry for the better.

TravelLocal and trip.me merged in 2021 to create one of the largest English and German language online marketplaces for tailor-made travel, with a strong presence in both English-language and German-language markets.

With offices in the hearts of Berlin and Bristol, the two companies are positioned to grow extremely rapidly into the post-COVID travel recovery and are bringing the innovative business model, ethos, and values which both share to a worldwide client base. This opportunity is to join at a key time in its journey, to join the senior Exec Leadership Team and help lead the integration of both businesses, drive performance into the unfolding post-COVID snap-back in travel demand, and to raise a planned Series B funding round.

Backed by three blue-chip VC investors including Channel 4 Ventures, Active Partners, and Gresham House Ventures, the business is a high growth scale-up looking for a driven and highly commercial CFO to help shape the business as they merge the two companies, lean into the post-COVID travel boom, and scale further.

About You

Likely to have started your career working for a professional international accounting and audit firm, you will be a fully qualified Accountant. Now in a position where you’ll have moved on from there to gain significant experience in industry, working your way up to a senior position such as Head of Finance or Finance Director, you may be seeking your first CFO opportunity. Alternatively, we would welcome interest from experienced CFOs who have taken organizations through multiple funding rounds in the past.

Experience of VC/investor-backed businesses and of a start-up/scale-up environment would be highly advantageous and experience of fundraising/corporate finance is essential. Given the global landscape of TravelLocal, it will naturally be essential to have a track record of working across multiple international jurisdictions. Exposure to German GAAP (HGB) would be hugely advantageous; however, it is vital you have strong practical experience of IAS/IFRS.

Respectful yet open-hearted communication skills allied with effective financial and data-driven insight will be important in providing the ‘voice of reason’ within the ELT discussions.

Why Join

As an aspiring senior finance leader, you will be drawn to the challenge of scaling fast and seizing the huge opportunity within the space ahead, working for a purpose-led, ambitious, and well-backed business. Enjoying high visibility and instrumental in leading its fundraising activities, you will see an exciting, well-remunerated, and compelling opportunity ahead of you.

Opportunity

Reporting to the CEO and wider Board, you will sit as part of the ELT. As well as having full responsibility for all aspects of the company’s finances, both for the UK and German entities, you will work with the CEO, CGO, and other members of the senior management team to proactively drive forward the company’s overall performance and growth. You will also play a key role in managing its investors and other key stakeholders, and play a critical role in the company’s fundraising efforts.

You’ll need to be equally comfortable with inputting into strategy and liaising with our VC investors as getting your hands dirty and taking ownership of day-to-day finance, regulatory, and Company secretarial functions. This is a fantastic opportunity to work extremely closely with the founding team to help shape and scale the global business and realize its vision.

You can be based in either Bristol or Berlin (subject to necessary visas) though the Company operates on a remote-first basis, with an expectation of attendance in either office for a day or two a week. You will also attend investor meetings in London.

For more information or to apply please contact Steve Coyne (Retained Consultant) at Coyne & Associates on 0117 3018979 or email [contact email]. All third-party applications will be forwarded to Coyne & Associates for consideration.