Chief-of-staff to regional chair (CHRO calibre) — BFSI · Canada

Position overview

Gladwin International Leadership Advisors is representing a confidential organisation in Banking, Financial Services & Insurance on a senior CHRO leadership mandate anchored in Canada. The remit explicitly spans Continental Europe, China, Africa.

This is a strategic transformation mandate at CXO level — equal parts operating leadership, change orchestration, and investor / board narrative ownership.

Expect to partner closely with technology and risk leaders — the enterprise strategy is increasingly inseparable from data and resilience.

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Context you will inherit

• Market & sector: Managing credit risk leadership as NPAs cycle and credit costs rise in an increasingly unsecured lending environment
• Geographic spine: Primary hub Canada with explicit corridor responsibility across Continental Europe, China, Africa.
• Organisation stage: Portfolio under review: non-core assets, JVs, and country footprints are actively questioned each planning cycle.
• Stakeholders: Stakeholders span board or regional executive committee, global functional heads, JV partners, and strategic account buyers.
• Secondary lens: Leading the transition from branch-centric to digital-first customer acquisition and service models

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The mandate (12–24 month arc)

1. Critical role risk: Map single points of failure; run targeted retention and backup plans for revenue- and risk-critical leaders.
2. Manager effectiveness: Raise the bar on people leadership skills for anyone managing managers — non-negotiable training and coaching.
3. Hybrid / remote policy: Clarify principles that balance flexibility with collaboration and regulatory / client needs.
4. Executive hiring process: Speed and quality — fewer panels, sharper scorecards, better candidate experience for senior roles.
5. Comp & benefits benchmarking: Refresh positioning vs. talent competitors; fix anomalies that drive regrettable attrition.
6. People risk dashboard: Surface trends on conduct, grievances, and investigations early to the executive committee.

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Responsibilities (representative)

• Set talent strategy for critical roles; chair succession and calibration processes with the CEO.
• Modernise HR operating model — clarity between HRBP, COE, and shared services.
• Partner with CFO on workforce cost, productivity, and location strategy.
• Lead executive hiring for direct reports and key-2 roles with diverse slates.
• Ensure ER / IR stability during restructuring or automation programmes.

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Leadership profile

• People leadership: Experience resetting leadership standards and succession in matrix or multi-country settings.
• Judgment: High signal-to-noise under pressure; ethical clarity; willingness to halt initiatives that break risk appetite.
• Communication: Executive presence in English; additional languages valued where market-relevant.
• Education: Strong undergraduate grounding; MBA / advanced degree / professional qualification common at this level.
• Geographic muscle: Comfort operating from Canada with regular engagement across Continental Europe, China.

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Team & culture

The organisation runs hot — ambitious targets and thin buffers. You need to channel energy into sustainable rhythms: predictable planning, honest risk surfacing, and recovery time for teams after major pushes.

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Success measures (examples)

• Value creation: EBITDA / cash trajectory vs. owner or board case — especially under stress scenarios.
• Execution: On-time delivery of named transformation milestones; reduction in repeat incidents or audit findings.
• Leadership: External hires and internal promotions that stick; reduction in key-person concentration.
• Innovation: Launched offers or capabilities that move the needle on differentiation, not pilots that stall.

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First 90 days (orientation arc)

• Days 1–30: Map cash, covenant, and customer concentration risks before announcing initiatives.
• Days 30–60: Align owners and board on a 12-month value story — financial and non-financial.
• Days 60–90: Launch two quick operational fixes that build credibility with frontline managers.
• Deep-dive on talent — who is load-bearing, who is blocking, where external hire is mandatory.
• Socialise a simple KPI tree so every function sees how their metrics roll up.

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Stakeholder map (illustrative)

• Internal: Executive committee, functional peers, shared services leads, and programme PMOs.
• External: Key suppliers, technology partners, and joint-venture boards where applicable.
• Board / owners: Expect deep dives on risk, liquidity, talent, and transformation — slides light, substance heavy.

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Travel & mobility

Role requires face-to-face presence in the primary hub with regular regional travel; remote-only not viable.

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Compensation

Package aligned to CHRO benchmarks in Banking, Financial Services & Insurance — typically fixed, variable, benefits, and mobility where applicable. Structure detailed at shortlist.

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Application process

Gladwin International is managing this search confidentially. Shortlisted candidates will engage in structured conversations with the firm’s partners before client introduction. Please apply through the careers portal with a concise note on why this geography, sector, and remit fit your trajectory.

We review every submission personally; unsolicited outreach to the end client is discouraged and may disqualify candidacy.

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Reference: banking-financial-services · CHRO · Canada · Gladwin International Leadership Advisors