ORGANIZATION:  CATALYST – Workplaces That Work for Women

Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst helps organizations remove barriers and drive change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.  

Catalyst is supported by more than 800 organizations around the world that collectively employ millions of people. They achieve their mission by partnering with these companies to help them make positive change happen in their organizations. Catalyst diagnoses barriers and helps build inclusive cultures and develops and delivers effective programs to reduce unconscious bias. They help companies advance women at every stage of their careers into leadership. They advise organizations on building robust and diverse boards. They give companies and CEOs the trusted advice and expertise they need to drive workplace talent transformations in complex, global businesses that are rapidly changing. 

Their action-oriented research focuses on three areas to drive workplace change: accelerating women at work by building inclusive cultures; addressing workplace issues at the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity; and engaging men as champions to help women advance and succeed. They are also dedicated to helping companies learn from each other by fostering networking and engagement and coming together at events around the world to share knowledge and success stories about what is working to make real change happen. These events culminate with their annual Catalyst Awards Conference & Dinner, where the prestigious Catalyst Award is presented for groundbreaking diversity and inclusion initiatives that are truly building workplaces that work for women. 

Catalyst is supported and guided in its work by a distinguished Board of Directors and several global and regional Advisory Boards. The organization proudly leads Catalyst CEO Champions For Change, a transformative diversity and inclusion initiative launched on International Women’s Day 2017. More than 50 high-profile CEOs, whose companies represent more than 9 million employees and more than $1.7 trillion in revenue globally, have joined this initiative by publicly pledging to advance more women, including women of color, into senior leadership positions and onto their boards. And they are sharing their corporate data on women’s advancement, so they can collectively hold themselves accountable for accelerating change together!

For more information, please see: www.catalyst.org.              

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Catalyst is seeking a highly seasoned, financially astute, and operationally minded business professional with experience in successfully managing people and organizational growth.

Working with a dedicated and talented staff, the CFAO has responsibility for the financial functions of the organization, ensuring compliance with all financial guidelines and regulations in all operating countries of the world. This position has additional responsibility for other key administrative areas: Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Legal Affairs, and Facilities/Operations Management. The department consists of a 15-member team managed by five, senior functional professionals.

The CFAO will mentor and further develop the individuals in the above areas and help sustain a high-performance work environment. Together with her/his staff, this individual will help ensure the strategic alignment of their work and outputs with Catalyst’s strategy and ensure that organizational goals are achieved, as measured by specific operational metrics.

The CFAO has responsibility for ensuring the financial well-being of the organization through sound fiscal management. S/he will work in concert with members of the finance team to ensure excellent cash-management practices, monitoring variances and making adjustments to the budget, as required. This role is responsible for reporting to the Board and its Audit and Investment Committees on all financial matters related to budget, audit, compensation, and investments.

The CFAO serves as a key member of the President’s Senior Leadership Team and is a Director of the Boards of the subsidiaries in Canada, Switzerland, and Australia.

The CFAO will report to the President & CEO and will serve as a strategic and operational thought partner, providing advice, support, and counsel on both short- and long-term issues. S/he will have responsibility for driving Catalyst’s strategy and operating plan and will also work in concert with other members of senior leadership and their staffs to further the mission and vision of the organization. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: The specific responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Strategic Partner to the President/CEO
• Provide strategic and operational insight to the President/CEO.
• Drive and help implement Catalyst’s strategy and operating plan; evaluate short- and long-term issues as well as new opportunities through sound, analytical processes.
• Assist the President/CEO on new initiatives and projects, as required.
• Represent the organization, as necessary, particularly in matters related to financial and operational concerns.
• Financial Management
• Manage day-to-day financial operations: resolve issues through sound decision making and business practices.
• Manage and oversee Catalyst’s fiscal well-being: develop and monitor annual budget; review cash/business forecasts, making timely corrections and adjustments; ensure that appropriate policies, internal controls, accounting standards, and procedures are maintained in the U.S. and in other international locations.
• Oversee organizational audits; ensure timely/accurate reporting of these and other financial data to senior leadership and to Catalyst’s Board of Directors.
• Consistently provide timely and accurate analyses of financial data, including economic trends and financial reports to the President/CEO, Catalyst’s Boards, and other senior executives, as needed.
• Keep the CEO informed of all critical issues, including those related to budgeting and planning, cash flow, audit, and other key projects and initiatives.
• Provide strategic and financial advice in other areas, to include: evaluation of potential alliances/acquisitions, pension funds, and strategic investments.

• Human Resource Management
• Develop and implement an HR strategy for the organization that is aligned with the business plan and the overall strategic direction of Catalyst.
• Develop staff through a supportive and collaborative approach, fostering cross-functional synergy and engagement.
• Oversee all internal talent-management processes: talent identification, leadership development, diversity management, training, and performance management.
• Supervise staff performance and all special projects via clear assignments of responsibilities; monitor and evaluate results based on well-defined goals/objectives.
• Develop and implement comprehensive benefit plans that are cost effective and competitive with those of comparable organizations.
• Through competitive data and analysis, ensure fair compensation practices by level, function, and geographic location throughout the organization.
• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Role-model the values and mission of the organization; foster collaboration and inclusion; ensure consistency and fairness; maintain accountability; inspire and motivate.

• Operational Management
• Legal Affairs
• Oversee the legal function, including all organizational contracts and agreements and provide counsel to the President/CEO, the Board and senior leadership on all legal issues and risks impacting Catalyst.
• Oversee external legal counsel to address charters, bylaws, policies, and procedures for the U.S. and international locations.
• Oversee and establish policies related to global expansion (e.g., conflicts of interest, whistleblowers).
• Manage projects and issues related to establishing new offices globally.
• Information Technology
• Oversee the management of a global digital-communications system with sophisticated architecture to seamlessly support the organization’s work functions and flexible work options.
• Ensure IT priorities and projects provide a data and communications system that transcends geographic and physical boundaries, with minimal disruption.
• Oversee the network and the Website; implement appropriate upgrades and changes to keep Catalyst’s IT systems current.
• Manage external consultants and address any issues and disruption with rational and timely problem-solving methods.
• Recommend changes and improvements to maintain Catalyst’s competitive marketplace position.
• Operations and Administration
• Oversee the administration and operations of all Catalyst’s offices.
• Build relationships with in-country experts to help manage the infrastructure, physical locations, and any office-related facility issues.