Global Controller

Global Controller

The Omni Joint Venture is a newly-formed global print, publishing, manufacturing, fulfillment and distribution business serving legal, tax, accounting, governmental, corporate and institutional customers across the United States and internationally. The business encompasses practitioner reference works, treatises, statutes, court rules, reporters, tax regulations, practitioner guides and textbooks, book manufacturing and kitting, and the ProView eBook platform. The JV is structured as a Delaware limited liability company with KKR holding a 51% Class A controlling interest and Thomson Reuters retaining a 49% Class B interest through West Publishing Corporation.

The Global Controller is a senior accounting and financial operations executive within the JV, reporting to the CFO, serving as the finance backbone of the enterprise from Day 1. This is a rare opportunity to build and lead the entire controllership and financial operations function for a standalone global business with established revenue, multi-jurisdictional operations, and sophisticated joint-venture governance. The role requires a leader who can simultaneously stand-up accounting infrastructure, drive monthly and statutory close processes, manage all financial operations, and serve as a trusted partner to the CFO, the Board, and the Audit Committee.

This is not a maintenance role. The successful candidate will be a builder someone who has experience constructing accounting and financial operations teams, processes, and technology platforms from the ground up or through major transformations. They will bring a forward-thinking mindset, a bias toward automation and efficiency (including the practical application of AI to finance workflows), and the judgment to know when to standardize and when to customize across a global operating footprint.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting, Close & Reporting

• Own the end-to-end monthly, quarterly, and annual close process for all global entities; establish close calendars, checklists, and quality gates that drive continuous cycle-time reduction.
• Establish and enforce accounting policies and procedures aligned with US GAAP (and local statutory GAAP where required), ensuring consistency across jurisdictions and compliance with the AR LLCA's Books and Records covenants.
• Prepare consolidated and entity-level financial statements, management reporting packages, and Board/Audit Committee materials; deliver clear, accurate, and timely financial narratives to internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead statutory and regulatory reporting across all operating jurisdictions, coordinating with local advisors and ensuring timely filings.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors; manage the annual audit and any interim reviews, including the preparation of audit schedules, PBC lists, and technical accounting memoranda.

Financial Operations

• Direct all transactional finance functions including billing and invoicing, collections, cash application, accounts payable, travel and expense management, payroll, royalty calculations and payments, and sales commission processing.
• Design and implement internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) and operational controls across all financial processes; ensure SOX-equivalent rigor appropriate for the JV's governance structure.
• Manage treasury-adjacent functions including cash forecasting, intercompany settlements, and working capital optimization in coordination with the CFO.
• Oversee the distribution waterfall calculations, including Tax Quarterly Distributions, and any trigger-event-related payments, ensuring computational accuracy and timely reporting.

Tax Direct & Indirect

• Oversee all direct tax compliance and planning, including U.S. federal and state income tax, international tax filings, transfer pricing documentation, and partnership tax reporting (K-1s) consistent with the JV's treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
• Manage indirect tax functions including sales and use tax, VAT/GST, and other transaction taxes across all operating jurisdictions.
• Partner with external tax advisors and coordinate with Member tax teams on matters affecting the JV's tax positions, the Assumed Tax Rate for Tax Distribution calculations, and any bracketed or evolving items such as the Intended Tax Treatment definition.

People, Process & Technology Leadership

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing global accounting and financial operations team of up to 50 professionals across multiple geographies and time zones.
• Drive the selection, implementation, and optimization of the JV's ERP, general ledger, consolidation, billing, payroll, and reporting systems; own the finance technology roadmap.
• Champion process automation, robotic process automation (RPA), and the application of AI and machine learning tools to accelerate close timelines, enhance data quality, reduce manual effort, and generate predictive financial insights.
• Establish scalable shared-services and center-of-excellence models where appropriate, balancing standardization with local-market requirements.
• Evaluate and recommend which accounting and financial operations functions should be built and retained in-house versus outsourced to third-party providers or managed-service arrangements, balancing cost, control, scalability, and the JV's standalone governance requirements.

Governance & Stakeholder Management

• Build and manage the relationship with the Audit Committee, including the preparation of committee materials, attendance at committee meetings, and responsiveness to committee inquiries.
• Collaborate closely with the CFO on Board reporting and shareholder communications.
• Serve as a key finance partner during the Transition Services Agreement period, managing the migration of finance processes from Thomson Reuters shared services to standalone JV capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive accounting and financial operations experience, with significant tenure in a controllership or equivalent leadership role.
• Active CPA license (or international equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience at a small to mid-size company, ideally in an environment where the candidate was responsible for building or substantially transforming the accounting and financial operations function.
• Proven ability to manage global teams of up to 50 people across multiple countries, time zones, and cultures.
• Deep, hands-on expertise across the full spectrum of financial operations: monthly close, financial and statutory reporting, billing, collections, cash application, payroll, accounts payable, travel and expense, royalties, and commissions.
• Strong command of both direct and indirect tax compliance and planning in a multi-jurisdictional environment.
• Experience leading ERP and financial system implementations end-to-end, from vendor selection through go-live and stabilization.
• Track record of designing and deploying automation, RPA, and AI-driven solutions within finance to measurably improve efficiency, accuracy, and cycle times.
• Experience managing relationships with Audit Committees, external auditors, and Board-level stakeholders.
• Exceptional ability to manage across the three dimensions of people, process, and technology simultaneously, with a forward-thinking orientation toward continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Big Four public accounting experience.
• Experience in a joint venture, private-equity-backed, or sponsor-controlled environment where governance complexity, investor reporting, and distribution mechanics are part of the operating rhythm.
• Familiarity with publishing, media, or content-licensing business models.
• Experience with partnership tax reporting and waterfall-based distribution structures.
• Demonstrated builder mentality with experience standing up finance functions, hiring teams, selecting systems, and writing policies from the ground up.
• Global operator mindset with ability to establish enterprise standards while respecting local statutory, tax, and operational realities across jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to lead major ERP or financial system implementations with understanding of the full lifecycle from requirements gathering through post-go-live optimization.

What's in it For You?

• Hybrid Work Model: We've adopted a flexible hybrid working environment for our office-based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected.
• Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: Flex My Way is a set of supportive workplace policies designed to help manage personal and professional responsibilities, whether caring for family, giving back to the community, or finding time to refresh and reset. This builds upon our flexible work arrangements, including work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year, empowering employees to achieve a better work-life balance.
• Career Development and Growth: By fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development, we prepare our talent to tackle tomorrow's challenges and deliver real-world solutions. Our Grow My Way programming and skills-first approach ensures you have the tools and knowledge to grow, lead, and thrive in an AI-enabled future.
• Industry Competitive Benefits: We offer comprehensive benefit plans to include flexible vacation, two company-wide Mental Health Days off, access to the Headspace app, retirement