VP - Finance Technology, Strategy, & Innovation

Cushman & Wakefield•Chicago, IL

1d•$212,500 - $250,000•Remote

About The Position

Wakefield is seeking an accomplished Finance technology executive to serve as Vice President-Finance Systems, Strategy, & Innovation — a global leadership role with enterprise-wide responsibility for advancing the strategy, modernization, and performance of the company’s Finance technology landscape. Reporting to the SVP & CIO, Enterprise Technology, this leader will act as the primary technology partner to the CFO organization and will shape the digital, data, and AI-enabled agenda supporting Finance transformation at global scale. This mandate requires a commercially minded, transformation-oriented leader who can operate with credibility in senior Finance and C-suite forums while translating enterprise priorities into scalable, resilient technology solutions. The successful candidate will bring the strategic range to define a multi-year roadmap, the delivery discipline to execute complex programs, and the executive presence to influence across a highly matrixed global organization. This is a pivotal opportunity for a leader who blends Finance domain fluency, enterprise technology depth, AI-enabled innovation, and global operating experience. The VP will be expected to elevate the partnership between Finance and Technology, strengthen governance and operational excellence across a complex multi-vendor portfolio, and position the Finance function for the next generation of digital capability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field; Master's degree or MBA preferred
15+ years of progressive technology leadership experience with a minimum of 5 years in senior Finance technology or ERP leadership roles at global enterprise scale
Demonstrated experience owning and managing Finance technology platforms across multiple geographies including ERP (Workday Financials, JDE, or equivalent), EPM (OneStream, Hyperion, Essbase, or equivalent), and adjacent Finance applications
Proven track record of delivering complex, multi-stakeholder Finance technology transformation programs on time and within budget
Demonstrated ability to manage and influence CFO-level and C-suite stakeholders with credibility, gravitas, and commercial acumen
Experience driving AI adoption within Finance functions — including familiarity with AI use case development, governance frameworks, and responsible AI practices
Strong understanding of financial close, consolidation, planning, and reporting processes; ability to speak the language of Finance leadership
Experience managing SOX compliance and financial controls within a technology context; working knowledge of Internal Audit requirements for financial systems
Strong financial acumen with experience managing multi-million-dollar technology budgets across opex and capex

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a compelling, multi-year Finance Systems roadmap that aligns to Cushman's enterprise architecture, ERP modernization program, and corporate AI strategy
Own the strategic response to critical platform milestones including the OneStream EPM Planning go-live, OneStream Consolidations go-live, Workday Financial Data Model redesign, and HFM/Essbase historical data migration to Databricks Bronze
Lead investment prioritization across the ~50+ application Global Finance portfolio — balancing innovation, risk reduction, and operational continuity in a globally complex environment
Partner with Enterprise Data, Governance & Risk functions to ensure Finance technology decisions align to Cushman's broader platform strategy and data governance standards
Drive rationalization and consolidation of the Finance system portfolio with a bias toward capability, scalability, and cost efficiency
Serve as a thought partner to Finance leadership on how AI reshapes the Finance operating model — advancing how the function operates, not merely adding tools
Lead identification, validation, and delivery of AI and intelligent automation use cases across the Finance function — including FP&A forecasting agents, variance analysis automation, close management intelligence, and spend analytics
Drive embedded AI capability within core Finance platforms including Workday Financials, OneStream EPM, and the Finance Data Lake (Databricks), governed through appropriate intake and risk frameworks
Champion responsible, governance-aligned AI adoption in partnership with the Enterprise AI Governance Council and Cushman's AI ethics and compliance framework
Ongoing partnerships with all Finance leaders to drive continuous improvement across the entire ecosystem.
Partner with Databricks Professional Services and internal Data Engineers on Finance Data Lake buildout — ensuring structured data readiness for AI and analytics use cases
Serve as the primary technology relationship owner for the CFO, Divisional CFOs, Global Controller, Global FP&A leadership, and Finance Operations — operating as a trusted advisor and peer, not a service provider
Operate as a peer and thought partner to Finance executives — translating technology strategy into commercially framed business outcomes.
Present Finance technology strategy, investment cases, and program status in clear, business-framed narratives that include cross functional dependencies and wholistic enterprise outcomes for CFO and other C-suite forums
Drive consensus across competing functional priorities with directness and transparency, ensuring Finance technology resources are allocated to highest-impact work
Represent Enterprise Technology in Finance-led governance forums, steering committees, and Finance AI Council meetings
Build stakeholder trust through consistent delivery credibility, proactive communication, and genuine understanding of Finance business objectives
Lead, develop, and scale a high-performing global team of Finance Systems professionals spanning business analysis, platform management, delivery, Workday configuration, Innovation, and AI strategy
Operate within a bimodal organizational model — maintaining and developing delivery capability while simultaneously building strategic and innovation capacity within the team
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning — setting high performance expectations while investing in team growth and AI literacy
Build and maintain a talent pipeline for critical Finance technology roles; invest in succession planning and upskilling across the team
Oversee program delivery across all Finance technology initiatives — from ERP enhancements and AI use case launches to major platform go-lives — ensuring governance, risk management, and milestone discipline
Partner with the VP, People Systems to ensure data model alignment and seamless integration across Workday Finance and HCM platforms
Maintain SOX compliance and Finance security model integrity across all in-scope systems; serve as Technology's primary liaison to Internal Audit on financial controls and access governance
Manage all Finance technology vendor relationships including Workday, OneStream, ERPOne, Deloitte, etc.., and 50+ application vendors — negotiating value, driving accountability, and ensuring contractual performance
Ensure system reliability, data integrity, and operational continuity across the full ~50+ -application Finance portfolio serving a global Finance user base
Define and achieve Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators across all Finance technology platforms; drive continuous service improvement proactively
Own the Finance Systems technology budget — opex and capex — ensuring disciplined financial governance and maximum return on investment
Develop annual budget plans and multi-year financial forecasts in partnership with the CIO and Finance leadership, clearly articulating investment cases and expected outcomes
Drive cost optimization through vendor consolidation, license rationalization, and operating model efficiency across the Finance technology portfolio