Client Background
The client is a privately owned, independent specialty chemical group headquartered in Dubai, UAE, a leading distributor and manufacturer of specialty chemicals serving customers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa through a buy-and-resell distribution model. It operates from 150+ strategically located sites (sales offices, warehouses, and laboratories), with 1300+ employees across 40+ countries, organised along five business units: Coatings, Construction & Inks; Food Ingredients; Life Sciences; Oil, Gas, Petrochemicals & Mining; and Plastic, Rubber & Advanced Materials, and represents many internationally known chemical manufacturers. The group consists of 50+ subsidiaries.
The organisation is independently owned, with no public reporting obligations. It operates a Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2015, is SGS-certified, and complies with Responsible Care®. Its sustainability plan covers environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, with auditable KPIs linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide independent oversight and constructive challenge to the executive on financial and strategic matters.
- Chair the Audit Committee: set its agenda, lead oversight of financial-reporting integrity and internal control, and own the relationship with the internal and external auditors.
- Oversee risk management and the effectiveness of internal control across the organisation.
- Uphold the highest standards of governance, integrity, and independence.
- Contribute to board discussions on strategy, drawing on senior financial-leadership experience.
Sector / Industry Experience
Chemicals & Specialty Chemicals; Chemical Distribution (coatings, construction & inks; food ingredients; life sciences; oil, gas, petrochemicals & mining; plastics, rubber & advanced materials)
Level Of Experience
Executive (Partner level, C-suite, >30 years)
Time Commitment
Approximately four board meetings per year, plus Audit Committee meetings; an estimated 8 to 12 days per year including preparation and travel. The range is indicative and open to discussion at the interview stage.
Work Arrangement
Remote. In-person attendance is required for board meetings in Dubai (approximately four per year); the appointee need not be UAE-based and may be based outside the region (e.g. Europe).
Must-Have Experience And Skills For Acceptance
- Current or recent service as a Non-Executive Director, including as Chair of an Audit Committee.
- Former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a multinational of approximately US$1 to 5 billion in annual revenue.
- Financial expertise sufficient to serve as the Audit Committee's designated financial expert: current, demonstrable command of accounting standards, financial reporting, and internal control.
- Sector experience in chemicals, specialty chemicals, or chemical distribution.
- International / multi-region: significant experience across emerging markets in at least two of the following regions: Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, combined with senior experience in European corporate environments. GCC experience preferred but not required.
- >30 years of total work experience.
Education Level
Undergraduate Degree; Postgraduate Degree
Other Certifications & Qualifications
- A professional accounting or finance qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CPA, CA, CIMA) or clearly equivalent credentials.
- Membership of a recognised professional accountancy body, strongly preferred.
- A corporate-governance or director credential (such as IoD Chartered Director, or GCC Board Directors Institute certification), advantageous.
Specific Client Or Work Experience
Board service in a privately held or family-owned group.
Specific Geographic Experience
International / multi-region, significant experience across emerging markets in at least two of the following regions: Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, combined with senior experience in European corporate environments. GCC experience preferred but not required.
