An interactive session that allow you to step away from the traditional matrix of organisation and embrace virtual interaction. Learn how to: Build a communication strategy in your finance department that will keep your global team engaged and empowered. Grow regional skill-sets for greater global agility.

1. BUILDING A GLOBAL
FINANCE TEAM IN A
VIRTUAL AGE
CAROLINE STOCKMANN, CFO, BRITISH COUNCIL
www.britishcouncil.org
CXO EVENT, LIVERPOOL, 23 JUNE 2016

2. THE BRITISH COUNCIL: ITS PURPOSE
The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK
and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide.
We do this through our work in:
• English & Exams
• Education & Society
• the Arts.
www.britishcouncil.org 1

3. TODAY’S AGENDA: BUILDING GLOBAL
COMMUNITIES
• My virtual context
• The question of global/regional/country
• How to create a sense of belonging
• Communication strategy for a virtual world
• Barriers to success
www.britishcouncil.org 2

4. MY CONTEXT
• 8 regions, 115 countries
• finance, global estates, procurement, shared services, risk (all areas),
training
• largest UK charity (£1bn income), also NDPB and has a Royal Charter
• most income is earned (rather than government)
• rapid income growth without professional services
www.britishcouncil.org 3

5. GLOBAL/REGIONAL/COUNTRY
• standard model in my experience – Unilever, Save the Children
• matrix organisation: question of power?
• Q: how do you break down the barriers (examples from Unilever)?
if you want monkeys…
spreading the load/empowering
target-setting
www.britishcouncil.org 4

6. A SENSE OF BELONGING
• diversity (British Council vision)
• time zones, holidays: getting the basics right
• technology vs face-to-face
• phone etiquette
• rotating leadership
• buddy systems
• co-creation (British Council examples)
www.britishcouncil.org 5

7. A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY FOR
A VIRTUAL WORLD
• comms = critical, and can never do enough
• Message from Caroline
• Coffee Time with Caroline
• email signatures
• blogs, Yammer
• build like any other strategy
• still, all about relationships – sometimes need to be explicit
www.britishcouncil.org 6

8. BARRIERS TO SUCCESS
• reliant on people coming with you, eg cascading
• capacity/capability
• alignment with other functions
• trying to do too much
www.britishcouncil.org 7

9. Q & A
www.britishcouncil.org 8

10. Thank you!
www.britishcouncil.org 9