Chief Administrative Officer

Description

At Krause Group, our ambition is to build an entrepreneurial, global portfolio of dynamic brands businesses enhanced by the power of purpose to deliver positive social impact and profit.

We are committed to creating a sustainable future through our diversified portfolio, embracing innovation, and leading with integrity.  We value agility, courage, a growth mindset, inclusion, integrity, and a community-focused approach. Our mission extends beyond achieving financial success. We are dedicated to making a significant impact on society and the environment, guided by our strong belief in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and our sustainable development goals (SDG’s).

The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is an executive leader, entrusted with the comprehensive oversight and management of the organization's shared service functions, which are foundational to enabling execution in our brands. This dynamic role is critical in driving operational excellence, ensuring seamless alignment with the company’s strategic objectives while providing exceptional services to our portfolio of brands. We seek a visionary and results-driven CAO who thrives on agility and service improvement and is committed to empowering our teams to excel in serving our family of brands. We operate in a center-led operating model.

Principal Functions of the Job

Leadership & Management:

• Oversees the daily operations of all shared services functions, ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, and alignment with our objectives. Shared service functions may include the following areas: Human Resources (we refer to as Grow People), Brand, Communications, Finance, Legal, Risk, Information Technology, Sustainability, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Government Relations.
• Provide strategic direction to leadership and other associates within the shared services functions.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive work environment that encourages the development of high-performing teams.
• Serve as a senior team member of Krause Group, representing our purpose, mission, vision, and values to positively contribute to company culture.

Strategic Decision-Making:

• Act as a key decision-maker in regard to shared service-related matters on behalf of the Founder and CEO, ensuring that all operational decisions align with our vision and long-term goals.
• Collaborate with the executive team to develop and implement strategies that drive organizational growth and sustainability.
• Evaluate and optimize brand processes, leveraging technology and best practices to enhance operational efficiency.

Operational Excellence:

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the shared services function to achieve operational excellence and cost-effectiveness.

• Ensure that the shared services team delivers high-quality support to all brands, meeting service level agreements (SLAs).
• Manage the annual operating plan for the shared services function, ensuring financial responsibility and alignment with our overall financial goals.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Serve as a liaison between the shared services function and other brands, fostering strong relationships and effective communication.
• Represent the organization in external meetings, conferences, and events.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including associates, partners, and community leaders, to promote our values and mission.
• Other duties as assigned

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in a senior leadership role, preferably in a shared services or operational capacity.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple brands within a parent company structure, effectively driving growth and alignment across diverse brand portfolios.
• In-depth knowledge of shared services models, including experience in centralizing functions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, cross-functional teams across multiple departments, ensuring cohesive and efficient operations.
• Extensive experience in developing and implementing operational strategies that enable brand growth, optimize processes, and improve service delivery
• Strong background in financial management, including annual operating plans (AOP) and long-range plans (LRP)
• Ability to navigate complex organizational structures and dynamics.
• Excels in environments characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

Krause Group believes in People First. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer building a culture of equity and inclusion.

Krause Group Purpose

Our purpose is to enhance the way people experience the world.

Krause Group Mission

Our mission is to nurture our family of brands, creating opportunities to do good in the world.

Krause Group Values

• Agility- We challenge the status quo with open minds, flexibility, and speed. We are comfortable being uncomfortable. We view change as opportunity.
• Courage -We take risks. We innovate. We win or learn. We push limits, disrupt norms, and define our own path.
• Growth Mindset - We are building an organi­zation and legacy that will outlive us. We are contin­uously learning. There is no final-destination, only the journey to be better than we were yesterday.
• Inclusion -We actively seek and welcome alternative points of view. Diverse perspectives improve decision-making and make us all more successful.
• Integrity - We do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. We do not take shortcuts and always take accountability.
• Community Focused -We are committed to positively impacting our communities, stakeholders, and associates. We do good and encourage others to join us.

Qualifications

Minimum Skills and/or Knowledge Required

• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation abilities.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and communication skills, capable of building consensus and fostering collaborative partnerships.
• Excels in environments characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
• Experience in formulating recommendations and/or solutions to complex issues. Critical thinking to identify, assess and develop potential solutions from a complex fact pattern or situation.
• Fluency in Italian preferred.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 15% of the time.

Duties and responsibilities, as required by business necessity may be added, deleted, or changed at any time at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing. Scheduling, assignments, and work location may be changed at any time, as required by business necessity.