Senior European Tax Director

NYSE Logistics & Transportation | Hoofddorp, Netherlands

Company Background

Our client is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in the US, focusing on transportation, e-commerce, and business services.

As the fifth largest American-headquartered employer globally, with around 547,000 employees and a constituent of the NYSE (S&P 100), the group reports revenues of $93.5 billion (2022). The company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies that compete collectively, collaborate, and innovate digitally under the respected company brand.

The assignment is aligned with a specific business unit: the company’s original overnight courier service, which provides next-day air service within the US and time-definite international service. The company operates one of the largest civil aircraft fleets in the world, including the largest fleet of wide-bodied civil aircraft, and carries more freight than any other airline. Every day, the group delivers transportation and business solutions to its customers, serving more than 220 countries and territories around the globe.

Brief

Having previously helped our client hire three members for its regional tax team in the Netherlands, we were subsequently retained to identify someone to fill the Managing/Senior Director of European Tax role.

Our search brief focused on identifying a candidate capable of leading functional teams and working closely with Officers and Directors, up to and including the Senior Vice President level, to implement effective regional strategies, plans, and controls. The role required providing technically sound and strategic tax advice to optimise profitability, achieve immediate and near-term business objectives, and minimise risks and costs.

A key challenge of the search was the lack of clear internal progression opportunities for the role. It demanded an experienced individual who could “hit the ground running,” confidently take charge of an established, high-performing team, and navigate the absence of an immediate upward career path within the European region.

Focus

Our search strategy centred on identifying senior tax professionals with strong leadership capabilities and international tax expertise to oversee regional tax matters. We prioritised candidates from large, complex organisations, particularly US corporations, while also considering top talent from leading HQ tax teams. Given the importance of the Dutch market and its external stakeholder relationships, we targeted candidates with Dutch tax qualifications and extensive experience in the Netherlands, while remaining open to high-performing professionals from other EU countries. Both “lateral” and “progressive” hires were considered, ensuring the selected candidate could effectively lead and manage a large, senior team aligned with their experience. After completing our research and mapping key contacts, we prioritised candidates based on insights from our network. Following initial screening, we presented a shortlist of six candidates, all progressing to the first-round interviews.