Group Performance Director

About the Role / About the Job
The Group Performance Director is responsible for strategically overseeing and enhancing the operational efficiency and financial performance of the Group's portfolio companies. This role involves reporting regularly to executive leadership and monitoring key performance and financial metrics. The Director will analyze data to identify and resolve issues while ensuring adherence to quality and financial standards across Group entities. The position entails leading the implementation of best practices and driving continuous improvement with critical components including effective communication with stakeholders, financial discipline, and budget management. Ultimately, the Group Performance Director ensures the delivery of high-quality services and supports the Group's overall business goals. This includes ensuring that acquired telecom and media companies perform against their business plans, generate returns necessary to service acquisition debt, and deliver sustainable dividends to the Group.

Job Responsibilities

• Contribute to the creation and execution of strategies that improve shareholder value across the Group's portfolio of telecom and media companies. Utilize performance and market data, including competitor and customer trends, to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure portfolio companies exceed board-approved business plans.
• Monitor the financial performance of Group portfolio companies against agreed targets, identifying underperformance early to direct timely corrective action and protect profitability and shareholder returns.
• Oversee the budget and overall financial performance of the Group's portfolio companies, ensuring cost-effective resource allocation, sound debt management, and compliance with lender requirements.
• Assess ongoing financing needs, including potential refinancing, and recommend adjustments to performance targets to keep business plans realistic and aligned with lender expectations.
• Ensure consistent compliance with loan covenants, debt-service coverage ratios, and other bank loan conditions across portfolio companies, escalating any risk of breaches to Group Finance and the Board.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as network availability, quality of service (QoS), customer experience (QoE), and churn to meet quality standards and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Oversee network capacity planning and demand forecasting to maintain optimal performance during peak and varying demand levels, proactively identifying capacity risks and coordinating solutions with network operations teams.
• Lead digital performance transformation by enhancing performance processes, network operations methodologies, and OSS/BSS systems while optimizing costs across the Group.
• Prepare and present detailed performance reports covering network performance, service delivery, commercial KPIs, and financial performance against business plan and dividend targets to senior management, the Board, and other stakeholders.
• Liaise with internal departments including network operations, customer experience, commercial, and IT to align on performance objectives and resolve service issues.

Job Knowledge & Skills

• Financial Performance & Portfolio Governance: Strong understanding of leveraged acquisition financing structures, debt servicing, covenant compliance, and dividend planning across Group portfolio companies, with the ability to translate business plan targets into financial and operational performance outcomes.
• Performance Analytics & Data Interpretation: Proficient in analyzing and interpreting Group-wide performance metrics and operational data to identify trends, issues, and areas for improvement across portfolio companies.
• Capacity Planning & Forecasting: Skills in forecasting and optimizing operational capacity to maintain performance during varying demand levels.
• Stakeholder Reporting & Communication: Excellent skills in reporting performance insights and collaborating with stakeholders, senior management, and the Board across Group entities.
• Regulatory Compliance & ERP/SAP Proficiency: Understanding of industry standards and regulatory requirements to ensure compliance with relevant guidelines, supported by ERP knowledge, preferably with SAP functional skills.

Job Experience

• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in telecom or other network/technology-driven industries, with exposure to performance management, network operations, or service quality functions within fast-evolving digital markets.
• At least 10 years in a senior management or leadership role, with a demonstrated track record of leading performance management, business excellence, or network/service quality functions at a Group or multi-entity level. Experience in markets undergoing major digital transformations, such as 5G rollout, cloud adoption, and cybersecurity enhancement, is ideal.
• A finance background is required, with experience monitoring the financial performance of leveraged or acquired portfolio companies, including business plan adherence, dividend generation, and debt servicing.
• Proven experience in defining, cascading, and tracking KPIs and SLAs across multiple business units. Experience in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, or comparable emerging digital markets is a strong advantage.

Competencies

• Agility
• AI Fluency
• Build High-Performing Teams
• Build Process and Systems
• Business Acumen L5
• Data Analysis and Reporting L5
• Drive Cost Optimization
• Leadership
• Objective & KPI Formulation L5
• Performance Result Analysis & Reporting L5
• Provide Direction
• Quality
• Resilience
• Speed of Execution
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication L5

Education

• Master's degree
• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Public Administration, business administration, or any related field.