Vice President, Finance
Coulson Aviation

After consulting with key stakeholders at Coulson Aviation, the following opportunities and challenges were identified for the new Vice President, Finance:

Strategic Advisor: The new VP will need to assimilate to the family-owned business, learn the priorities of the principals, live its values, and champion the well-established culture. The reporting structure is fluid and collaborative and involves working closely with Britton Coulson, President & COO of Coulson Aviation, and Wayne Coulson, President & CEO of the Coulson Group, as well as Susan Merivirta, Coulson’s Finance Designate and long-time former CFO. The new VP will also interact at times with Coulson’s CFO who is focused on the family enterprise, joint venture business relationships, banking partners, and long- and short-range business plans. The team is seeking a VP, Finance who is curious to learn about their business and the rationale for its successes, while also respectfully challenging their thinking with the objective of doing things better.

Growth Management: The aerial firefighting industry is currently estimated at $8.1 billion globally and, with global climate change, is expected to grow to $16 billion. Coulson’s existing customers and prospective customers, including the US Government, have requested the company provides additional equipment and support for their firefighting efforts. The new VP, Finance will need to be comfortable in a fast-paced, growing environment. Coulson has invested in IT over the past few years, with the intent of making growth more manageable and secure.

Harness the Entrepreneurial Spirit: The Coulson Group was founded by an entrepreneur and his legacy has been passed down through generations. While Coulson’s strength is its ability to identify and capitalize on market opportunities, every successful entrepreneur has at least one solid advisor who provides analytical support and strategic grounding to ensure that the right ideas are pursued and energies are not wasted. The new VP will need to support and learn from the CEO, COO, Finance Designate, and CFO in translating the best entrepreneurial ideas into practical business plans and work with leadership to evolve the aviation division while adding value to other subsidiaries as appropriate.

Risk Management: Coulson Aviation has significant opportunities for expansion, most of which require substantial capital investment to purchase additional aircraft. The industry also has numerous and often expensive risks that could put the company in peril. The new VP, Finance may need to run analytics and provide options and recommendations that fuel growth for the business, while also managing and mitigating risks, in the context of global operations with differing laws and contracts, as well as multiple foreign currencies.

Elevate Cost Accounting Discipline: Coulson is seeking a new VP, Finance who brings expertise in cost accounting and can work with the solid team of accounting professionals to develop the discipline more broadly throughout the organization. Currently, Coulson has a significant need for financial breakdowns of various divisions, contracts and projects to support decision-making.

Field Operations: Coulson leadership has implemented an initiative to encourage their centralized finance team to spend more scheduled time in their Port Alberni-based Aviation operations to encourage better communication and understanding between the two business segments. The new VP, Finance will need to support this initiative by dedicating time not only virtually but also personally to meeting with key personnel in all Coulson Aviation facilities to garner a more in-depth understanding of the whole business and its operational realities.