Head of Credit Bridgestone EMEA

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

About The Role

The Head of Credit plays a key role in driving the commercial and financial success of the business by leading credit operations across all Wholesale and Retail business units in Europe. Reporting to the Finance Director for Sales and Marketing, the role is accountable for credit policies, methodologies, portfolio management, reporting, and monitoring, as well as for improving underlying credit performance metrics.

The role leads the Credit Risk Committee and provides key input to the Working Capital Steering Committee. Working with a strong network of credit managers across regions, the Head of Credit supports regional and central teams with a continuous improvement mindset. The position combines strategic leadership with hands‑on involvement in credit control and legal processes, making extensive use of data and analytics to improve credit risk outcomes and support the sales organisation. Regular interaction with regional teams and international travel are part of the role.

Responsibilities

• Define, develop, and maintain credit policies, methodologies, and portfolio management frameworks
• Lead the Credit Risk Committee and contribute to the Working Capital Steering Committee
• Ensure business units operate within defined credit risk appetite

Credit Operations & Performance

• Deliver credit objectives with strong results in collections, risk management, and service delivery
• Own and continuously improve collection strategies to manage company risk
• Oversee month‑end close and credit reporting
• Manage credit insurance applications and relationships with credit insurers

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a credit organization of 35 people across Europe, with 5 direct reports
• Set objectives, streamline processes, and ensure efficient resource allocation
• Conduct regular one‑to‑one reviews, ledger analysis, and performance tracking
• Foster a confident, results‑driven, and collaborative team culture

Stakeholder & Business Partnership

• Act as the escalation point for credit‑related issues and resolve account disputes to reduce aged debt
• Review financials and credit limits for high‑risk or strategic customers
• Act as a business partner to the Sales organization
• Present credit and risk performance to senior management, including credit committees and working capital forums
• Work closely with key stakeholders to manage query logs and response times
• Develop and produce analytics and reporting on credit risk and performance
• Use data and analytics to identify improvements in credit risk positioning
• Assist with cross‑functional projects related to credit, risk, and working capital

Qualifications & Experience Required

Experience & Expertise

• Proven track record in implementing and maintaining credit risk strategies and policies
• Strong experience in credit risk modelling and scorecard development
• Experience in a European‑wide role with demonstrated people leadership
• Hands‑on experience with end‑to‑end credit control and legal processes

Technical & Professional Skills

• Strong credit, financial analysis, and modelling skills
• Ability to prepare high‑quality, structured credit papers
• Strong understanding of customer experience metrics (NPS, CES)

Soft / Behavioral Skills

• Strong communication and relationship‑building skills
• Team player with a positive, collaborative mindset
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, international environment

Languages

• Other European languages are a plus

What We Offer

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long‑term well‑being.
• A diverse and inclusive team.

We are committed to create an even more inclusive culture that advances equity, embraces individuality, and helps our increasingly diverse teammates, customers, and communities thrive, by providing equal opportunities in employment. This means that all job applicants and members of staff will receive equal treatment and that we will not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnicity, color, nationality, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age.

#J-18808-Ljbffr