FrieslandCampina is a Dutch multinational dairy cooperative based in Amersfoort, Netherlands. It is one of the largest dairy companies in the world. As a cooperative, FrieslandCampina is owned by its member dairy farmers and has operations in 38 countries. The company is responsible for many well-known dairy brands globally, including Friesche Vlag, Chocomel, Frico, and Friesland dairy products in China.
The Head of Tax position at FrieslandCampina is an important leadership role responsible for overseeing all tax matters and strategy for the entire global organization. This individual sets the direction for tax policy, compliance, reporting, and planning across all markets. They lead a team of tax professionals and work closely with the CFO, CEO, and Board of Directors on long-term tax objectives aligned with business goals.
Responsibilities of the Head of Tax Role
The key responsibilities of the Head of Tax role at FrieslandCampina include:
– Developing and implementing the overall global tax strategy for the company
– Ensuring compliance with all tax laws, regulations and reporting requirements in every country of operation
– Overseeing all corporate income tax matters including planning, provisions, audits, assessments and litigation
– Leading tax due diligence on potential mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other transactions
– Coordinating all tax audits and managing relationships with tax authorities globally
– Driving tax planning initiatives to maximize efficiencies, credits and incentives across jurisdictions
– Assessing tax impact of any changes to business models, structures, or expansion plans
– Maintaining tax organization structure including recruiting, developing, and managing in-house tax professionals
– Advising senior management and Board on tax implications of business decisions
– Partnering with finance leaders on tax accounting and reporting
– Keeping abreast of updates and changes to tax codes locally and worldwide
– Representing company externally on tax committees and industry groups
The Head of Tax takes a strategic viewpoint to align tax considerations with overarching business goals, minimize worldwide tax obligations legally and ethically, manage tax risks proactively, and partner with other functional areas on tax matters impacting operations and financials. This oversight spans corporate income taxes, indirect taxes, payroll taxes, and other taxes across all FrieslandCampina legal entities and structures globally.
Reporting Structure
The Head of Tax role at FrieslandCampina reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer as part of the senior finance leadership team. The tax department is centralized at the global headquarters in Amersfoort, Netherlands.
Day-to-day, the Head of Tax collaborates cross-functionally with:
– Chief Executive Officer
– Chief Financial Officer
– Board of Directors
– Business unit leaders
– Finance team including Corporate Controller, Treasurer
– Legal and Compliance teams
– Human Resources on global mobility and payroll taxes
– IT team on systems, data and tools
– External tax advisors, auditors and legal counsel
This matrixed partnership ensures tax is integrated with business operations and strategic planning at the highest levels of the organization.
Qualifications
The Head of Tax role requires in-depth tax expertise combined with leadership skills and a global perspective. Typical qualifications include:
– Master’s degree in Taxation, Accounting, Finance or Law
– 10+ years tax experience at a Big 4 accounting firm or multinational corporation
– Licensed attorney, CPA, tax accountant or related professional qualification
– Deep knowledge of Dutch and international tax codes
– Experience in global tax strategy, planning, compliance and controversy
– Leadership experience managing tax departments and teams
– Excellent communication and collaboration skills
– Strategic mindset with business acumen
– High ethical standards and professional integrity
– Multicultural global perspective
– Fluency in Dutch and English; other languages a plus
The Head of Tax role demands analytical skills to dive into details while seeing the big picture relevance to enterprise goals. This person must operate effectively in a complex global matrixed organization influencing stakeholders without direct authority. Strategic agility is required to adjust the tax strategy amid business transformations, economic changes, and regulatory shifts.
Current Head of Tax
The current Global Head of Tax at FrieslandCampina is Frank van den Hoek. He has held this position since 2017.
Frank van den Hoek has over 20 years of tax experience within major Dutch multinational companies. He joined FrieslandCampina from DSM where he spent 12 years in various senior international tax roles, including Vice President of Tax.
Prior to DSM, Frank worked for 10 years at Shell International in global tax planning and strategy positions based in the Netherlands. He began his career at PwC in audit and tax.
Frank van den Hoek holds a Master of Tax Law degree from the International Tax Center at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. He is a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA) and participates in the Dutch Association of Tax Advisers (NOB).
Under Frank’s leadership, the tax team at FrieslandCampina has been transformed to meet the demands of global expansion and business integration following major acquisitions. He continues to evolve the tax strategy and align it with corporate goals to support the company’s growth.
Tax Department Organization
The FrieslandCampina tax department consists of a centralized global tax team located at the Amersfoort headquarters, supplemented by regional tax directors and country-level tax teams. The tax function is organized into four pillars:
1. Tax Strategy, Planning & Policy
– Develops global tax guidelines and policies
– Provides tax input for strategic decisions
– Models tax impact of changes
– Identifies planning opportunities
2. Compliance & Reporting
– Prepares direct and indirect tax returns
– Manages audits and tax authority relationships
– Handles tax accounting and reporting requirements
3. M&A / Transactional Taxes
– Manages tax due diligence for deals
– Provides tax structuring support
– Handles post-merger integration tax matters
4. Indirect Taxes
– Oversees VAT, GST, sales taxes, and customs duties
– Drives efficiencies in indirect taxes
– Partners with business teams on indirect tax process
Tax Department Group | Key Responsibilities |
---|---|
Tax Strategy, Planning & Policy | Tax planning, policy setting, identify efficiencies, support business strategy |
Compliance & Reporting | Tax return filings, audit management, tax accounting |
M&A / Transactional Taxes | Tax due diligence, deal structuring, post-merger integration |
Indirect Taxes | VAT, GST, sales tax, customs duties |
The mix of central control and local presence allows FrieslandCampina to balance global consistency with responsiveness to local business needs and tax regulations.
Tax Risk Management
Managing tax risks is a key priority for the Head of Tax and broader tax team at FrieslandCampina. The company utilizes the following approaches:
– Rigorous tax controls framework to ensure compliance
– Ongoing monitoring of changes to tax laws worldwide
– Use of leading tax reporting software for data tracking
– Careful review of tax return positions
– Conservative approach to tax planning aligned with business purpose
– Comprehensive audit preparation
– Utilizing external advisors on complex matters
– Partnering with business teams to assess tax impact proactively
– Training for finance teams on tax considerations
– Dedicated tax resources for M&A activity
– Building cooperative relationships with tax authorities
– Maintaining adequate tax reserves
– Transparent communication with Board and external auditors
FrieslandCampina aims to minimize uncertainties and contingencies through a well-resourced tax function, strong internal controls, and a prudent approach to tax planning.
Conclusion
The Head of Tax has broad responsibilities spanning tax strategy, planning, compliance, reporting, audits, and risk management for FrieslandCampina globally. This critical leadership role requires deep tax technical skills combined with business acumen and executive presence to influence across the organization.
Frank van den Hoek brings extensive international tax experience to bear in his oversight of the tax function during a transformative period for FrieslandCampina. Assisted by specialized teams in the Netherlands and regional/local tax resources worldwide, he continues to enhance the company’s global tax policies and practices.
Proactive tax management provides financial stability, operational continuity and ethical standing for FrieslandCampina as a leading cooperative dairy enterprise competing around the world. The centralized global tax team coordinates with finance leaders, business units and country operations to integrate tax considerations into strategic and operational decision-making.