As a Financial Analyst at Global, you play a vital role in navigating the financial health and strategic direction of one of the world's leading media, entertainment, and digital platforms. This position is not just about crunching numbers; it is about translating complex financial data into actionable insights that drive commercial decisions. You will work closely with business units to optimize financial performance, manage budgets, and evaluate new commercial opportunities.

At Global, the finance team is deeply integrated into the operational heartbeat of the business. Whether you are analyzing performance metrics for major media campaigns, managing general ledger accounts, or building business cases for new capital investments, your work directly influences executive-level decision-making. The fast-paced nature of the media and outdoor advertising industries means you will constantly face dynamic challenges that require both analytical precision and strategic agility.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence the financial trajectory of high-profile brands and platforms. Global values cross-functional collaboration, meaning you will regularly partner with non-finance stakeholders, department heads, and senior leadership, including the Financial Director (FD) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). To succeed, you must combine robust technical accounting skills with the ability to communicate financial narratives clearly to diverse audiences.

To help you prepare, we have synthesized questions from real interview experiences at Global. While the exact questions may vary depending on the specific team and seniority level, they generally fall into distinct categories designed to evaluate your technical competency, strategic thinking, and cultural alignment.

Financial Case Study & Investment Analysis

These questions assess your ability to evaluate business opportunities, analyze financial viability, and present investment recommendations under pressure.

• We have a hypothetical business case for a new advertising platform. Based on the provided data, would you recommend we invest or not invest?
• Walk us through how you would structure a 15-minute pitch to senior stakeholders recommending a major capital expenditure.

Preparing for an interview at Global requires a balanced approach that addresses both technical precision and commercial awareness. You should review core financial concepts while also practicing how to communicate your insights clearly to senior leadership.

Role-related knowledge – You must demonstrate a strong grasp of financial planning, analysis, and basic accounting principles. Be ready to discuss general ledger management, variance analysis, and budgeting processes confidently, showcasing your ability to maintain financial integrity.

Problem-solving ability – Interviewers will evaluate how you approach ambiguous business scenarios. You need to show that you can quickly digest financial data, identify key drivers, and formulate logical, data-backed recommendations.

Communication and Presentation – At Global, finance professionals are business partners. You must be able to translate complex financial metrics into simple, compelling narratives, whether in a formal presentation or a conversational Q&A session.

Cultural Fit – Global boasts a highly collaborative, positive, and community-driven workplace. They look for energetic, proactive team players who are passionate about the media industry and eager to support their colleagues.

The interview process for the Financial Analyst position at Global is designed to be highly interactive, conversational, and thorough. Depending on the seniority of the role and the specific division, the process typically spans two to three stages. The company aims to evaluate both your technical execution capabilities and your ability to interact with senior executives.

For mid-to-senior level roles, you will typically undergo a three-round interview process. This includes an initial conversational interview with the hiring manager, followed by deeper discussions with the Financial Director (FD) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Alongside these conversations, you will be required to complete a practical, time-pressured Excel test designed to assess your speed, accuracy, and modeling logic.

For entry-level or graduate schemes, Global utilizes an assessment center format. This format includes a brief individual presentation, a collaborative group workshop, and individual interviews. A key component of this process is a hypothetical business case study where you are given a set amount of time to analyze a scenario, decide whether to invest, and pitch your recommendation to a panel.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical stages a candidate navigates during the selection process. While the exact flow may adapt slightly based on geography or department, preparing for both a rigorous technical assessment and executive-level presentations will ensure you are ready for any format.

To excel in the Global interview process, you must understand the specific competencies the hiring team evaluates at each stage.

Financial Modeling & Excel Execution

This area evaluates your hands-on analytical skills and your ability to work efficiently under pressure. Global relies on rapid data analysis to make real-time commercial decisions, making this technical assessment a critical filter.

Be ready to go over:

• Formula proficiency – Mastery of lookups, logical tests, and data aggregation functions.
• Model structuring – Building clean, auditable, and dynamic financial models.
• Speed and prioritization – Managing your time effectively during highly pressured Excel assessments.

Example scenarios:

• Completing a multi-tab reconciliation and data cleaning exercise within a strict 30-minute window.
• Building a basic forecasting model that automatically updates when key operational assumptions change.

Business Case Structuring & Presentation

For strategic roles and graduate programs, your ability to synthesize business information and present a compelling investment thesis is heavily scrutinized. Interviewers want to see how you think on your feet and handle executive pushback.

Be ready to go over:

• Investment appraisal frameworks – Utilizing metrics like ROI, NPV, and payback periods to justify decisions.
• Strategic storytelling – Structuring a presentation with a clear hook, supporting evidence, and a definitive recommendation.
• Q&A handling – Defending your assumptions calmly and logically when questioned by senior finance leaders.

Example scenarios:

• Reviewing a hypothetical business proposal for 45 minutes and delivering a 15-minute pitch on whether Global should fund the project.
• Presenting a market expansion strategy to the Financial Director and justifying your revenue growth assumptions.

Financial Accounting & General Ledger (GL) Controls

For roles with a heavier accounting focus, such as those aligned with entity reporting and ledger management, technical accounting accuracy is paramount.

Be ready to go over:

• Month-end close procedures – Managing accruals, prepayments, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Variance analysis – Identifying, quantifying, and explaining discrepancies between actual results and budgets.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Multi-entity consolidations, intercompany eliminations, and local tax compliance (e.g., German GAAP/HGB for European roles).

Example scenarios:

• Explaining how you would investigate a significant, unexplained variance in the marketing department's monthly spend.
• Describing the step-by-step process for reconciling a complex intercompany account balance.