Knowledge Hub – Finance Recruitment & Accountancy Insights

Explore CFO salary expectations in London, from typical base ranges to total compensation. This guide explains what drives CFO pay, when businesses pay more, and what employers should consider when hiring a senior finance leader in today’s competitive market.

A fractional CFO gives growing businesses access to senior financial guidance without the cost of a permanent hire, while a full-time CFO becomes essential when complexity, scale, investor expectations, and day-to-day strategic demands require dedicated executive finance leadership within the business.

Finance leaders are often hired too late. A CFO becomes essential when growth brings complexity, sharper financial decisions, investor pressure, and expansion plans. The right time is before challenges surface, when strategic insight, forecasting, and commercial guidance can shape the next stage.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax begins in April, with around 860,000 taxpayers expected to join the system. However, only about 65,000 are currently signed up. Accountancy practices are being urged to start preparing clients now to avoid a last-minute rush before implementation.

UK M&A activity remained resilient last year despite economic uncertainty, with nearly 3,200 public-market deals completed. Advisers expect momentum to continue in 2026, highlighting the importance of clear strategy, disciplined evaluation and strong financial oversight when businesses pursue acquisitions.

A £60m manufacturing group needed a Finance Director with stronger board-level commercial presence. Despite being technically strong, the candidate had been passed over for CFO as “not strategic enough”. We reframed their narrative around margin discipline, pricing challenge and capital allocation. Offer secured.