Chief Financial Officer Appointment for a Financial Services Business
Chief Financial Officer Appointment for a Financial Services Business
Client: Financial Services Business
Sector: Financial Services
Turnover: £25M+
Role: Chief Financial Officer
Time to Hire: 12 weeks
The Brief
The business engaged us at a point where financial leadership existed in parts, but not in one place. Responsibility was shared across senior stakeholders, and while this had supported growth to date, it increasingly limited the board’s ability to evaluate risk, prioritise investment, and move decisively.
The brief was to appoint a Chief Financial Officer who could act as a single point of financial authority — strengthening governance, sharpening financial judgement, and supporting more confident board-level discussion.
The Challenge
This was not a hire driven by urgency, but by consequence. The client was clear that the appointment needed to be right, even if that meant a longer, more deliberate process.
The search required:
🔹 A CFO with credibility across technical, regulatory, and commercial considerations
🔹 The ability to engage effectively with a founder-led leadership team
🔹 Sensitivity to timing, availability, and decision cadence at board level
🔹 A process that maintained candidate engagement over an extended period
Our Solution
We approached the search with restraint. Rather than prioritising volume, the focus was on identifying CFOs who had operated in complex financial services environments and were comfortable navigating competing priorities at board level.
The process was structured to allow for thoughtful evaluation on both sides. Candidates were engaged in depth, expectations were managed carefully, and progression was paced to reflect the seriousness of the appointment rather than the speed of the process.
Key Results
📌 68 candidates identified
📌 22 CVs presented
📌 4 interviews conducted
📌 1 Chief Financial Officer appointed
📌 Search completed in 12 weeks
The Outcome
Once appointed, the CFO brought a different quality to financial leadership within the business. Board discussions became more focused, financial risk was articulated more clearly, and decision-making benefited from a stronger balance between ambition and control.
The organisation now operates with clearer financial authority at leadership level, providing a more stable platform for future growth and strategic planning.
