When to Hire a CFO
Harper May specialises in CFO recruitment, helping businesses secure senior financial leadership to support growth, improve financial visibility and strengthen strategic decision-making.
Hiring a Chief Financial Officer is a key step for organisations reaching a stage where financial complexity, reporting requirements and commercial demands require dedicated leadership at board level.
Many businesses begin to consider hiring a CFO when growth accelerates, financial operations become more complex, or when reporting and forecasting require stronger oversight.
The right CFO brings both technical expertise and commercial judgement, ensuring finance plays a central role in driving performance, managing risk and supporting long-term business objectives.
Harper May works closely with businesses to understand their current structure, growth plans and financial challenges, identifying CFOs who can operate effectively within their environment and provide clear financial leadership.
Our team supports organisations at different stages, from scaling businesses building out their finance function, to more established companies requiring stronger financial control, reporting and strategic oversight.
A CFO typically supports organisations with:
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Financial strategy and long-term planning
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Improving reporting accuracy and financial visibility
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Cash flow management and funding strategy
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Strengthening financial controls and governance
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Board reporting and stakeholder engagement
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Supporting investment, M&A and transaction readiness
We recruit across a range of sectors including technology, financial services, professional services, consumer businesses and private equity-backed companies, ensuring candidates bring relevant experience aligned to each organisation’s needs.
We also support senior finance appointments across:
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Finance Directors
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Financial Controllers
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Heads of Finance
Our process is built around understanding the specific requirements of each role, combining market mapping with targeted search to identify CFOs with the technical capability, commercial awareness and leadership experience required to support business growth.
You can also explore our Finance Recruitment services to see how we support businesses hiring across the finance function.
If your organisation is looking to hire a CFO, Harper May’s specialist team can help you identify and secure exceptional financial leadership talent.