Role and industry
CFO, Private Equity Portfolio Company Recruiters
Financial Headhunters: You need a CFO who survives sponsor scrutiny and builds exit-ready financial rigor, not another resume from a generic corporate background.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
Executive-search discipline at every level, with conversations shaped around the work.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Your portfolio CFO manages the gap between rapid growth and the reporting standards demanded by private equity owners. A candidate who only summarizes past performance will miss signs of trouble during lean quarters. You need an operator who identifies board requirements before they are requested so that the financial function provides answers rather than delays. This person must interpret data into business decisions while keeping every ledger entry and variance analysis accurate for stakeholders.
This role requires shifting between long-term planning and weekly cash management. The CFO must keep control over lender covenants and treasury while merging new acquisitions into the reporting structure. Ignoring the need for scalable systems early causes valuation drops during an exit. We look for individuals who treat internal controls as a defense against audit discovery to keep the business ready for diligence despite market swings.
Effective finance leaders often seek new roles when their current environment limits their ability to modernize capital strategy or financial systems. How have you previously navigated sponsor-led growth, and can you describe a specific time you managed a 13-week cash flow model during a period of intense operational transition?
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
- 01Track record of direct interaction with credit committees and lenders to keep covenant headroom during volatile periods and avoid defaults.
- 02Specific use of cloud-based ERP tools to replace manual spreadsheets with automated, audit-ready reports that show real-time data.
- 03Evidence of managing 13-week cash flow models used to maintain control during aggressive operational pivots or capital calls.
- 04History of merging diverse finance departments post-acquisition into a single chart of accounts that meets institutional reporting requirements.
- 05CPA designation or equivalent certification with a history of leading teams through multiple cycles of annual audits and month-end close processes.
- 06Ability to explain the change from an owner-managed accounting process to a disciplined, institutional finance function that prepares for a future sale.
03
Where do we find them?
We recruit leaders currently in CFO or VP Finance roles at companies of similar revenue and operational complexity. These individuals already report to boards and possess the discipline to handle your reporting cadence without requiring long training periods. They already manage debt-heavy capital structures and intense stakeholder demands.
We target audit and advisory alumni who moved into company leadership to gain control over operational results. These executives bring a habit of data integrity and process management to your firm. They understand that a clean audit trail is the foundation of any valuation and prioritize accuracy as much as strategic financial planning.
We ask who owns the sponsor package before approaching anyone. At some portfolio companies the controller prepares the schedules and the CFO challenges the assumptions. At others the CFO still builds the cash forecast. A candidate may want less hands-on preparation, while your company needs more. We ask them to walk through a covenant question from a lender and explain which figures they checked themselves. Then we compare that account with the finance support your company actually has.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring for long, stable employment history rather than the specific experience required to manage a turnaround or growth phase under strict time limits.
- 02Focusing on purely accounting technicality while ignoring the grit needed to manage board relationships and difficult discussions about working capital.
- 03Assuming a large-company background equates to skill in a smaller, leaner environment where the CFO must personally oversee foundational financial systems.
05
The search in three steps
- 01We identify your specific hold-period needs, such as immediate liquidity stabilization or building reporting systems for a future sale.
- 02We contact finance leaders at your revenue scale and vet their technical history against your specific covenant, reporting, and operational needs.
- 03We present candidates who have been interviewed on their readiness for institutional accountability and provide you with a shortlist of vetted leadership options.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
How your Chief Financial Officer (CFO) search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
Research, direct conversations and professional judgment, with follow-through through the offer.
Search Calibration
We establish what this person must own: reporting demands, systems responsibilities, team, decision authority and first-year needs. We ask what would make an otherwise good candidate wrong for this job.
You get: An agreed search brief and a clear basis for judging fit.
Market Mapping
We research relevant operating environments, not just matching titles. An owner-led business, a portfolio company and a regulated lender can need different experience from someone with the same job title.
You get: A reasoned research direction, with scope differences made explicit.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We research professional ways to contact the people identified. Finding a name is a starting point; it does not establish availability, interest or fit.
You get: A route to a professional conversation, not simply a candidate list.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We contact people directly about the actual work and follow through on the conversation. We explain the remit and discuss whether a move could make sense. Not everyone will answer or want to move.
You get: A candid view of interest, objections and the tradeoffs in your opportunity.
Live Candidate Qualification
We discuss what each person actually owned, the complexity involved, their reasons for considering a move, compensation expectations and practical constraints. The questions fit the assignment, from a staff accounting seat to CFO.
You get: A candidate account of relevant ownership, with gaps left visible.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
Written recruiter context explains relevant experience, strengths and remaining questions. After introduction, we gather feedback, resolve questions, discuss changed requirements and support interviews and offer decisions. You retain the hiring decision and technical assessment.
You get: Continuity through the offer, rather than a handoff that ends at an introduction.
Questions people ask
When can I see the list of qualified candidates?
We provide updates based on your growth stage requirements. We move quickly to identify talent but prioritize candidate fit over arbitrary deadlines.
How do you test if a candidate matches our reporting demands?
We conduct interviews focused on the technical challenges your company faces today. We confirm candidates understand the specific demands of your board and sponsor reporting.
How do we mitigate the risk of a candidate staying due to a counteroffer?
We identify candidate motivations early to avoid salary surprises. If a counteroffer happens, we assess the candidate's commitment and move to other qualified options.
How do you maintain anonymity during the search?
We manage the communication strategy to protect your company interests. We only reveal your identity to candidates once we confirm they are a serious, qualified fit.
What is the billing schedule for this executive search?
Your firm avoids upfront costs and only pays upon the successful hire of a CFO candidate. We define payment terms in a contract before the search begins.
What is the fee for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Chief Financial Officer (CFO) job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
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No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
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