Give the appointment a clear connection to your business strategy. Structured discussions with the CEO, and in collaboration with the directors, establish the results expected of the next CFO, the experience and capabilities required, and the criteria that should carry the most weight in the decision.
Financial Officers
Financial Officers
Proven access to top-tier talent that goes beyond the numbers
Senior financial positions have evolved from primarily technical functions to multifaceted roles that place them at the forefront of organizations. Increasingly, CFOs and finance executives are responsible for key corporate initiatives such as business transformation and sustainability, relied upon for their leadership as much as their deep-dive financial insights.
We understand the growing influence of financial officers in a rapidly changing world. Our globally connected team places hundreds of C-level candidates annually, fully leveraging our deep expertise across industries and functions. Combining unmatched relationships with proprietary data tools and consulting services focusing on areas such as CEO succession and team acceleration, we have a proven ability to assess and develop talent capable of leading from the very top.
Our team’s expertise spans all core areas of finance leadership, including:
Corporate and divisional CFO
Full finance team assessment, build-out, and development
Controllership and accounting
Audit and risk management
Treasury
Tax
Corporate development, M&A
Investor relations
Financial planning and analysis
Shared services (functional/multi-functional)
Prepare for the CFO your business will need next
A clear view of what your next CFO must deliver gives the CEO and board a stronger basis for choosing a successor. Addressing these questions early allows time to develop internal leaders, consider external candidates, and agree on the requirements that matter most.
What will your next CFO need to deliver?
Capital raising, M&A, transformation, investor expectations, and AI can change what the business needs from its finance leader. Define the results your next CFO must achieve, then distinguish essential experience and capabilities from those that would simply be useful.
Who could step into the role and what would make them ready?
Look beyond current performance to understand how potential successors would handle the demands of the CFO role. Assessing internal leaders against future requirements and comparing them with external talent clarifies who is ready, who needs further development, and whether an external search is necessary.
Where do the CEO and board need to agree?
Agree on essential experience, leadership capabilities, and expectations for the CFO’s relationships with the CEO, board, and finance team. Establishing these priorities before evaluating candidates gives everyone a shared basis for comparing strengths, discussing trade-offs, and making the appointment.
How will you keep critical finance leaders engaged?
Internal candidates need clarity on the process, expectations, and timing. Respectful communication, candid feedback, and meaningful development opportunities help preserve trust and encourage valued leaders to stay, whether or not they are selected.
A CFO succession plan that prepares your business for what comes next
A successful CFO transition starts with agreement on what the business needs from its next finance leader. It requires well-prepared successors, a clear basis for comparing internal and external candidates, and a handover that keeps the finance team strong and prepares the new CFO to lead.
Agree on what the next CFO must deliver
Identify and prepare potential successors
Know who could take on the role and what they need to become ready. Individual assessments and targeted development plans give internal leaders specific priorities for preparation. Comparison with external talent helps clarify whether to develop an internal successor, recruit externally, or pursue both paths.
Assess candidates against the same requirements
Make an informed choice based on how candidates would meet the demands ahead. Interviews, leadership assessments, and referencing provide a consistent basis for comparing internal and external candidates, and understanding the strengths, gaps, and trade-offs each brings to the organization's mandate.
Keep the finance team strong through the transition
Maintain clear accountability and continuity through the handover. A coordinated transition plan addresses the outgoing CFO’s responsibilities, earnings and audit cycles, and communication with internal candidates and key finance leaders.
Help the new CFO succeed in the role
Connect the first year to the results the new CFO must deliver and the relationships essential to achieving them. Tailored onboarding, coaching, and structured feedback support the transition into the role, while continued development of the finance team prepares future successors.
The CFO's Route to the Top
CFOs have spent the least amount of time at their companies in any role prior to their appointment as CEO, but were more likely to have sat on their company's board prior to becoming CEO.
Purpose-Driven leadership
CFO focus: Setting up a carve-out for success
Interviews with nine finance executives who have led through a carve-out highlight the unique challenges and four priorities that will help set the new business up for success.
Future-ready CFOs
Asia Pacific & Middle East Future CFOs
What are the key challenges CFOs face in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and how can aspiring CFOs prepare themselves for the role? Watch this video featuring our colleagues from around the region to learn more.
Executive Search
Hiring the right CFO for your scale-up in emerging markets: A fine balance of experience and agility
A strategically minded CFO can help ambitious scale-ups turn vision into reality, but success also depends on timing, diversity of experience and appetite for adventure.
Organizational Strategy
Chief revenue officers and chief finance officers: Optimize their relationship for organizational success
The relationship between the chief revenue officer and CFO has never been more important. Interviews with six sales and finance executives highlight how to make the most of it.
Featured Insights
Financial Officers
Finance function focus: How chief tax officers are rewriting the role of tax
The modern chief tax officer is part strategist, part operator, and part talent builder—rewriting the tax function for a more complex, capital-conscious era.
Meet our leadership
Sachi Vora
Global Head
Susie Clements
Regional Head, Europe
How can we help?
Contact us to discuss the needs of your organization.