Role search

Get an Interim CFO who can own cash forecasts and board reporting. Also called Acting CFO, Temporary CFO, Interim Chief Financial Officer

Direct headhunting, shaped around the work. We clarify the assignment, research relevant people and explain the judgment behind each recommendation.

No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.

Cash visibility is poor, the close is behind or the board needs answers. We headhunt for the finance responsibility your business actually needs, not a CFO title in isolation.

Send Us Your Open Role Book a 15-minute call with Ivan Call +13053064829

This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.

Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.

No upfront fee
Assignment-led headhunting
Relevant experience and current capacity
You make the final decision

Interim CFO
Acting CFO
Temporary CFO
Interim Chief Financial Officer

The judgment call

What this hire really comes down to

An interim CFO assignment can start with a cash forecast nobody trusts, a close backlog or a lender asking questions the team cannot answer. Those problems do not necessarily need the same person. We ask which decisions are blocked, who currently owns the numbers and what the business needs to understand first. Stabilizing cash is different from building a lasting finance function.

The operating environment changes the brief. A CFO from a large enterprise may have led strong specialists without personally rebuilding a forecast or reconciling a troubled close. A lean-team CFO may be comfortable doing that work but have less experience with a complex board or capital structure. Neither background is universally better. We discuss what support your business can actually provide.

Before searching, we clarify reporting to the owner or board, authority over spending and the controller's responsibilities. We ask what information exists, whether the team trusts it and who can grant system access. First-weeks priorities should be explicit enough to guide decisions without pretending we can diagnose the full problem from an introductory call.

How the search supports your decision

First we clarify the assignment and research relevant people, including transferable backgrounds that a title-only search could miss. Direct contact starts with the actual responsibility and constraints. Respectful conversations establish whether there is a reason to continue, rather than treating a bulk response as a qualified candidate.

We then recommend a focused set of relevant options with reasons, gaps and interview questions. You make the final evaluation. After selection, we support agreement on terms, a realistic start and access to the people and information the CFO needs. Handover should explain the forecast assumptions, unfinished work and who owns the finance routines next.

What we check

What we check before you see anyone

In a live screening conversation, we ask the person to describe a forecast they personally owned: its inputs, the assumptions that failed and how they used it to make decisions. We discuss how they approached overdue reconciliations and an unreliable close. The useful detail is what they did themselves, what their team did and how they knew the information was becoming usable.
For board and lender reporting, we ask about the audience and the decisions behind the pack. Preparing an update is not the same as defending a forecast under challenge. For ERP work, we discuss the system, the person's involvement and the surrounding processes. Familiarity with your product name alone does not establish proficiency in your configuration, data or controls.
These discussions inform a recommendation; they are not independent verification of every claim. We explain what has been discussed, what has been independently confirmed where applicable and what remains open. Your interviews and any further authorized diligence should address those gaps. We do not claim every candidate arrives with reference checks or technical proof already completed.
We also ask how the person distinguishes a timing problem from a funding problem. Which receipts did they challenge, what supplier commitments could not move, and when did they escalate a forecast gap? The answer matters more than a polished spreadsheet. A cash model can look complete while relying on assumptions nobody has tested. We want to understand the candidate's reasoning and the limits of their information, then help you explore those points against the conditions in your own business.

Sourcing

Where we find them

We research finance leaders from comparable situations, including people with operating responsibility in lean businesses and people who have moved through transactions or finance-system changes. Existing relationships can help identify relevant backgrounds. They do not remove the need for fresh research or a current conversation about this particular mandate.

A person in a permanent role may consider a defined transition; an established interim leader may already have commitments. We ask what would make the assignment worthwhile and what could prevent it working. Travel, onsite access and weekly commitment need to be realistic. For fractional support, we discuss other assignments and how urgent decisions would be handled between scheduled working days.

Where searches go wrong

Mistakes we see

Treating a recognizable CFO title as evidence of hands-on capacity. Ask which parts of the forecast, close and reporting the person personally owned, and what team they needed around them.
Combining cash recovery, an ERP change and every overdue finance project into one undefined mandate. Agree the immediate priority and who can approve a change when new problems emerge.
Assuming availability means an unrestricted diary. Establish the onsite pattern, existing commitments and who will respond when the owner or lender needs a decision outside the expected routine.

The search

How the Interim CFO search runs

Define the assignment: scope, reporting line and start date.
Source and screen against the checks above.
Review several candidates, then engage the one you choose.

Cost. 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.

Guides for this role

Hiring finance & accounting talent Interview questions for Interim CFO Interim, fractional and contract hiring glossary How long a search takes and why Building a finance team around a fractional CFO Controller or CFO: which problem are you hiring for?

Questions

How quickly could I see an interim CFO?

Timing depends on the mandate, location and current capacity of relevant people. We scope the assignment and discuss the constraints before giving an expectation. Someone's past interest does not establish availability now.

Must the CFO know our exact ERP?

Sometimes exact-system experience matters; sometimes the finance process and the support available matter more. We discuss the person's actual involvement and identify what needs further evaluation, rather than treat a system name as proof.

What if a candidate accepts another offer?

Interest and availability can change during selection. We keep the discussion current and help address competing commitments, but cannot guarantee a person will accept or remain available.

Can we hire the person permanently?

It can be discussed if both sides want it. The recruiting agreement and the person's working arrangement need to cover any conversion; it is not assumed to be included.

How are confidentiality and onsite work handled?

Tell us what information must be restricted and where the person needs to work. We discuss those boundaries and travel expectations before an introduction rather than assume remote access or relocation is acceptable.

When do we pay and what replacement terms apply?

No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. 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.

How are recruiting fees agreed?

No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.

How soon can we see options?

Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.

What if the scope grows?

Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.

Can we extend an engagement?

Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.

Can the appointment become permanent?

A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.

How is a confidential search handled?

Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.

What are the replacement terms?

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 do you not do?

We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.