Details
Robert Baker
26th May 2026
Insights
One of the biggest misconceptions about executive search is that the value sits purely in the successful placement.
In reality, the candidate is often just the outcome.
What clients are truly investing in is the judgment, experience, relationships, and market insight required to navigate a complex finance leadership search successfully.
After nearly 25 years operating within the CFO and Finance Director market, I’ve come to appreciate that the most important part of a search often happens long before a shortlist is ever delivered.
It’s understanding:
- how to position a role credibly in the market,
- which candidates are genuinely capable of delivering in a specific environment,
- where potential risks may sit,
- and whether there is real alignment between the ambitions of the business and the motivations of the candidate.
At senior finance leadership level, technical capability alone is rarely enough. The strongest CFOs and Finance Directors are often defined by less tangible qualities:
- judgment under pressure,
- leadership style,
- emotional intelligence,
- investor credibility,
- operational resilience,
- and cultural fit.
These are qualities that cannot simply be identified from a CV or a database search.
They are developed through years of operating within the market, building trusted relationships, and understanding how finance leaders perform across different business environments.
That is why I have always believed executive search should be highly personal.
At The CFO Practice, I deliberately limit the number of searches I manage at any one time, ensuring every process receives a high level of focus, care, and attention.
Because ultimately, clients are not simply investing in a candidate.
They are investing in:
- experience,
- market judgment,
- long-standing relationships,
- and the ability to deliver the right finance leader for a specific moment in a company’s growth journey.
And those things are very difficult to replicate.
About The CFO Practice
At The CFO Practice, we specialise in recruiting CFOs and Finance Directors for high-growth and transformational companies.
We partner with CEOs, boards and investors to appoint finance leaders who can navigate complexity, drive transformation, and create long-term value. Whether you’re planning the next move in your own CFO career or building out your senior finance team, we’re here to help with insight, experience and a refreshingly personal approach. You can find out more about how The CFO Practice support this through our Executive Search services.