1. Understand
The skills, experience and attributes required, providing insights and fresh perspective to help the organisation define the unique needs and objectives of the search.
Finance Director search
strengthening businesses through exceptional finance leadership
The CFO Practice recruits more than just CFOs. We also partner with CFOs, CEOs, and founders to appoint finance directors for scaling, high-growth, and transformational businesses.
These businesses are often navigating international expansion, M&A activity, investor reporting requirements, or finance transformation projects. They require commercially minded finance leaders with deep functional expertise who can strengthen infrastructure, improve operational performance, and partner closely with leadership teams during periods of growth and change.
Whether supporting a first senior finance hire or strengthening an existing finance function, every search is carefully tailored to the strategic needs, complexity, and growth ambitions of the business.
Strong finance leadership support is critical to building scalable infrastructure, improving operational visibility, strengthening controls, and enabling leadership teams to make better commercial decisions during periods of growth and transformation.
2. Agree
The search parameters, developing a tailored assignment brief that details the company, role, and key deliverables, specifying the candidate experience, qualifications and competencies required for success.
3. Identify
Candidates using targeted, in-depth research across relevant companies and sectors, generating an extensive long list using The CFO Practice network and a range of executive recruitment tools.
4. Screen
The longlist through a rigorous, multi-stage interview process that evaluates each candidate’s competencies, technical skills, and aspirations against the assignment brief.
5. Present
A shortlist of the most qualified and motivated candidates, thoroughly assessed, and aligned with the specific role requirements.
6. Manage
All aspects of the interview process, ensuring a coordinated and transparent feedback loop between candidates and the company.
7. Complete
The search by carefully overseeing the offer process, conducting thorough checks and references to validate the candidate’s competencies and identify potential areas of development.
8. Follow Up
Stay in close contact with all parties before and after the start date to ensure a seamless transition.
Recruiting finance leaders
A long-term partnership supporting a Finance Director search for ComplyAdvantage’s growth journey
In 2025, Rob reconnected with Nabeel Vilcassim, Group CFO, of ComplyAdvantage to manage the appointment of a Finance Director search.
When should a business hire a Finance Director?
Businesses often hire a Finance Director when financial complexity increases through growth, operational change, international expansion, or increased investor and reporting requirements. A strong Finance Director helps improve financial visibility, strengthen controls, and support scalable business performance.
What makes a strong Finance Director in a high-growth business?
High-growth businesses often require Finance Directors who combine strong technical finance leadership with commercial awareness, operational agility, and the ability to build scalable infrastructure. Experience supporting transformation, systems improvement, investor reporting, and fast-paced decision-making is often highly valuable.
What does a Finance Director do in an investor-backed business?
Within investor-backed businesses, Finance Directors often play a key role in strengthening reporting, improving financial controls, supporting board and investor requirements, and helping businesses scale effectively. Many also support fundraising, acquisitions, operational improvement, and finance transformation initiatives.
How long does a Finance Director search typically take?
Timeframes can vary depending on the complexity and confidentiality of the search. However, due to The CFO Practice’s personal and agile approach, alongside deliberately limiting the number of searches undertaken at any one time, Finance Director searches can often be completed in a matter of weeks rather than several months.
How do you run a confidential Finance Director search?
Confidential Finance Director searches are typically managed through discreet market mapping, highly targeted candidate outreach, and carefully controlled communication throughout the process. The CFO Practice takes a highly personal and confidential approach to every search, ensuring sensitive business information and candidate conversations are handled with discretion at every stage.
What experience should a Finance Director have during periods of transformation or growth?
During periods of growth and transformation, businesses often benefit from Finance Directors who have experience operating within scaling, evolving, or investor-backed environments. This may include exposure to systems implementation, process improvement, M&A activity, operational scaling, or supporting leadership teams through periods of change.
"Rob is my go-to recruiter for senior finance roles. I have worked with him twice in the past three years and each time, Rob demonstrated an exceptional understanding of what I needed. He is thorough and rigorous in his process but also tailors it uniquely to a client’s requirements. Not only that, he always delivers a high calibre panel of candidates to any process and then guides you expertly through the process to make sure you get the right fit. His real magic? As he only takes on a few mandates at a time, you get the impression, and the results, that he is 100% focused on your search and your search alone. I could not think of a better senior finance recruiter out there."
Nabeel Vilcassim
Chief Financial Officer – ComplyAdvantage
“I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with Rob Baker both as a candidate and client over the past decade. Rob consistently delivers an exceptional level of service, and I trust him completely with both my personal and company reputation. He works with integrity, focus, and agility to produce top-quality candidates, many of whom have built long-term relationships with him. I can’t recommend his services highly enough.”
David Skinner
Former Group CFO – Ceuta Group
“Thanks to the dedication of Rob, our portfolio leaders have found that The CFO Practice is highly responsive, professional, and sensitive to the unique needs of start-up and scale-up companies. The CFO Practice has firmly established a reputation for being the go-to partner for early-stage finance professionals amongst our founder community.”
Steve Bianchi
Former Portfolio Talent Advisor – Balderton Capital