Testimonials

I have known Robert for over a decade having worked with him as a candidate and client.  My first interaction with Robert was as a candidate.  My interview was rigorous and challenging but I understood that he was searching for the right calibre, quality and cultural fit for his client.  His thorough approach to the candidate search was exactly the reason that I started partnering with Robert on the client side for senior recruitment.  His approach works very successfully, delivering many exceptional senior staff to my finance teams over the years.  Robert is the person that I turn to for senior recruitment as I know that he will deliver a shortlist of great candidates.

Richard Kozlowski, CFO – Jimmy Choo

The CFO practice was everything you want from a search firm. They helped us narrow down our search, only brought extremely good candidates into the shortlist, and ultimately helped us recruit the ideal candidate we were looking for. There’s not much else you need to know. They’re experts in finance exec hiring, and it shows. We’ll be working with them again.

Mauro Cozzi, CEO & Co-Founder - Emitwise

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, Portfolio Talent Advisor - Balderton Capital

Rob handled our search with incredible efficiency and efficacy, quickly finding excellent candidates with the right profile for our company, and helping manage the whole process seamlessly to a good outcome. The CFO Practice is everything one would hope for in a search firm.

Alejandro Litovsky, Founder & Chief Executive - Earth Security

Having known Rob for a number of years, in 2019 he placed me as interim group treasurer position for a global private equity backed business. The recruitment process was slick and straight forward. However, what really makes Rob stand out has been the consultative relationship he has developed with me over the last 2 years. Whether it be Rob’s experience and knowledge, or his approach to recruiting for my own team, I would highly recommend him.

Raj Sahota - Interim Group Treasurer

I’ve worked with Robert as a candidate and client for nearly 20 years ever since I was a newly qualified accountant. He is my go-to consultant on both sides because of the trust I have in him. He works with rigour and integrity to find appropriate roles and high-quality candidates. Robert partners with me to problem-solve, bringing forward new ideas to reach a positive outcome. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

Chris Musgrove, CFO

I have known Robert for several years and always been impressed by his passion and ability to create strong, long lasting relationships. This was demonstrated in ‘spades’ recently when Robert placed me as finance director with a high-growth private equity investor. Robert’s keen eye spotted a great match in terms of personality, skills, and requirements; finding the time at every step of the process to keep both parties well informed and the placement on track.

David French, Petmate – Finance Director

Having placed me at Clear Course in 2019, Robert has successfully hired a number of key individuals across the business. He not only recognises the importance of matching skills but also ensuring the candidate personality fit the profile for a high-growth, private equity environment. His straight forward but passionate approach to recruiting sets him apart from the competition.

Dipesh Chheda, Group Financial Controller – ClearCourse Partnership

Robert is one of those rare recruiters who cares as much about his candidates as his clients. Having placed me, I found him highly professional and attentive – not only during the recruitment process but also throughout my assignment . As I client, I have found that he listens carefully to the role brief, but also ensures that he understands and challenges the wider issues, such as company culture, team dynamics and future prospects. This ensures he is able to identify the right candidate for the role efficiently and effectively.

Suzanne Shine, Interim Finance Transformation Director

I have worked with Rob for a number of years and always welcomed his honest and straightforward methodology to recruitment. Rob's collaborative approach and ability to truly understand the business needs has been built through a long-term relationship that sets him apart from his peers. One project in particular stands out. Rob worked with me to recruit a team of six finance transformation professionals. From initial conversation to candidates joining my team took two weeks, all of whom made significant contributions over the project period and some remained for a longer-term period.

Richard Beadle, CFO

Rob has shown incredible generosity in offering his time and expertise to our charity pro bono. He took time to guide me through a recruitment process that suited my organisation and worked with me to adapt our approach as our requirements changed. He understood our needs, which as a small charity is quite nuanced, and supported me and my team, ensuring we thought about the right skills match and considered organisational culture. He never wavered in his support, giving fully and efficiently of his time until we found the right candidate. Rob is reflective, intuitive, and sensitive to the needs of his clients, whether it be a small charity like ours or a big cooperation. Thank you, Rob; we value your ongoing support.

Juliet Diener, Founder & CEO - icandance

Rob Baker and the CFO Practice helped us to rapidly find the right Financial Controller for Chapel Down. I was impressed with Rob’s breadth of knowledge of the broad candidate pool, his ability to source new candidates when the role evolved rather than just recycling existing CVs, his guidance and responsiveness throughout the process and his follow-up after. I would highly recommend him

Rob Smith, CFO - Chapel Down Group Plc

Rob from The CFO Practice exceeded our expectations in handling our Head of Finance search. His continuous communication, professionalism, and seamless management of the process made our experience effortless. Thanks to his support, we've successfully onboarded an exceptional employee. Highly recommended for anyone seeking recruitment assistance.

Rob Russell, CFO - VirtualStock

I first worked with Rob when he helped us fill a key role at Pure Gym several years ago. I've always found him to be a focused and diligent executive recruiter, who takes pride in doing his research thoroughly and ensuring that he delivers. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him if you're looking for a CFO or FD

Adam Bellamy, Chairman & NED (Former CFO)