Hanson Search’s Finance Executive Search practice, part of Hanson Capital, helps boards and investors hire the finance leaders who shape commercial performance, capital structure and long-term enterprise value. We advise FTSE 100 corporates, financial services institutions, sovereign-backed entities, family offices and private equity portfolio companies on CFO, Finance Director and senior finance appointments where strategic financial leadership is mission-critical.

The CFO brief has changed sharply. Senior finance leaders today own far more than the numbers — they shape capital allocation, lead transformation, partner with the CEO on growth strategy, and answer directly to boards, investors and regulators. The candidates capable of operating at that altitude are rarely on the open market and almost always known to the best advisers.

Senior Finance Roles We Recruit

Our Finance Executive Search mandates cover the full senior finance leadership bracket. We lead CFO Executive Search at group and divisional level, alongside Finance Director, Deputy CFO, Group Financial Controller, Head of FP&A, Head of Investor Relations, Head of Treasury, Head of Tax and Head of Internal Audit appointments. We also lead Finance recruitment for senior roles in corporate development, M&A, transformation finance and commercial finance leadership.

Sectors We Cover

CFO and senior finance hiring is shaped by capital structure and growth stage as much as by industry. Our consultants work across financial services, technology, consumer, healthcare, energy, infrastructure, professional services and private capital portfolios.

What Defines the Senior Finance Mandate

The CFO remit has expanded faster than perhaps any other C-suite role. Boards now expect finance leaders to be strategists first and stewards second — equally credible in front of investors, regulators, technology teams and the wider executive group.

AI and data have rewritten the finance function. Senior candidates are judged on their ability to lead AI-enabled transformation, modernise reporting infrastructure and turn finance into a real-time decision-support engine rather than a backward-looking control function.

Private capital has reshaped expectations. PE-backed CFOs are now expected to deliver value creation, manage exit readiness and operate at pace, while public company CFOs face heightened ESG, disclosure and investor scrutiny.

The strongest candidates today combine technical depth with commercial judgement, the resilience to lead through transformation, and the presence to be the CEO’s most trusted partner in the room.

How We Approach Finance Executive Search

A senior consultant owns every Finance Executive Search end to end. We map the market across in-house finance functions, private capital portfolios, advisory firms and the wider investor community, because the strongest CFO is often sitting in a PE-backed business, a Big Four advisory practice or a divisional role rather than the obvious group CFO seat.

Every shortlisted candidate is benchmarked against commercial and technical credibility, transformation track record, board and investor presence, and the judgement to lead through complexity. Diverse and inclusive shortlists are prioritised on every mandate. Our B Corp certification reflects a settled commitment to responsible search.

Speak to Our Finance Executive Search Team

For a confidential conversation about Finance Executive Search or CFO Executive Search, get in touch directly. We advise on CFO, Finance Director, Deputy CFO and senior finance appointments across FTSE 100 corporates, financial services institutions, sovereign-backed entities, family offices and private equity portfolio companies internationally.

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