CFO Executive Search

Leaders in CFO Executive Search

The right CFO changes everything. The wrong one slows decisions, weakens confidence and ultimately destroys value.

Boards, investors and CEOs trust Redgrave to find CFOs and Finance Directors who bring commercial rigour, financial credibility and the judgement to lead in complex, high-stakes environments – across PE-backed, PLC and privately owned businesses.

Our partner-led CFO executive search is built around pace without compromise. Every search is led from brief to placement by a senior partner with direct, hands-on experience of appointing finance leaders at the highest level.

Why Boards Choose Redgrave for CFO Executive Search

CFO appointments carry a particular weight. The wrong hire affects your investors, your board, your leadership team and your business model simultaneously. It’s a search that deserves genuine senior expertise, not a process run by a junior team following a brief.

Here is what sets Redgrave apart:

1. Partner-led from day one

Every CFO search is led by a partner throughout, not handed down after kick-off. You work directly with the people doing the research, making the approaches and assessing the candidates. That continuity matters when appointing at this level.

2. One of the most established financial officers practices in executive search

We have built a dedicated financial officers practice over many years, giving us deep insight into the CFO talent landscape across PE-backed businesses, listed companies, family-owned groups and high-growth scale-ups.

Every search combines rigorous market mapping with long-standing relationships. We identify, assess and engage the full spectrum of relevant talent, not just those who are visible or actively in the market.

3. Assessment that goes beyond the CV

We don’t present candidates based on their profiles alone. Every shortlisted CFO or Finance Director is assessed by a Partner against the specific context of your organisation, examining commercial impact, technical credibility, board effectiveness and cultural alignment. The result is a clear, evidence-based view, not simply a set of impressions.

4. Honest counsel, not just process

We bring an informed, independent perspective to every brief. Where expectations need to be tested against market reality, we will do so early and with clarity.

Our value lies as much in our judgement as in our access to talent.

CFO And Finance Leaders We Place

Our financial officers practice recruits across the full spectrum of senior finance leadership:

CFO executive search across every business context

The commercial context shapes the entire CFO search – the profile, the assessment criteria, the approach and the timeline. We have experience across every major ownership structure:

From platform acquisition through to exit, we understand the value creation agenda and what makes a CFO effective under sponsor ownership. We know what Operating Partners need before they ask for it – and we know what CFO candidates need to hear about a business before they will consider it. Whether you need a CFO to drive EBITDA improvement, support a refinancing or lead a carve-out, we can find the right person.

Public company CFOs carry additional accountability: investor relations, regulatory scrutiny, market communications and board reporting demand a specific profile. We have a clear view of which finance leaders are ready for that transition and which are not – and we will not put forward candidates who are not.

Family businesses have their own complexity: governance, succession, professionalisation and the dynamics of family ownership are as important as technical financial capability. We find CFOs who can earn trust within the business while driving the commercial agenda – leaders who understand that culture and credibility matter as much as credentials.

Fast-growth businesses need a different kind of CFO: operationally hands-on, comfortable with ambiguity and able to build finance infrastructure from scratch. We have placed finance leaders in some of the UK’s most ambitious growth businesses, and we understand what that profile looks like in practice.

Our Clients

We’re proud to partner with leading organisations across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Our clients span a variety of industries and sectors, each benefiting from our global expertise and bespoke approach to executive search. From established multinational corporations to dynamic, privately held firms, our mission is to help build leadership teams that drive growth and innovation on a global scale.

Frequently asked questions about CFO executive search firms

1. Which CFO and finance roles do you recruit?

We appoint across the full spectrum of senior finance leadership roles, including Chief Financial Officer, Divisional CFO and Group Finance Director, as well as critical functional leadership positions such as Group Financial Controller, FP&A Director, Head of Tax, Treasurer, Head of Internal Audit, Head of Investor Relations and M&A Director.

These roles are often central to value creation, governance and strategic decision-making. Where requirements sit outside this scope, we will advise you directly.

2. Do you recruit CFOs for private equity-backed businesses?

Yes, this is a core area of focus.

We understand the demands of the investment lifecycle, from platform build through to exit, and the role a CFO plays in value creation, governance and stakeholder management.

We work closely with sponsors, Operating Partners and portfolio leadership teams across each stage of that journey.

3. Do you place interim CFOs?

Yes. Our interim practice supports the placement of CFOs and Finance Directors at pace, typically in the context of transformation, transactions, succession gaps or time-critical leadership requirements.

4. How do you assess CFO candidates?

Our Partner-led approach to assessment focuses on how a CFO will perform in your specific context, not just how they appear on paper.

We evaluate commercial impact, technical credibility, board effectiveness, leadership track record and cultural alignment against the realities of the role.

Every shortlisted candidate has been directly assessed, with a clear, evidence-based point of view.

5. What differentiates Redgrave in CFO executive search?

Our financial officers practice is one of the most established in UK executive search.

Every search is Partner-led throughout, combining rigorous market mapping, disciplined assessment and an independent, judgement-led perspective.

We operate across private equity-backed, listed and privately owned businesses, bringing the level of rigour and discretion that CFO appointments require.