Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a PE-backed software / IT company – a needle in the haystack search
Client Description
Our client is a globally recognized leader in IT security and compliance / software vendor, serving critical sectors such as healthcare, education, government, and financial services. The company is PE backed and operates internationally with key operations in North America and Europe. Its diverse clientele features major industry players from Fortune 100 and DAX 30 companies, and the company has achieved 30% market share globally.
Challenge
The company has dual headquarters in US and Germany and the CEO of US HQ is not located where the majority of the team is located. Key deliverables of the new placement included establishing global processes and implementing robust financial systems including unifying their ERP – after integration/merger of a recent acquisition.
The key hurtle was to find a CFO candidate with a proven track-record in IT / Software and subscription driven sales channels, speaks German and had a career with a company of comparable size (the US operations fall in the category of “SME”. Client wanted to have someone hands-on and “techy” who is hands-on – and located on the East Coast. Client wanted to find someone who has a personal style that gels with long-tenured, more seasoned staff and at the same time to avoid any friction with the well-functioning team.
Solution
TH Bender identified and developed a “needle in the haystack candidate” who is based close to the location with the majority of the employees, and who is able to commute to the US HQ as needed. While US born and raised, this placement was of German descent, was bi-lingual and had frequent intercultural interaction with Germany, including a semester at a German University. His academic background included both Finance and Analytics, and he had worked in finance as well as a programmer. The successful candidate embodied a hard-to-find combination of background criteria, while also presenting with a winning personality that bridged the gap between finance and tech, and enabled him to effectively communicate with more traditional as well as “techie” coworkers in the Americas and across the pond.
Results
This project was a case of complete alignment of a candidate’s career/work/life/cultural goals, in sync with all qualities the client had hoped for to get in a new Finance Director Americas and a successful placement. For the time being, the feedback from both client and placement has been positive and enthusiastic, which goes to show that sometimes – with the help of a great recruiting firm – it is possible to deliver a ‘dream candidate” ticking all boxes.
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