The right CFO for where your business is going
CFO Capital shares insight for CFOs, Finance Directors and the businesses that hire them. When you are ready to hire, FD Capital places fractional, part-time, interim and permanent CFOs across the UK, with every search led by a Chartered Accountant who has sat in the Finance Director’s chair.
CFO recruitment with FD Capital
How you can engage a CFO
Specialist CFO searches
From the CFO Capital blog
Four Specialist Resources Every CFO Should Know: Regulation, Tax and Compliance Hiring
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What a CFO Should Know About Compliance Monitoring
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Regulated CFO Roles in London: What Changes When the Finance Job Is a Senior Manager Function
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SMF16 Compliance Oversight Recruitment: Finding the Right FCA Senior Manager
SMF16 Compliance Oversight Recruitment: Finding the Right FCA Senior Manager For a regulated financial services business, the Compliance function needs more than technical knowledge…
SMF Recruitment: Why Senior Manager Appointments Need a Specialist Search
SMF Recruitment: Why Senior Manager Appointments Need a Specialist Search Recruiting a Senior Manager Function holder is different from recruiting an ordinary executive. For…
What a CFO Should Delegate First – and the Order Most People Get Wrong
Every finance leader in a growing business reaches the same point. The function has outgrown the structure that got it here, the working week…
Fractional, interim or permanent?
The first decision in any CFO hire is how much of a CFO the business actually needs.
Not every business needs a full-time CFO, and not every business that has one is using them well. The right model depends on the stage of the business, the complexity of its finances and what is coming in the next twelve to eighteen months.
Fractional and part-time CFOs
A fractional CFO works with a business on an ongoing basis for part of the week. It suits founder-led and owner-managed companies that have outgrown their bookkeeper or external accountant but are not yet ready for a full-time board-level salary. The business gets senior experience in cash flow forecasting, funding, board reporting and strategy at a cost that matches its stage, and the commitment can grow as the business does. FD Capital’s guide on how to hire a fractional CFO walks through the process.
Interim CFOs
An interim CFO steps in full-time, or close to it, for a defined period. Interims cover an unexpected departure, lead a transaction or a refinancing, stabilise a business in difficulty or run a systems change. Good interims can often start within days, and many businesses bring one in while a permanent search runs.
Permanent CFOs
A permanent CFO is the right answer when the role is long term and central to the business: a CFO for a private equity-backed group, a finance leader to take a company towards a sale or listing, or a successor to a long-serving Finance Director. These searches take longer, so it pays to start early.
Unsure where you sit? FD Capital’s explainer on when to hire a Finance Director instead of a CFO is a good place to start, and its guide to how much a CFO earns helps set a realistic budget.
The moments that call for a CFO
Most CFO hires are triggered by a change in the business. These are the ones we see most often.
Raising investment
Investors expect credible forecasts, a clear use of funds and someone who can answer their questions. A CFO with fundraising experience can make the difference between a round that closes and one that stalls.
Private equity ownership
PE-backed businesses face monthly lender reporting, covenant tests and a value creation plan with an exit in view. FD Capital runs CFO searches for PE-backed businesses and places Finance Directors into portfolio companies.
Rapid growth
Growth puts strain on cash, systems and controls. A CFO brings the reporting and forecasting that let the leadership team make decisions with confidence rather than by instinct.
Acquisitions and sales
Buying or selling a business needs due diligence, integration planning and a finance leader who has done it before. See FD Capital’s page on M&A CFOs.
Regulation
In an FCA-regulated firm, the Chief Finance function is a Senior Manager role that needs regulatory approval. FD Capital places financial services CFOs, and the Senior Managers and Certification Regime sets the expectations.
A departure
When a CFO or Finance Director leaves unexpectedly, an interim can keep reporting, banking relationships and the year-end on track while the business decides on the long-term appointment.
FD Capital was founded in 2018 by Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Chartered Accountant and former listed-company Finance Director, to do one thing well: find businesses the right finance leader. That background shapes how every candidate is assessed. We test technical depth, commercial judgement and a real track record, not just job titles, because a polished CV and a strong CFO are not always the same thing.
FD Capital has since grown into FD Capital Group, five specialist recruitment brands that share one senior network and a candidate community of around 10,000 finance, leadership and regulatory professionals. When a CFO search starts, it draws on the whole group, which shortens the time to a credible shortlist.
We work with founder-led growth businesses, private equity houses and their portfolio companies, FCA-regulated firms and established groups across the UK. Read FD Capital’s case studies and how we work for more.
CFOs and Finance Directors looking for their next role
CFO Capital is written for finance leaders as much as for the businesses that hire them. Our insight covers the questions that shape a CFO career: moving from a full-time role into a fractional portfolio, stepping up from Finance Director to CFO, and taking on a regulated role that carries personal accountability to the FCA.
If you are a CFO or Finance Director open to new opportunities, browse FD Capital’s jobs board or register your CV. One registration covers every brand in FD Capital Group, and we only ever put your details forward for a role you have agreed to be considered for.
FD Capital’s guide to the role of a CFO sets out what businesses expect, and the ICAEW and ACCA publish career resources for their members.
CFO recruitment questions
What is CFO Capital?
CFO Capital is an insight site for CFOs, Finance Directors and the businesses that hire them. It is part of FD Capital Group, and CFO searches that start here are run by FD Capital.
What is the difference between a fractional and a part-time CFO?
The terms overlap. Both describe a senior CFO working with a business for part of the week on an ongoing basis. “Fractional” usually describes an experienced CFO working with a small number of businesses at once.
How quickly can you find a CFO?
For fractional and interim roles, FD Capital aims to put a shortlist in front of you quickly, often within days. Permanent searches take longer because candidates are usually serving notice.
Do you recruit Finance Directors as well as CFOs?
Yes. FD Capital places fractional, part-time, interim and permanent Finance Directors.
Can you help with regulated CFO roles?
Yes. FD Capital places CFOs into FCA-regulated firms, including candidates for the SMF2 Chief Finance function. Its sister brand SMF Capital specialises in the wider set of Senior Manager Functions.
What does a CFO cost?
It depends on the model, the seniority and the business. FD Capital’s guide to CFO pay sets out current salaries and day rates, and we will give you a straight view for your role on the first call.
Part of FD Capital Group
CFO hiring is one part of the picture. FD Capital Group’s five brands cover every senior finance, leadership and regulatory hire.
Adrian Lawrence FCA
Founder, FD Capital and FD Capital Group
Adrian is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the ICAEW with a practising certificate, and a former listed-company Finance Director. Earlier in his career he was placed as Finance Director into a private equity-backed management buy-out, so he has been on the client side of a senior finance appointment as well as the recruiter’s. He founded FD Capital in 2018, and every CFO search that starts on CFO Capital is run by FD Capital.
Need a CFO or Finance Director?
Tell FD Capital about the business, the role and your timescale. We will come back with a view on the market, likely day rates or salaries, and how quickly we can put a shortlist together.