Head of Finance · IT/ITES · Kolkata
A confidential search for a finance skill combination the internal team could not find among active candidates. Direct outreach reached a passive leader who matched the profile precisely.
Retained Executive Search & Leadership Intelligence · India · Middle East
We identify exceptional leaders for critical appointments.
For founders, CEOs, boards and investors across India and the Middle East — where the leadership decision matters.
Finance Leadership is a core strength, alongside selected Business, Technology & Data leadership mandates.
Arunkumar MurugesanFounder & Search Partner · personally oversees every search
A New Firm. Established Expertise.
The firm is new. The expertise is not.
12+Years inside talent acquisition
20+Leadership & specialist mandates
10+Clients
3Finance leadership appointments
2USA leadership hires
Founded in 2026. Built on more than a decade inside the hiring function.
Selected Search Experience
Open 2 months → closed in ~3 weeks
Closed in a similar timeframe
Closed in 2–3 months
Leadership mandates we have delivered.
- CFOFinance Leadership
- Head of FinanceFinance Leadership
- Finance DirectorFinance Leadership
- Country HeadBusiness Leadership
- Head of OperationsOperations Leadership
- Data Science LeadTechnology & Data
- Sales LeadershipCommercial Leadership
Niche. Hard-to-fill. Cross-border.
Head of Finance · Professional services · Bangalore
A confidential replacement needing a specific skill and certification mix. Mapping the market surfaced a passive candidate who fitted the exact profile.
CFO · GCC client · Saudi Arabia
Not a shortage of CFOs, but of the right combination for this business. Structured mapping across the GCC and direct outreach found the CFO who accepted and started.
Status, October 2026: every leader who has started is still in role, and no replacement has been needed; the others have accepted offers and are serving notice. Client names are withheld; references available on request. All case studies →
The Talfino Difference
Leadership search, built around the business.
We don’t begin with a database. We begin with the business challenge — and give leadership teams greater clarity and confidence in a high-consequence appointment.
The role has been open for months
We map the market and approach the leaders who are not looking.
The search must stay confidential
Need-to-know outreach, and you approve every company we approach.
You are hiring across borders
Searches closed in India and Saudi Arabia, and leaders placed in the USA.
Investors expect the next stage
Leaders who can own board reporting, governance and the growth plan.
We don’t take every hiring requirement. We focus on leadership appointments where specialist search creates meaningful value.
The Talfino Leadership Intelligence™ Method
A disciplined approach to critical appointments.
- Diagnose
- Define
- Map
- Identify
- Engage
- Assess
- Recommend
- Appoint
A disciplined, research-led search from market mapping through appointment — and you approve every company we approach.
Our Practices
Critical leadership appointments.
Partner-Led. Founder Accountable.
Senior partner accountability.
Every retained mandate is personally overseen by Talfino’s founder — from leadership definition and market mapping through executive assessment, client recommendation and appointment.
Before founding Talfino, Arunkumar Murugesan spent more than 12 years inside the hiring function — most recently as Talent Acquisition Manager at Citi, hiring technology and fintech leaders from AVP to Director level alongside senior stakeholders in the US and UK, and earlier at Capgemini, in US recruitment and in startup hiring.
You are not handed to a junior research team. You work with the person whose expertise you chose.
Market Intelligence
We know the market before you hire.
Talfino Market Map™
The companies, executives, career trajectories and mobility behind your mandate — approved by you before anyone is approached.
Executive Intelligence
Career trajectory, business outcomes, functional depth, motivation and risk for every shortlisted leader.
Leadership Assessment
Evidence-based recommendations measured against the Leadership Blueprint, with clear trade-offs.
India & GCC Leadership Intelligence
Compensation, talent depth and mobility across India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
For Investors
Leadership is part of the investment thesis.
Portfolio leadership mapping, CFO and finance leadership appointments, leadership upgrades, confidential replacement searches, country leadership and India/GCC expansion.
The right leader changes the trajectory of a business.
Have a leadership mandate that matters?
Tell us about the appointment. We will assess the mandate, understand the business context and determine whether Talfino is the right search partner.
Discuss a Leadership Mandate →
Get In Touch
Send a confidential brief.
Tell us what is proving difficult. You do not need a perfect brief. We will tell you whether Talfino is a fit, what the target market looks like and what a realistic search should involve.
A personal reply from the founder, the same business day — India and Gulf hours covered.
Prefer to talk?
Skip the form — pick a slot that suits your time zone. 15 minutes, no commitment.
Discuss a Leadership Mandate →