In short
Talfino specialises in senior financial leadership mandates where the appointment must deliver more than functional finance expertise. We assess the business context, transformation agenda, stakeholder environment and leadership requirements behind the role.
- CFO, Group CFO, Regional and Country CFO, Finance Director and Head of Finance searches.
- The client approves the target map before anyone is approached, and receives a written update every Friday.
- 90-day replacement commitment, six months for C-suite appointments, subject to the terms of the engagement.
Cross-border proof
- India: CFO and Head of Finance mandates delivered.
- Saudi Arabia: CFO and Head of Finance mandates delivered.
- USA: 2 leadership hires.
- Finance Director: offer accepted.
Client names are withheld; references are available on request. Read the case studies →
A CFO search rarely fails for lack of candidates. It fails because the brief describes a job, while the business needs someone to deliver a specific outcome: a fundraise, a listing, a turnaround, a new market, a finance function rebuilt from the ground up.
When companies call us
- After PE or VC investment — a CFO for the value-creation plan, board reporting and exit. CFO after PE / VC investment →
- Before an IPO — a listing-ready CFO for governance, audit and disclosure. CFO for IPO readiness →
- Building a GCC or India finance hub — a Finance Head fluent in group reporting and India compliance. GCC & India finance →
- Transforming finance with automation and AI — a CFO or transformation leader who delivers results. Finance transformation & AI →
- Institutionalising finance in the Gulf — investor-grade reporting and controls for a growing group. Saudi Arabia →
Hiring beneath the CFO instead? See finance leadership search for Heads of Finance, FP&A Heads and Controllers.
The mandate behind the role
Before we map the market, we work through why the role exists now. What must this person have delivered in 12 to 24 months? Who do they report to, and who will judge them? What did the last person find hard? The answers change who is right: a CFO who has scaled a function through a Series C is a different leader from one who has taken a business through an audit remediation, even when the job descriptions look identical.
Expertise
- CFO and Group CFO for founder-led, PE and VC-backed, and listed businesses.
- Regional and Country CFO for multinationals operating across borders.
- Finance Director and Head of Finance, including first senior finance hires.
- FP&A and commercial finance leadership.
- Finance transformation leadership, including systems, process and operating-model change.
- Controllership and governance leadership.
- Treasury, risk and related finance leadership.
How a finance leadership search runs
- Mandate brief. We define the business objective, reporting line, stakeholder environment and non-negotiables with you.
- The Approved Map. We build a target list of companies and profiles. You approve it, including off-limits companies, before any outreach.
- Confidential outreach. We approach finance leaders directly, most of whom are not actively looking.
- Assessment. We test candidates against the mandate: what they have actually delivered, in what context, and how they work with a CEO and board.
- Shortlist and interviews. Detailed write-ups, compensation expectations and notice periods, with interview coordination across time zones.
- Offer, references and onboarding. We manage the offer, run references and check in during the first 90 days.
You receive a written update every Friday throughout the search, whether or not there is news.
How we assess finance leaders
Technical depth is the entry ticket, not the decision. We look at four things: the business context the candidate has worked in and whether it matches yours; the transformation agenda they have actually led rather than supported; the stakeholder environment they have managed, including boards, investors, auditors and regulators; and the leadership they bring to their own team. See also why technically strong CFO candidates can fail transformation mandates.
Frequently asked questions
Which finance leadership roles does Talfino search?
CFO, Group CFO, Regional and Country CFO, Finance Director, Head of Finance, FP&A and commercial finance leaders, finance transformation leaders, controllership and governance leaders, and treasury and risk leadership.
Where has Talfino delivered finance leadership mandates?
Talfino has completed CFO, Head of Finance and Finance Director appointments, including CFO and Head of Finance mandates in India and Saudi Arabia, and has made 2 leadership hires in the USA.
Do you run CFO searches on a retained basis?
For CFO and senior finance mandates we run a retained search, paid in three stages (signing, shortlist, joining), because it allows a full market map and confidential outreach. The right model depends on seniority, confidentiality and market difficulty, and we will discuss it on the first call.
How long does a CFO search take?
It depends on the market and the brief, but the process from brief to signed offer usually takes several weeks, and candidates then serve their notice period, which is often 60 to 90 days in India and can be longer for senior roles elsewhere. We give you a realistic timeline after the first market calibration.
Have a business-critical leadership appointment?
Tell us what the business needs to achieve. We will help define the search around the mandate, not simply the job description.
Confidential · A personal reply from the founder, not an automated sequence