Interim CFO

Innovative Service Group

c£1,000 - £1,500/day

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join an innovative and market-leading business and consumer services group in a critical interim leadership role, an exciting prospect to make a tangible impact in a fast-paced environment, ensuring financial stability and driving strategic initiatives to support the company’s ongoing success.

With a 20-year legacy of success, the company continues to dominate its dynamic B2B/B2C marketplace, delivering invaluable services, pioneering industry advancements, and forging long-standing partnerships with its clients.

Distinguished by its independence and bespoke solutions, the organisation prides itself on a team of highly skilled professionals who drive fast, effective resolutions for clients and consumers alike. Its unwavering commitment to integrity, innovation, and excellence has cemented its position as a leader in its field, earning the trust and loyalty of all stakeholders.

Internally, the company fosters a collaborative, fast-paced, and open culture, offering employees unparalleled opportunities for career development and progression. With a reputation for excellence in highly regulated industries, it continues to thrive on innovation, strategic expansion, and operational agility.

Following two decades of consistent success, the business is now experiencing unprecedented demand. Recent diversification initiatives have driven a remarkable near 50% year-on-year growth, positioning the company for sustained expansion and long-term success.

The Role

In response to that growth, the group finds itself at an exciting, but pivotal stage of it’s development, leading to the need to appoint a Chief Financial Officer, but with the lead time of an appointee commencing, the CEO has taken the decision to appoint an interim financial leader to take responsibility for all financial leadership as well as guide the group through the next phase of development including potential M&A activity and fund-raising, assessing and implementing key process improvements, or stress-testing current financial controls; this Interim appointment is vital in ensuring the company remains financially robust and primed for future expansion.

This will be a high-impact position requiring a visionary yet hands-on leadership, an experienced C-Level finance leader who can balance long-term strategy with operational excellence alongside overseeing all financial functions, driving commercial success, spearheading growth initiatives, and ensure the financial health of the entire Group while fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

Collaborate closely with the CEO and executive team to develop and execute the company’s long-term growth strategy.
Lead transformative initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, organic expansion, and strategic partnerships.
Act as a trusted advisor to the Board and stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment on financial and business objectives.
Establish financial and operational strategies that drive sustainable growth and long-term value creation.

Financial & Commercial Management:

Oversee all financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, financial reporting, and stakeholder relations.
Lead financial planning and analysis (FP&A), delivering data-driven insights to support executive decision-making.
Optimise capital structure, ensuring robust financial health and efficient allocation of resources.
Implement world-class financial controls, policies, and governance frameworks to ensure regulatory compliance and operational efficiency.
Develop and execute funding strategies, liaising with investors, financial institutions, and key stakeholders to support the company’s expansion.

Operational Excellence & Risk Management:

Provide executive oversight for Risk, Governance, IT, Continuous Improvement across the Group, with increased input for the Group’s Software Division.
Drive operational efficiencies across all departments, ensuring optimal resource utilisation and financial discipline.
Oversee integration strategies for acquisitions, ensuring seamless business transitions and value realisation.
Ensure financial compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements and emerging legislation.
Champion technology-led financial and operational innovation to enhance business performance and resilience.

Growth Strategy:

Partner with the Group CEO and Group Strategy Director to assess, challenge and design an execution strategy to drive growth opportunities, including M&A and market diversification.
Lead financial due diligence and integration of new business.
Oversee the development and commercialisation of new products and services, ensuring they align with business objectives and financial targets.
Collaborate with commercial and operational teams to develop pricing, cost-management, and revenue-optimisation strategies to maximise profitability and competitiveness.

Leadership & Culture Development:

Work as a team to continue to develop a world-class finance and operations team, mentoring future leaders and driving a high-performance culture.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.
Lead with a people-first mindset, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion across all business functions.
Foster a dynamic and engaged workforce, driving motivation and alignment with the company’s vision and values.

Candidate Profile

The appointed Interim CFO will be a highly experienced, C-Level finance leader with a proven track record in providing total financial leadership within mid-sized, high-growth businesses. They will be hands-on, commercially astute, a proven and successful leader, and capable of managing both strategic and operational finance challenges.

Above that, cultural alignment is paramount in this highly people-centric Group. The ideal candidate will not only have the financial acumen and strategic insight required for this role but will also embody the company’s entrepreneurial mindset, high-energy approach, and commitment to excellence.

Essential Experience & Qualifications:

ACA/ACMA/ACCA qualified with at least 20 years post-qualification experience.
Substantial Interim senior financial leadership experience within high-growth, service-oriented industries.
A proven track record of C-level leadership with significant board-level exposure in a service-sector business.
Demonstrated expertise in overseeing the full finance function in an interim capacity while working closely with CEOs and executive teams.

Key Competencies & Leadership Capabilities:

Strategic Vision & Commercial Acumen: Experience in leading financial strategy, driving growth, and overseeing complex business models.
Operational Expertise: Proven ability to streamline financial and operational processes, enhance efficiency, and scale businesses effectively.
M&A & Investment Leadership: Strong experience in mergers, acquisitions, capital structuring, and stakeholder management would be attractive.
Transformational Leadership: A visionary leader capable of guiding an organisation through high-growth and transformation.
Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence investors, board members, and key external partners.
Resilience & Agility: A dynamic leader who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments, maintaining focus on results and execution.
Integrity & Accountability: A high-integrity professional committed to ethical leadership, transparency, and long-term success.
People-Centric Leadership: Hands-on, motivational leadership style, with a passion for mentoring and developing talent.

Core Values & Leadership Ethos:

The successful candidate will be expected to live and breathe the company’s core values:
A thoughtful and pragmatic decision-maker who maintains strategic clarity.
Transparent, collaborative, and receptive to new ideas and perspectives.
Willing to take bold, calculated risks to drive business success.
A people-first leader who values relationships and teamwork.

This is more than a CFO role, even as an Interim engagement, it is a career-defining opportunity to take a leading role in an ambitious, high-growth business. The appointed individual will play a crucial role in shaping the company’s financial and operational strategy, positioning it for long-term success and offering an unrivalled platform for an outstanding finance leader to make a transformative impact.

For those with the experience, ambition, and vision to drive a market-leading company to new heights, this is an exceptional Interim opportunity that combines financial, commercial, and strategic influence at the highest level.

GARY CHAPLIN LTD

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