Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Location: Hybrid | Weekly travel to Central Europe (2–3 days per week at HQ)
Start: ASAP
Contract: Interim (with potential interim-to-permanent)
Day Rate: Negotiable (aligned to large-cap, PE-backed complexity)
The Opportunity
A large, international, private equity–backed group (c. €700m+ turnover) is seeking an Interim CFO to provide immediate leadership and stability during a transition period while a permanent appointment is made.
The business is operating a buy-and-build growth strategy, with regular M&A activity across Europe. The Interim CFO will play a central role not only in core financial stewardship, but also in supporting transactions and ensuring disciplined post-merger integration.
This is a role requiring a senior finance leader who can operate credibly at board and investor level, act as a trusted right hand to the CEO, and simultaneously adopt a hands-on, in-the-trenches approach to ensure accuracy, control, and momentum.
Key Objectives of the Role
- Ensure accuracy, integrity, and consistency of financial numbers across the group
- Improve forecasting quality, cash flow visibility, and working capital discipline
- Support and shape M&A activity, from diligence through integration
- Professionalise the finance function to large-cap, PE-backed standards
- Provide confident leadership through transition, supporting continuity and handover to a permanent CFO
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Business Partnering
- Act as a core member of the executive leadership team and strategic partner to the CEO
- Provide commercial insight to support growth, capital allocation, and value creation
- Lead board-level and investor-style reporting, including performance, cash, and covenant metrics
- Support longer-term finance strategy, organisation design, and capability development
Financial Control, Reporting & Governance
- Own group financial reporting, ensuring robust controls, reconciliations, and data integrity
- Oversee month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close across multiple entities and jurisdictions
- Ensure compliance with local statutory, tax, and regulatory requirements
- Standardise accounting policies, reporting formats, and governance across the group
Forecasting, FP&A & Working Capital
- Stabilise and improve short-, medium-, and long-term forecasting accuracy
- Drive improved working capital performance (AR, AP, inventory, cash conversion cycle)
- Enhance management information, KPIs, and dashboards to support operational decision-making
- Challenge assumptions and translate financial data into actionable insight
M&A Support & Transaction Activity
- Act as the finance lead on M&A activity,working closely with the CEO and deal teams
- Support financial due diligence, valuation analysis, and deal structuring
- Assess target businesses’ financial quality, systems, controls, and working capital profiles
- Identify deal risks, synergies, and integration considerations pre-close
- Support rapid assessment of bolt-on opportunities in line with the group’s growth strategy
Post-Merger Integration (PMI)
- Lead or oversee post-merger integration from a finance perspective
- Ensure timely integration of:
- Financial reporting and close processes
- Accounting policies and controls
- Forecasting, budgeting, and KPI frameworks
- Cash management and working capital practices
- Support integration of finance teams, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and operating cadence
- Track delivery of deal assumptions, synergies, and integration milestones
- Balance pace of integration with business continuity and operational realities
Transformation & Hands-On Delivery
- Lead elements of finance transformation, including:
- Process standardisation and simplification
- Strengthening of finance operating rhythm and controls
- Improving data quality, systems usage, and reporting outputs
- Be close to the detail where needed, particularly in newly acquired or under-developed entities
- Step into problem areas to resolve issues pragmatically and at pace
- Build capability within the existing finance leadership team
Candidate Profile
Essential Experience
- Proven Interim CFO or senior CFO experience within large-cap organisations (€700m+ turnover)
- Strong track record in PE-backed and/or acquisitive buy-and-build environments
- Hands-on experience supporting M&A transactions and post-merger integration
- International, multi-entity experience across European operations
- Demonstrable success improving:
- Forecasting and cash visibility
- Working capital performance
- Finance control and reporting at scale
Style & Mindset
- Gravitas to operate at board and investor level, with a pragmatic delivery mindset
- Commercial, outcomes-focused, and comfortable operating in ambiguity
- Able to build credibility quickly with senior stakeholders and finance teams
- Willing to operate both strategically and operationally as required
Practical Requirements
- Willing and able to travel weekly to Central Europe (2–3 days on site)
- Available to start immediately or at short notice
- Open to interim or interim-to-permanent arrangements
