CFO Search · Retained Executive Search

CFO search for companies where the finance seat moves enterprise value.

Retained CFO searches for PE-backed, privately held, family office, and public companies, nationwide.

Hazeltine Executive Search runs retained CFO searches for companies where the finance function drives enterprise value. We are a large, but boutique firm: our network runs deepest with Big 4 and investment banking professionals, including leaders who started there and now run finance in industry, and every candidate is video-vetted through The Hazeltine Process before you meet them.

How CFO searches run through The Hazeltine Process

  • Recorded intake. We start with a recorded video intake with your hiring manager: the seat, the first year, and why it is worth a strong candidate's time.
  • A Position Package candidates watch. We don't cold-pitch the role. We ask passive candidates if they would review a short Position Package, with your hiring manager on video, before the first call.
  • Video interviews with finalists. Candidates complete a structured, recorded video interview. Your team watches and rates them in the Hazeltine Portal before spending an hour on anyone.
  • AI does the prep. People make the calls. We use AI to research and prepare. Every conversation with you and with candidates is a person on the phone.
  • Weekly check-ins and a year of follow-up. We calibrate with your team every week, and we stay with your hire through the first year.

See The Hazeltine Process →

How we reach candidates

We pick up the phone.

A lot of recruiting is LinkedIn InMails and emails sent out in bulk, hoping something sticks. We build a targeted list for every search, and our first outreach is a phone call. The best finance leaders aren't scrolling job boards or talking to five recruiters. They get plenty of messages and very few calls. Across hundreds of searches, the phone call has found our best candidates, the ones who weren't looking. Then the Position Package lets them see the hiring manager and the role on video before the first interview.

CFO searches we run

First CFO

A founder-led or newly sponsored company that has outgrown its Controller and needs its first true CFO.

CFO for the exit

A sponsor 12 to 24 months from a sale that needs a CFO who has run a process from the company side.

Replacement CFO

A CFO leaves and the board wants a stronger hire, not just a fast one. Interim cover is available while the search runs.

Public company CFO

SEC reporting, earnings, investor relations, and the audit committee. Public company CFO search →

Roles we place

CFO · Chief Accounting Officer · VP Finance · Head of Finance · Divisional CFO

What we screen for

  • What they have run, not just where they started.
  • Deals and capital. Acquisitions, divestitures, refinancings, sale processes.
  • Owner and board reporting. Sponsors, lenders, families, or audit committees.
  • Team building. Leaders who can upgrade a finance team, not only manage one.

Questions

How does a retained CFO search work at Hazeltine?

Every CFO search runs through The Hazeltine Process: a recorded intake with your hiring manager, a Position Package candidates watch before the first call, structured video interviews you review in the Hazeltine Portal, and weekly check-ins until the hire starts. We follow up through the first year.

Do you only search for CFOs in Houston?

No. We are Houston-based and work nationwide.

Do you recruit CFOs from Big 4 and investment banking backgrounds?

Yes. Our network runs deepest with Big 4 and investment banking professionals, both those still there and those who started there and now lead finance in industry. It extends to proven CFOs from every path.

Can you cover the seat while the CFO search runs?

Yes. We can place an interim CFO while the permanent search runs in parallel. See Interim CFO and Accounting Executives.

What clients say

“Has a great understanding of the market, companies and candidates. Super responsive, great communication, honest, no surprises.”Former investment banker, now CFO of a PE-backed company

Starting a CFO search?

Call our office at (832) 371-6235.

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