Controller Search · Retained Executive Search
Controller search for companies that need a clean, fast close.
Corporate Controllers, Assistant Controllers, VPs of Accounting, and Chief Accounting Officers.
Hazeltine Executive Search recruits Controllers and accounting leaders for PE-backed, private, family office, and public companies nationwide. Many of our strongest Controller candidates are Big 4 audit professionals ready to move into industry, or leaders who made that move and are ready for a bigger seat. Every search runs through The Hazeltine Process.
How Controller 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 →
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.
Controller searches we run
Corporate Controller
Owns the close, the audit, and the reporting package.
VP of Accounting / CAO
Leads the accounting function, often with a path to the CFO seat.
Assistant Controller
A strong number two who can run the close and grow into the Controller seat.
Operating company Controller
For the businesses a family office or sponsor owns. Family offices →
What we screen for
- Close and audit. A close that ties out on time and audits without surprises.
- Technical accounting. Revenue recognition, leases, consolidations, and complex entities.
- Systems. Candidates who have lived through an ERP implementation.
- Lean teams. Controllers who can do the work, not only review it.
Situations we see often
- The close takes too long and the owners are tired of stale numbers.
- An acquisition doubles the entity count and the Controller can't keep up.
- The first audit is coming and the team has never been through one.
- The CFO needs a successor in the building.
Questions
Do you recruit Controllers out of public accounting?
Yes. Big 4 audit senior managers and managers moving into industry are a core part of our network, along with Controllers who made that move earlier and are ready for a bigger role.
Do you place interim Controllers?
Yes. When the seat is empty now, an interim Controller from our bench can step in while the permanent search runs. See Interim.
Is a Controller search retained?
Yes. Controller searches run through the same retained Hazeltine Process as our CFO searches.
