Portfolio Company CFO Search
Portfolio company CFOs who deliver the value creation plan.
CFOs for PE-backed portfolio companies, from the first 100 days through the exit.
Hazeltine Executive Search recruits CFOs for private equity portfolio companies nationwide. We look for finance leaders who can own the value creation plan, deliver lender and sponsor reporting on time, run a 13-week cash forecast the board trusts, and get the company ready for an exit. 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 PE-backed companies.
How portfolio company 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 →
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.
What a portfolio CFO owns
Value creation plan
Turning the investment thesis into targets, initiatives, and monthly tracking.
Lender and sponsor reporting
Monthly packages, compliance certificates, and board decks that land on time.
13-week cash
A cash forecast the sponsor and lenders can trust, especially when liquidity is tight.
Exit readiness
Clean numbers, supportable adjustments, and a finance team ready for diligence.
Roles we place
Portfolio Company CFO · VP Finance · Controller · Head of FP&A
What we screen for
- Sponsor experience. Has the candidate reported to institutional owners before?
- Add-on integration. Folding acquisitions into one close and one set of reports.
- Liquidity discipline. 13-week cash and working capital under pressure.
- A sale process from the company side. Diligence, the data room, and quality of earnings.
Situations we see often
- The platform just closed and finance has never reported to institutional owners.
- The sponsor is 12 to 24 months from an exit and the numbers aren't ready.
- Add-ons are coming faster than finance can integrate them.
Questions
What makes a portfolio company CFO search different?
The CFO answers to the sponsor and the lenders as much as to the CEO. We screen for leaders who have delivered a value creation plan, sponsor and lender reporting, 13-week cash, and an exit, and every search runs through The Hazeltine Process.
Do you recruit portfolio CFOs from Big 4 and investment banking?
Yes, both professionals still at Big 4 firms and banks and finance leaders who started there and now run finance in PE-backed companies.
Can you cover the seat while the search runs?
Yes. An interim CFO can step in while the permanent search runs. Many sponsors use us across several portfolio companies. See Private Equity.
