Head of Financial Control: Leadership Hire in Three Weeks

How we helped a £200m private equity-backed consumer business strengthen financial control and free up senior finance leadership capacity.

Talentedge supported a private equity-backed food and beverage business with the appointment of a Head of Financial Control at its London head office. With the Commercial Finance Director spending too much time on financial reporting, the business needed an experienced leader who could take ownership of financial control and manage the team. Despite a demanding brief, Talentedge delivered a shortlist within 48 hours and secured an accepted offer in just three weeks, following interviews with four candidates.

The Results

• 48 hours to shortlist, identifying suitable candidates against a demanding senior finance brief.
• 4 candidates interviewed, resulting in one successful appointment.
• 3 weeks to accepted offer, securing an experienced Head of Financial Control.
• Senior leadership capacity released, enabling the Commercial Finance Director to refocus on commercial priorities.

The Challenge: Strengthening Finance Leadership in a Growing Consumer Business

Our client, a private equity-backed food and beverage business generating approximately £200m in annual revenue, needed to strengthen its finance leadership structure to support its next stage of growth.

The Commercial Finance Director was carrying responsibility for financial reporting alongside her commercial remit, limiting the time available to focus on business performance and strategic priorities.

The business needed a dedicated finance leader who could take ownership of financial control, manage a team of approximately five to six people and operate confidently within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

The appointment presented four key challenges:

• Technical expertise: The candidate needed strong financial reporting, accounting and financial control capabilities.
• Sector experience: An understanding of multi-site retail or hospitality operations was essential.
• Leadership capability: The role required someone confident managing an established finance team and working with senior stakeholders.
• Budget and working arrangements: A strict salary ceiling and a requirement to work four days a week in the London office narrowed the available candidate pool.

The challenge was finding someone who could meet all these requirements without compromising on the seniority or expertise the business needed.

Our Approach: Specialist Market Knowledge and Established Relationships

Talentedge worked closely with the Commercial Finance Director to understand the underlying business requirement, not simply the responsibilities of the vacant position.

The priority was to identify someone capable of taking full ownership of financial control, allowing the Commercial Finance Director to concentrate on her core commercial responsibilities.

Our approach combined three elements:

• A clearly defined brief: Establishing the technical, sector and leadership capabilities needed to deliver the intended business outcome.
• Established candidate relationships: Drawing on our network of finance professionals with relevant multi-site retail and hospitality experience.
• A focused selection process: Prioritising candidates who could meet the brief and progress efficiently through interviews.

The successful candidate was someone Talentedge had previously placed with another multi-site hospitality business.

Having maintained that relationship, we understood the individual’s experience, capabilities and suitability for the position. The candidate was working in an international retail environment and preparing to relocate to London, creating a strong match with the client’s requirements.

Talentedge presented CVs within 48 hours. The client interviewed just four candidates before selecting its new Head of Financial Control, with an offer accepted within three weeks.

The successful candidate impressed senior stakeholders, including the CFO, and was available to join approximately one month later.

During the recruitment process, the position evolved from Financial Controller to Head of Financial Control, reflecting the seniority and ownership required.

The Outcome: Greater Financial Control and Commercial Leadership Capacity

The appointment gave the business a dedicated senior leader responsible for financial control and management of the finance team.

More importantly, it addressed the underlying business challenge: the Commercial Finance Director needed greater capacity to focus on commercial priorities.

The outcomes included:

• A successful senior finance appointment in three weeks, despite challenging salary, sector and office attendance requirements.
• Dedicated financial control leadership, providing clear ownership of reporting and team management.
• Commercial Finance Director capacity released, enabling greater focus on business performance and commercial decision-making.
• A strengthened recruitment relationship, building on Talentedge’s previous successful appointments across other business functions.

The appointment was delivered on an exclusive agency basis, with Talentedge drawing on its existing understanding of the business and established candidate relationships.

Rather than treating the vacancy as an isolated recruitment requirement, the search focused on identifying the leadership capability needed to support the client’s wider commercial objectives.

Why Finance Leadership Structure Matters in a Growing Business

As businesses grow, the way finance responsibilities are divided can become just as important as the capabilities of individual team members.

When senior commercial finance leaders are also responsible for financial control and reporting, their capacity to support commercial decision-making can become constrained.

For private equity-backed businesses, balancing strong financial control with commercial performance is particularly important. Finance functions need the leadership capacity to manage reporting requirements while also supporting growth, investment decisions and operational performance.

This appointment demonstrates how a targeted leadership hire can address both priorities: establishing dedicated ownership of financial control while releasing senior management capacity for more commercially focused activity.

It also highlights the value of established recruitment relationships. Having previously placed the successful candidate and worked with the client across other functions, Talentedge was able to connect the business with relevant experience quickly.

Talentedge helps growing businesses identify and secure the finance leadership capability needed to strengthen control, support commercial decision-making and prepare for the next stage of growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can a business recruit a Head of Financial Control?

Recruitment timescales depend on the technical requirements, sector experience, salary and candidate availability. In this case, Talentedge presented a shortlist within 48 hours and secured an accepted offer in three weeks, following interviews with four candidates.

What is the difference between a Financial Controller and a Head of Financial Control?

Both roles oversee financial reporting, accounting processes and control. A Head of Financial Control will typically carry broader leadership responsibility, often managing a larger team or overseeing financial control across a more complex organisation. The precise distinction depends on the structure of the finance function.

Why is dedicated financial control leadership important for a growing business?

Dedicated leadership establishes accountability for financial reporting, control and team management. It can also release Commercial Finance Directors and other senior finance leaders to concentrate on commercial analysis, business partnering and strategic decision-making.