Core sector
Financial Services
The deepest, highest-paying search market in the United States, and the one where nobody is applying. Banking, asset and wealth management, insurance, private markets and the fintech corridor.
The market
Why this sector, and why now.
- 1.0%
- US unemployment among accountants and auditors, effectively full employment.
- 5.8 yrs
- Average CFO tenure. The shortest in decades; the churn is structural, not cyclical.
- 80%
- Of externally hired CFOs already hold a CFO title. Every hire is a move, not an application.
Roles we place
Leadership mandates, not vacancies.
| Role | Typical first-year compensation | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $400,000 to $500,000+ | PE portfolio, mid-market, financial services |
| Managing Director / Partner | $350,000 to $600,000 | Asset management, private equity, investment banking |
| VP Finance | $250,000 to $300,000 | Growth-stage and mid-market |
| Corporate Controller | $185,000 to $215,000 | All industries |
| Head of Tax | $200,000 to $260,000 | Multinational, PE-backed |
Our view
We understand the exit clock.
Portfolio companies replace the CFO in 71% of cases post-investment and average two CFOs per deal across a five-year hold. A portfolio CFO is not a corporate CFO with a different logo, the mandate is value creation against a countdown, and the wrong hire costs a year nobody has.
Hiring in Financial Services?
Tell us the role and the timeline. Fifteen minutes is usually enough for us both to know whether we can help.