The firms below run CFO searches for companies from Series A through public stage. Most work on a retained basis, with fees of 25% to 33% of first-year cash compensation.
The broader finance leadership pool is growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of financial managers, the occupation most CFOs come from, to grow 15% from 2024 to 2034, with about 74,600 openings a year. Candidates who have already led a fundraise or taken a company public remain a much smaller group.
Which CFO does the company need?
The answer decides which candidate pool a search should target, so settle it before choosing a firm.
A company hiring its first strategic CFO, often ahead of a Series B or C, needs someone who can build investor-grade reporting and a finance team at the same time. A company under margin pressure needs a CFO who has run pricing and working capital programs. Acquisitive companies look for diligence and integration experience, sometimes including a carve-out.
Companies on a path to going public need audit committee experience and credibility with analysts. Christian & Timbers covers that case in more detail in What Should a Late-Stage Startup Look for in a CFO Before an IPO? and the AI-era version of the role in Hiring the AI-Native CFO.
For Controller, VP Finance, and Treasurer searches, see Top 10 Finance & Accounting Executive Search Firms in 2026.
Retained search, contingency, or interim
Retained search is the standard model for CFO appointments. The firm works the role exclusively, maps the market, and approaches candidates who aren’t looking, for a fee of 25% to 33% of first-year cash compensation paid in installments. Contingency firms charge 18% to 25% and are paid only on hire, which suits roles below the C-suite better than a CFO search. Retained vs Contingency Executive Search compares the two models in full.
Interim CFOs solve a different problem. When the outgoing CFO leaves before a successor is found, an interim leader can keep the monthly close and investor reporting running while the retained search continues. Some firms offer both services, and others refer interim work to specialist providers.
CFO Executive Search Firms (In Alphabetical Order)
[Table 1]
1. Christian & Timbers
Christian & Timbers is a retained executive search firm focused on technology, with CFO searches at growth-stage, PE-backed, and public companies. Scoping starts with the finance team, systems, and priorities the incoming CFO will inherit, and that assessment shapes both the candidate profile and how the role is presented to candidates. Its finance practice often handles CFOs with IPO readiness or M&A integration experience.
Best fit: Technology companies from Series B to public stage, and PE-backed businesses hiring a CFO for a value creation plan.
2. Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder pairs executive search with leadership assessment and succession planning across an international office network. Its CFO mandates often involve cross-border operations, international expansion, or candidate markets spanning several regions. Succession runs through much of its advisory work, so a CFO search there can also inform planning for the finance team below the new hire.
Best fit: Companies with global operations or a CFO search that needs international candidate reach.
3. Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles runs a financial officers practice alongside leadership advisory and organizational consulting. CFO appointments there frequently sit inside wider changes to the operating model or the executive team. That suits a finance transition tied to a transformation program, where the new CFO will redesign the function while running it.
Best fit: Companies hiring a CFO during major organizational change or leadership team restructuring.
4. Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry combines executive search with leadership assessment, role design, and compensation advisory, and its financial officer work considers internal candidates as well as external ones. For a large company, the CFO search may run alongside a review of executive pay or organizational structure. Companies that want benchmarking, assessment, and search in one engagement often look here.
Best fit: Large enterprises with structured search processes and several internal stakeholders in the hire.
5. Russell Reynolds Associates
Russell Reynolds Associates handles senior appointments across public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Its finance leadership work often intersects with CEO succession or broader executive transitions, when the CFO hire is one part of a larger leadership change. The profile also fits companies with active capital markets work or a transaction on the horizon.
Best fit: CFO transitions tied to succession, governance changes, or transaction planning.
6. Spencer Stuart
Spencer Stuart runs a financial officer practice within a firm centered on boards, CEOs, and senior leadership. In CFO searches, that background matters most when audit committee expectations and investor relations shape the role. At public and pre-IPO companies, the new CFO often becomes the board’s main voice on financial performance.
Best fit: Public and pre-IPO companies where board credibility and investor relations experience are primary requirements.
7. StevenDouglas
StevenDouglas works across executive search, professional recruiting, and project-based services, with finance and accounting among its core functions. Its CFO work includes mid-market organizations hiring finance leaders during growth or operational change. The broader service mix lets a company use one partner for the CFO search and the supporting finance hires or interim help that often come with it.
Best fit: Mid-market companies at Series A to C looking for a CFO with operational finance depth.
How to evaluate a CFO search firm
Ask each firm for CFO placements from the last 12 to 24 months at companies of similar stage, revenue, and ownership, plus two or three client references who can speak to the search itself. Then put these questions to the partner who would lead the work:
- Who will run this engagement day to day, and what CFO searches have they personally led?
- Which target companies and titles would the market map include?
- How do you assess capital allocation, controls maturity, and fit with the CEO and board?
- What is your off-limits policy, and which companies would that exclude as candidate sources?
- What does post-placement support include, and what is your 12-month retention record for CFO placements?
Local CFO headhunters vs. sector specialists
Many founders begin by searching for CFO headhunters near them, especially during a sensitive transition. Location helps with on-site interviews and local networks. Sector experience usually matters more, since a SaaS CFO needs fluency in ARR, net revenue retention, and CAC payback, while a hardware company needs someone who has managed inventory and gross margin under pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top CFO executive search firms?
Firms companies often shortlist for CFO searches include Christian & Timbers, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds Associates, Spencer Stuart, and StevenDouglas. The right choice depends on company stage, ownership structure, and sector.
How much do CFO executive search firms charge?
Retained CFO search fees typically run 25% to 33% of the placed candidate’s first-year cash compensation. For a CFO with total cash compensation of $400,000 to $600,000, that means a fee of $100,000 to $200,000. Contingency fees usually run 18% to 25%.
How long does a CFO search take?
Most retained CFO searches take three to four months from kickoff to accepted offer. Searches that need narrow experience, such as pre-IPO SaaS at a specific revenue scale, take longer.
Should a company use a retained or contingency firm for a CFO search?
Retained search is the standard for CFO appointments because it pays for market mapping and outreach to candidates who aren’t looking. Contingency search suits finance roles below the C-suite.
When does a company need an interim CFO?
An interim CFO makes sense when the current CFO leaves before a successor is in place, or when a transaction or audit can’t wait for a full search. The interim leader keeps reporting and the close on schedule while the permanent search runs.
Companies planning a CFO search can contact Christian & Timbers at hello@christian-timbers.com to discuss the role.