How to Hire an Experienced CFO
to Navigate Challenging Economic Landscapes
CFOs have become a cornerstone of organizational resilience
Throughout today’s climate of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, one truth stands out: CFOs have become a cornerstone of organizational resilience. At TXT International, we have noticed a huge uptick in demand for experienced finance leaders.
We were not the only ones to have experienced this. In fact, in 1Q25, CFO turnover hit a six-year high with 95 new finance chiefs appointed globally across publicly listed companies, up from 89 during the same period last year.
During this period of reshuffling, 80% of external CFO appointments were experienced hires—executives who had previously held the CFO title at another company. This marks the highest percentage since 2021, as boards double down on proven financial leadership – a trend reminiscent of the CFO scramble seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, what’s driving the surge in CFO hiring?
- Leadership gaps: A large share of outgoing CFOs are retiring or stepping into board positions, driven by burnout and long-tenure cycles. In Q1, over 60% of CFO departures were due to retirement or non-executive moves.
- Shrinking pipelines: fewer accounting graduates and a decline in classic rotational training programs (such as investor relations or treasury) are limiting the pool of ready-now finance leaders.
- Expanded expectations: CFOs are no longer just financial stewards. Today, they must lead across digital transformation, capital markets, investor relations, ESG, and enterprise-wide strategy—serving as critical partners to the CEO and the board.
Below, we provide insights on 3 recent CFO searches we conducted. We are currently engaged with top finance executives across the globe who are actively seeking a new challenge. If you are interested in seeing candidates for any of the following positions, just reply to this email.
CFO - P.E. Owned Industrial Manufacturing - United States
This placement is at a high-growth, PE-backed U.S. manufacturing firm. The CFO will lead financial integration across recent add-ons, scale financial infrastructure to support a 40% growth trajectory, and drive margin improvement through lean operating models. They’ll also be a key partner to the PE firm, preparing the business for its next exit or refi.
CFO - Fast-Growing Tech-Enabled Services - United States
This role is at a technology-driven services firm.. The CFO will spearhead financial planning across recurring revenue models, implement scalable accounting systems (particularly around subscription billing and revenue recognition), and lead strategic finance, including M&A diligence and post-close integration.
CFO - Automotive Manufacturing - Europe
This CFO will serve an established global auto manufacturing group. The role requires leading European FP&A, cost-to-serve modeling, and treasury across multiple currencies. The CFO will modernize financial reporting systems (ERP upgrade), establish standardized finance processes.
Other recent finance-related searches include Head of M&A Finance, Vice President of FP&A, Chief Commercial Officer, and Global Head of Tax.
What’s clear across these engagements: top companies aren’t just replacing CFOs—they’re rethinking what kind of financial leadership they need. The winning profiles today combine strategic foresight, operational experience, and the agility to navigate uncertainty.
We’re actively in discussions with high-quality candidate slates for each of these CFO searches. If you’d like to learn more or would benefit from discussing a potential finance leadership need, get in touch with your consultant or click on the link below.
If you enjoyed our insights, be sure to check out our other articles here.
Talk to us
Have any questions? We are always open to talk about your executive hiring needs, challenges, and opportunities, and discuss how we can help you.