Demand for PE-calibre finance leaders has never been higher. HMN Capital places CFOs who manage debt structures, drive KPI infrastructure, and deliver exit-ready reporting on compressed timelines, with a qualified shortlist within 72 hours of brief.
Why this hire matters
The CFO role in a private capital-backed business has fundamentally evolved. Sponsors no longer want a finance director with an inflated title. They want a genuine commercial partner to the CEO, someone who challenges strategy, owns the numbers, and can stand confidently in front of lenders, management consultants, or a potential acquirer.
Crucially, the CFO you need at Series B is rarely the same person you need in the final 18 months before exit. One is building infrastructure; the other is constructing the narrative and managing the data room. We make this distinction explicit at the briefing stage and search for the right profile for your stage, not just a generically capable CFO.
Because qualified candidates at this level rarely sit on job boards, finding the right person requires daily immersion in the market. We maintain live relationships with PE-calibre CFOs across the UK and Europe, including those six months from completing a successful exit who are not yet visible anywhere.
What great looks like
PE-literate
Has operated inside sponsor-owned businesses. Understands covenant management, LP reporting cadences, and the behavioural differences between a listed company board and a PE board. Doesn’t need to be taught how the environment works.
Commercially minded
Extends well beyond the P&L. Contributes meaningfully to pricing decisions, M&A structuring, capital allocation, and growth strategy. A true partner to the CEO, not a reporter to the board.
Exit-ready
Has navigated a sale process, refinancing, or IPO. Understands buy-side scrutiny, data room construction, and how to build and defend a financial narrative under pressure. Has been on the other side of the due diligence table.
Infrastructure Builder
Builds or rebuilds management information systems, FP&A capability, and finance team depth. Gives sponsors the visibility they need and gives boards the confidence to make fast decisions.
HMN's approach
We are one of the most active CFO search practices in the European private capital market
We distinguish explicitly between build-phase CFOs (scaling infrastructure and capability) and exit-phase CFOs (managing data room, lender relationships, and narrative construction), because placing the wrong profile at the wrong stage is a costly mistake.
Our candidate relationships run deep
We regularly reach CFOs who are not actively looking, including those nearing the end of a successful PE tenure and open to their next mandate before they are formally available.
We also run simultaneous interim and permanent searches
When an urgent capability gap exists, a CFO departure ahead of a refinancing, for example, we can source an experienced interim to hold the position while the permanent search runs in parallel. Shortlists are delivered within 3–4 weeks; for urgent mandates, we can present a qualified initial shortlist within 72 hours of brief.
The process
1
Brief
We understand the business’s financial maturity, current debt structure, exit timeline, and what the sponsor needs the CFO to own from day one. Stage and mandate shape the brief entirely.
2
Search
We map PE-calibre CFOs with directly relevant sector and stage experience. All approaches are discreet and direct, including to candidates not visible on the open market.
3
Shortlist
We present 3–5 candidates with full PE readiness assessments covering sponsor-environment experience, covenant and reporting fluency, and commercial track record. Delivered within 3–4 weeks, or 72 hours for urgent mandates.
4
Close
We support through offer negotiation, package benchmarking against live market data, and onboarding, ensuring the new CFO builds effective relationships with the board and lenders from day one.
Frequently asked questions
How is a private capital-backed CFO different from a listed company CFO?
PE CFOs operate with leaner teams, closer board and lender scrutiny, and a laser focus on cash, debt covenants, and hold period deliverables. They are often more commercially active and more directly accountable for the exit outcome than their listed-company counterparts. Cultural fit with the PE environment matters as much as technical capability, and it is one of the first things we probe in our assessment process.
Can you run an interim and permanent CFO search simultaneously?
Yes, and we do this regularly. When an urgent capability gap exists, a CFO departure ahead of a covenant review or a refinancing, for example; we move quickly to source an experienced interim to provide immediate cover while the permanent search runs in parallel. The two processes do not compete; they complement each other.
How do you assess PE readiness in a CFO candidate?
We probe deeply into deal and sponsor experience, not the presence of it on a CV, but demonstrated delivery. We ask candidates to walk us through specific covenant situations, board reporting challenges, and exit processes they have owned. We look for evidence of sponsor-environment behaviour, not just exposure to it.
Ready to start a CFO search?
What our clients say
“Finding a CFO who can manage investor reporting, run a finance function, and still operate commercially is genuinely rare. HMN Capital understood that brief precisely and found us someone who ticked every box.”
CEO, Private Capital-Backed Technology Business
“We've used several search firms over the years. HMN Capital stands apart because of their sector focus — they already knew the candidates we needed to see. The process was fast, discreet, and the quality was consistently high.”
CFO, European PE Fund (Portfolio Operations)