CFO Hiring Playbook
Get your hands on The Ultimate Guide to Hiring your First CFO
Built with startup founders and CEOs in mind, we’ve designed a comprehensive playbook to help you understand if your business is ready for a CFO and how to navigate every stage of the hiring process
TESTIMONIALS
From the outset, Zanda took the time to thoroughly understand our unique needs, both from a strategic and cultural perspective. Over the course of the CFO search, Zanda presented us with a series of highly qualified candidates, all of whom were thoughtfully selected based on our specific requirements.The profiles presented were not only strong but also well-tailored to our business needs, ensuring that we could make an informed decision. After careful consideration, we identified a top candidate who was an excellent fit for the role and the company. Zanda made the entire process seamless, offering valuable insights and guidance at every step. We are confident that with Yossi joining our team, we will be able to achieve our next phase of growth. We truly appreciate Zanda’s professionalism, expertise, and commitment throughout this search and highly recommend their services to anyone looking to fill senior finance roles.
We were recommended to speak with Zanda by our lead VC as we looked for a new CFO. We were looking for an impressive, experienced CFO to hit the ground running considering the challenging economic picture and we were not disappointed. Zanda provided us with excellent insight into the market and into our CFO options. They then delivered an excellent shortlist at speed and helped run a smooth and efficient process to get a new CFO started within weeks. I would happily recommend Zanda to any Founder looking to bring on board a new CFO.
We engaged Zanda to assist us in a search for a CFO, spanning both New York and London. Their expertise in hiring CFOs for tech firms in these locations was evident from the outset. Zanda provided valuable guidance on the ideal candidate profile, managing our expectations effectively. Their transparent process instilled confidence in us that we would find the right hire efficiently. Within two weeks, Zanda presented us with a strong shortlist of carefully vetted candidates, all of whom met our criteria. Thanks to their thorough research and presentation of key data, each candidate was well-prepared for the interview process. The preferred candidate, based in New York, was swiftly and professionally secured by Zanda, who expertly managed the entire process to ensure mutual satisfaction. I was thoroughly impressed by Zanda's expertise, professionalism, and dedication throughout the process. Their extensive knowledge and network in the tech hiring space make them an invaluable partner for any high-growth tech firm seeking a CFO or Finance Leader.
This was our first engagement with Zanda and it was first class in terms of all round client service and the quality of candidates. They listened to our brief carefully, challenged it appropriately, and put a high level of thought into the search strategy. They were a great ambassador for FPE and MaxContact in the market, and we were provided with optionality on a set of high quality candidates. Zanda managed a tricky close process, and ultimately we hired a great CFO.
Recruiting a new CFO was a critical hire for our business and we really valued the support and advice we received from Zanda, throughout the process. From the outset, we were guided in terms of the profile of the candidate and how we should structure the interview process. All of the potential candidates were excellent and there was no time wasted, The process was well managed and we achieved the result we wanted.
OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Our process is built to identify the ideal CFO or finance leader for your growth stage, culture, and vision. We take the time to deeply understand your business, its challenges, ambitions, and leadership needs, so you can make the right hire with confidence.
With a deep understanding of startup finance and access to an exclusive network of high-impact finance leaders, we ensure every step of the hiring process is structured, collaborative, and outcome-driven.
Defining Your Requirements
We start with a focused kick-off call to understand the full context of your business, your strategic goals, leadership style, company culture, and long-term vision. We’ll explore your current finance infrastructure, funding history, and plans for future growth to assess what type of finance leader will create the most impact. Whether you're preparing for a fundraise, international expansion, or an eventual exit, this stage allows us to define the ideal candidate profile - someone with the right blend of experience, mindset, and leadership style to support your next chapter.
Crafting a Targeted Search Strategy
Once we’ve established the details, we develop a comprehensive job description and candidate pack tailored to your company’s specific needs. We identify the key industries, networks, and channels where top finance talent can be sourced, ensuring a focused and effective search. At this stage, we also provide guidance on competitive and fair compensation packages, helping you align with market expectations early on. We'll also outline the key touchpoints you can expect throughout the process, so you know exactly when you'll receive updates on progress, pipeline quality, and market feedback.
Identifying & Engaging High-Impact Leaders
Leveraging our exclusive network of experienced startup CFOs and emerging finance leaders, we build a curated longlist of candidates with the skill sets, sector experience, and strategic thinking needed to drive your business forward. Every individual we approach has been carefully considered, not just for their technical capabilities, but for their ability to thrive in high-growth, fast-paced environments. We also tap into passive talent through targeted outreach and trusted referrals, ensuring you meet candidates who aren't just qualified, but genuinely aligned with your stage, culture, and ambitions.
In-Depth Candidate Evaluation
We conduct structured, in-depth interviews to assess each candidate’s career trajectory, leadership capabilities, and financial expertise. This isn’t just about ticking technical boxes, we explore how candidates have responded to pressure, led through ambiguity, and added value in previous high-growth environments. We look at their decision-making style, communication approach, and ability to influence at the board level. Our goal is to ensure each shortlisted candidate not only meets the demands of the role but also aligns with your company's vision, values, and pace of growth.
Shortlisting & Interview Coordination
We present the best-qualified candidates in a detailed shortlist, highlighting their experience, strategic fit, and value-add. Alongside the shortlist, we’ll share strategic observations from the market - covering candidate motivations, DE&I representation, and helping you assess both fit and inclusivity in your hiring process. From there, we coordinate further interview rounds, ensuring seamless communication between you and potential candidates.
Incorporating your Feedback
After each round of interviews, we capture and reflect on your feedback to refine our search and shortlist. We use this to recalibrate where needed, whether it’s leadership style, sector experience, or communication fit, to ensure we’re only progressing candidates who align with your expectations. We also share insight into how your employer brand and opportunity are resonating with candidates, giving you real-time data to inform your positioning and decision-making.
Financial Selection & Offer Management
Once you’ve identified the perfect candidate, we manage the offer process end-to-end - ensuring communication is smooth, expectations are aligned, and momentum is maintained through to acceptance. We support both sides through final negotiations and help coordinate onboarding to set your new hire up for success. With Zanda’s Retained Search, you benefit from a 6-month guarantee and flexible payment structures, giving you confidence that your investment is protected and your candidate is positioned for long-term impact.
Placement Aftercare
Our partnership doesn’t end with an offer. We stay in close contact through onboarding and beyond, checking in with you and your finance leader during their first months to ensure expectations are being met on both sides. From cultural integration to early wins, we’re here to help your new finance leader hit the ground running. Beyond the placement, your new hire becomes part of our wider finance network - giving them access to ongoing support through roundtables, masterclasses, and learning and development opportunities such as our FutureCFO programme and CFO mentorship, all designed to help them continue growing in the role.
SUBMIT A VACANCY
Whether you’re hiring your first CFO or evolving your requirement ahead of an IPO or require interim support during a key transition, we're here to help. With a 100% track record on retained assignments and a 53% shorter delivery time than the CFO Search firm average, we deliver results quickly, without compromising quality or fit.
OUR SPECIALISMS
SAAS
Scalable financial operations, revenue forecasting, and unit economics are key drivers of SaaS growth. We connect you with finance leaders fluent in metrics like ARR, MRR, CAC, LTV, churn, and who can build models that support either product-led or enterprise GTM strategies. From your first Finance Manager to a strategic SaaS CFO, we match you with professionals who drive financial clarity and investor confidence.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
As AI cements its place at the forefront of tech innovation, startups in this space must balance significant R&D investment with the demands of rapid commercialization. We will connect you with finance leaders who understand the complexities of data monetization, model scalability, and ethical governance, and who can support ambitious growth while navigating a shifting regulatory and funding landscape.
HEALTHTECH
In HealthTech and Biotech, financial leaders must navigate regulatory hurdles, clinical trial costs, and healthcare reimbursement models, often alongside complex IP and licensing strategies - all while maintaining financial visibility and capital efficiency. We place experienced finance leaders who work hand-in-hand with R&D, ops, and legal teams to ensure your financial strategy supports both compliance and innovation.
FINTECH
FinTech startups operate at the intersection of speed and regulation, so we understand that you need a finance leader who can manage both regulatory compliance and scalable infrastructure. We can connect you with finance leaders who are comfortable working with multi-jurisdictional regulations, embedded finance models, and complex funding structures, bringing structure to fast-moving, often regulated environments.
CONSUMERTECH
From D2C brands to marketplaces and subscription models, ConsumerTech startups need finance leaders who can make sense of fast-moving revenue streams, CAC/LTV dynamics, and inventory or supply chain complexity. We place finance talent who are fluent in performance marketing analytics, operational margin tracking, and customer behavior metrics, helping founders understand what’s driving growth and how to sustain it.
CLEANTECH
Building a CleanTech company means navigating long sales cycles, complex regulatory landscapes, and capital-intensive growth. We find leaders who balance sustainability with scalability and build investor confidence in mission-led businesses. Facing capital-intensive models, hardware-software integration, or complex ESG reporting? We place finance professionals with deep expertise in cash flow planning, grants and subsidies, R&D tax credits, and climate-linked KPIs.
BIOTECH/DEEPTECH
DeepTech and Biotech ventures demand finance leaders who thrive in long R&D cycles, grant funding environments, and IP-heavy landscapes. We place finance leaders who can navigate complex capitalization strategies, work closely with technical teams, and manage financial planning through high-risk, high-reward innovation paths.
WEB3 & GAMING
In Web3 and Gaming volatility, community dynamics, and digital asset models reshape traditional financial operations. Our finance talent in this sector will be fluent in tokenomics, virtual economies, and evolving revenue models, and will be leaders who bring structure to high-growth, fast-shifting industries where transparency and adaptability are key.
OUR SERVICES
We understand that no two startups have the same finance needs, so we offer flexible, tailored services to match your stage of growth. Whether you're hiring your first finance lead, evolving your CFO requirement ahead of an IPO or require interim support during a key transition, learn more about how we can help below.
CFO Search
We connect startup founders with strategic CFOs who do more than manage the numbers...they raise capital, drive growth, and guide your business through critical milestones. Whether it’s your first CFO or an iteration, we tailor every search to your stage, strategy, and long-term goals.
At Zanda, we understand that hiring a CFO isn’t just about headcount, it’s about readiness. Some startups need their first senior finance leader to establish financial discipline and investor confidence; others need a seasoned operator to steer through a fundraise, M&A, or international expansion. Whatever your stage, we help you assess what ‘CFO ready’ looks like for your business today and what you’ll need to scale over the next few years.
Our network includes experienced CFOs with deep sector expertise from SaaS and FinTech to ConsumerTech, EdTech, and beyond. We know the CFOs who understand marketplace complexity, government funding models, and the operational rigour behind scaling B2B platforms. Whether you’re navigating rapid growth, gearing up for Series B, or expanding internationally, we’ll introduce you to CFOs who’ve done it before and who can lead you through the process again.
Senior Finance Talent
We help you build out high-performing finance teams by placing exceptional senior leaders, including FP&A heads, Finance Directors, VPs, and Controllers who can support your CFO and strengthen your finance function as you scale.
Whether you’re a CFO building out your team or a founder not yet ready for an executive hire, we’ll help you find the right senior finance talent to match your needs and stage. These are professionals who bring rigour to reporting, clarity to forecasting, and structure to fast-moving finance teams. They’re hands-on, commercially minded, and capable of delivering meaningful impact from day one.
We’re proud to have supported leading tech startups across the UK, US, and Europe to build out their finance function with leaders who can manage multi-entity consolidation, streamline reporting processes, and build models for new product lines or international expansion. They bring the specialist experience that helps ambitious companies move faster with more confidence.
Whether you need someone to bridge the gap until you hire a CFO, take ownership of day-to-day finance, or strengthen the foundations for scale, we’ll connect you with finance talent that drives results.
Fractional Support
Not every startup needs a full-time CFO, but every ambitious one needs access to high-quality financial leadership. Our fractional finance services give you flexible, cost-effective access to experienced finance professionals who can step in and drive impact when and where you need it most.
Startups have different financial needs at different stages of growth. Whether you're preparing for a fundraise, building your first financial model, or simply need more visibility into cash flow and runway, we’ll connect you with a fractional finance leader who fits your stage, sector, and priorities.
Our network of vetted, startup-focused professionals includes:
Fractional CFOs, Finance Directors, and Financial Controllers who bring the right level of seniority and expertise depending on your needs. From high-level strategy, investor relations, and long-term financial planning to forecasting, compliance, and day-to-day operations, we’ll match you with a finance leader who can plug into your business and make an immediate impact.
CFO Mentors who coach junior finance talent, improve financial literacy, and help founders build confidence with investors and boards.
We also support light-touch, project-based engagements, including:
Finance Health Checks to assess your financial foundations, uncover risks and opportunities, and improve cash flow and profitability.
Financial Modelling to build data-driven forecasts, scenario plans, and fundraising-ready models.
Whatever your needs, we’ll help you access the right level of finance expertise, on demand and built around your next milestone.
Interim Services
Whether you’re facing a leadership gap, preparing for a fundraise, or managing a complex transition, our interim finance leaders provide stability, clarity, and results without the long-term commitment.
Startups move fast, and not every challenge can wait for a permanent hire. During critical moments like fundraising, system overhauls, leadership exits, or sudden scaling, interim finance support can make the difference between disruption and momentum. Our network of experienced interim CFOs and senior finance consultants step in quickly to stabilise your finance function, solve problems efficiently, and guide your business through change.
Interim finance professionals are ideal for bridging the gap between permanent hires, supporting leadership transitions or maternity cover, leading fundraising or investor reporting processes, implementing systems and tools, managing acquisitions or restructures, expanding internationally, or mentoring and upskilling junior team members.
Zanda takes a strategic, outcome-focused approach to interim hiring. We assess your current finance structure, identify short to medium-term priorities, and connect you with an interim leader who brings exactly the right experience, whether that’s operational control, fundraising expertise, or scaling know-how.
You get flexible access to senior finance talent with zero compromise on quality. With the right interim support in place, you can maintain momentum, build resilience, and make decisions with confidence, even during periods of uncertainty.
CONTACT US
Hiring a CFO or searching for your next role? We help startups scale with strategic finance hires and support candidates ready for their next move. Get in touch, to learn more about our services, community or opportunities.
