Straight answers to real questions about CFO careers and executive finance recruitment
Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m the VP Finance of a $300mm TSX listed software services firm. My Director of Financial Reporting resigned a couple of months ago and since I don’t have the bench strength to replace her from within, I needed to go outside the firm to recruit for this position. As I [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m the owner-manager of a small but rapidly growing food services business. We have a controller who’s been handling my accounting since we started the company six years ago. However, I realized a few months ago that because of our growth curve and ambitions for the future that [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I own a $35mm environmental remediation company and I’m in the market for a VP Finance to replace the incumbent who’s leaving for greener pastures. I was thinking about using an executive search firm to do a search for me but before I actually did anything about it [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I run a family owned commercial construction company and we’re recently had to go to the market to recruit a new CFO to replace the incumbent who’s retiring in a few months. I posted the position on LinkedIn and I’m currently in the process of sorting through all the [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I hired a new Director of Finance about a year ago. The person we brought on board seemed fine in the first couple of months but now I’m having some doubts. He did seem to be a bit on the quiet side when I interviewed him but I [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m the COO of a $45 million owner managed industrial tool manufacturer out in Mississauga. The company is run by the three brothers who started the firm twenty five years ago. Our Vice President, Finance resigned a few months ago and I’m having a heck of time trying to [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for a big box retailer with stores right across Canada. I haven’t had occasion to hire for a few years but recently we’ve needed to recruit a Senior Financial Analyst to replace someone who’s been promoted out of my department. I’m [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m a second year Manager in the Assurance Services practice of a Big 4 firm. I don’t have any aspirations to make a career out of public accounting so I think it’s time for me to leave the nest and look at a career in industry. I’ve done a [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I am the Vice President, Human Resources in a $100mm high tech, TSX listed, manufacturing firm in Markham. Our CFO has asked my assistance in recruiting someone for a newly created Director of Finance role. She’s given me a lengthy laundry list of attributes and qualifications for the type of [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’ve just joined a $600 million retail company as their CFO. Among other things, I was given a mandate to sort out the finance department. To make a long story short, I’m going to have to get rid of a lot of driftwood at all levels and bring in [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m CFO of a very large, diversified Canadian company and I’m trying to fill a newly created position of vice president, acquisitions. I’m very fortunate in that we have a lot of financial bench strength in our organization and I’ve had quite a few senior people express interest in the [...]
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Straight Answers to Real Questions Question: I’m the Vice President, Finance for a $60mm CPG manufacturer in Vaughan. The company’s been doing quite well but the owners are getting close to retirement age and are talking about looking for a strategic buyer. The new owners, whoever they may be, may want to keep me [...]
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