interim CFO

Location: Hybrid Weekly travel to Central Europe (2-3 days per week at HQ)
Start: ASAP
Contract: Interim (with potential interim-to-permanent)
Day Rate: Negotiable (aligned to large-cap, PE-backed complexity)

A large, international, private equity-backed group (c. €700m+ turnover) is seeking an Interim CFO to provide immediate leadership and stability during a transition period while a permanent appointment is made.

The business is operating a buy-and-build growth strategy, with regular M&A activity across Europe. The Interim CFO will play a central role not only in core financial stewardship, but also in supporting transactions and ensuring disciplined post-merger integration.

This is a role requiring a senior finance leader who can operate credibly at board and investor level, act as a trusted right hand to the CEO, and simultaneously adopt a hands on, in the trenches approach to ensure accuracy, control, and momentum.

• Ensure accuracy, integrity, and consistency of financial numbers across the group

• Improve forecasting quality, cash flow visibility, and working capital discipline

• Support and shape M&A activity, from diligence through integration

• Professionalise the finance function to large-cap, PE-backed standards

• Provide confident leadership through transition, supporting continuity and handover to a permanent CFO

• Act as a core member of the executive leadership team and strategic partner to the CEO

• Provide commercial insight to support growth, capital allocation, and value creation

• Lead board level and investor style reporting, including performance, cash, and covenant metrics

• Support longer term finance strategy, organisation design, and capability development

• Own group financial reporting, ensuring robust controls, reconciliations, and data integrity

• Oversee month end, quarter end, and year end close across multiple entities and jurisdictions

• Ensure compliance with local statutory, tax, and regulatory requirements

• Standardise accounting policies, reporting formats, and governance across the group

• Stabilise and improve short , medium , and long term forecasting accuracy

• Drive improved working capital performance (AR, AP, inventory, cash conversion cycle)

• Enhance management information, KPIs, and dashboards to support operational decision making

• Challenge assumptions and translate financial data into actionable insight

• Act as the finance lead on M&A activity, working closely with the CEO and deal teams

• Support financial due diligence, valuation analysis, and deal structuring

• Assess target businesses' financial quality, systems, controls, and working capital profiles

• Identify deal risks, synergies, and integration considerations pre close

• Support rapid assessment of bolt on opportunities in line with the group's growth strategy

• Lead or oversee post merger integration from a finance perspective

• Ensure timely integration of:

  • Financial reporting and close processes

  • Accounting policies and controls

  • Forecasting, budgeting, and KPI frameworks

  • Cash management and working capital practices

• Support integration of finance teams, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and operating cadence

• Track delivery of deal assumptions, synergies, and integration milestones

• Balance pace of integration with business continuity and operational realities

• Lead elements of finance transformation, including:

  • Process standardisation and simplification

  • Strengthening of finance operating rhythm and controls

  • Improving data quality, systems usage, and reporting outputs

• Be close to the detail where needed, particularly in newly acquired or under developed entities

• Step into problem areas to resolve issues pragmatically and at pace

• Build capability within the existing finance leadership team

• Proven Interim CFO or senior CFO experience within large cap organisations (€700m+ turnover)

• Strong track record in PE backed and/or acquisitive buy and build environments

• Hands on experience supporting M&A transactions and post merger integration

• International, multi entity experience across European operations

• Demonstrable success improving:

  • Forecasting and cash visibility

  • Working capital performance

  • Finance control and reporting at scale

• Gravitas to operate at board and investor level, with a pragmatic delivery mindset

• Commercial, outcomes focused, and comfortable operating in ambiguity

• Able to build credibility quickly with senior stakeholders and finance teams

• Willing to operate both strategically and operationally as required

• Willing and able to travel weekly to Central Europe (2-3 days on site)

• Available to start immediately or at short notice

• Open to interim or interim to permanent arrangements