Chief Financial Officer

Talent4; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A high-growth consumer and leisure business is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join its executive board. This pivotal role requires a commercially minded leader who will act as a strategic partner to the CEO and Board, responsible for financial leadership, performance insight, and governance. The ideal candidate will have board-level experience in a scaling business and will lead areas such as budgeting, forecasting, and strategic initiatives including M&A. This position offers an opportunity to shape the next phase of growth in an entrepreneurial environment.

Qualifications

• Proven senior finance leader with board-level experience.
• Hands-on, detail-oriented with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Able to build trust across teams and partners.

Responsibilities

• Shape and execute the group’s growth and capital strategy.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting.
• Provide performance insights, KPIs, risks, and opportunities.
• Partner on strategic initiatives including M&A.
• Manage cash flow, working capital, and banking relationships.

Skills

Finance leadership

Strategic thinking

M&A experience

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Education

Strong academic finance background

Job description

Our client is a high-growth, internationally operating consumer and leisure business and they are seeking to appoint a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join its executive board. The company is profitable, ambitious, and at an inflection point, with continued organic growth alongside potential strategic initiatives including international expansion and M&A. This is a pivotal leadership role for a commercially minded CFO who enjoys operating close to the business, influencing strategy, and helping shape the next phase of growth within an entrepreneurial environment.

The Role

The CFO will act as a strategic partner to the CEO and Board, with full responsibility for financial leadership, performance insight, governance, and value creation. The role combines board-level influence with hands-on ownership of financial planning, control, and decision support.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Shaping and executing the group’s growth and capital strategy
• Leading budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting across the business
• Providing clear insight into performance drivers, KPIs, risks, and opportunities
• Partnering on strategic initiatives including M&A, investment decisions, and international development
• Managing cash flow, working capital, funding structures, and banking relationships
• Ensuring robust financial controls, governance, and readiness for future transactions
• Overseeing FX exposure, international tax considerations, and transfer pricing
• Supporting and challenging senior leaders across commercial and operational functions

Candidate Profile

• The ideal candidate will be a proven senior finance leader with board-level experience in a scaling or entrepreneurial business.
• Strong academic and professional finance background
• Commercially astute, strategic, and comfortable working at pace
• Experience supporting M&A, complex transactions, or transformational initiatives
• Hands-on, detail-oriented when required, with the gravitas to influence senior stakeholders
• Able to build trust across teams, investors, lenders, and external partners
• Experience in consumer, leisure, travel, or service-led sectors is advantageous but not essential.