Build the Team, Not Just the Hire: A Finance Leader's Guide to the Next Twelve Months
A practical guide for CFOs and Finance Directors on building a finance function over the next year, not just filling a single vacancy.
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Building a Finance Team
How to structure and scale a finance function as the business grows, and which roles to hire in what order.
26 articles
Why PE Portfolio CFOs Now Move In Threes, Not Ones
Portfolio CFOs increasingly arrive with a controller and an FP&A lead. Here is why PE-backed boards now hire finance leadership as a small team.
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The Signs Your Transactional Team Has Outgrown Its Structure
How to spot when your transactional finance team has outgrown its structure, and the practical fixes that free up your week.
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The Most Under-Hired Finance Role In The Mid-Market Right Now
The Head of FP&A is the most under-hired finance role in the mid-market. Here is why it matters, when to hire, and what good looks like.
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Interim Cover Is Not a Failure: When a Contractor Buys You the Right Permanent Hire
Why bringing in an interim to cover a finance gap protects your standards and buys you time to make the right permanent hire.
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How to Interview a Head of Finance When You Are the Only Finance Person in the Room
A practical guide for CFOs and FDs interviewing a Head of Finance solo, with tests, questions and structure to hire the layer below you well.
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Sequencing Hires as You Scale: What to Add at 20m, 50m and 100m Revenue
How finance leaders should sequence team hires across 20m, 50m and 100m revenue, and which roles actually free up your week at each stage.
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Talent Spotlight: London Financial Controllers Who Have Scaled a Team Through Growth
What separates London Financial Controllers who can scale a team through growth, and how to spot them when you hire the layer below you.
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Why The Best Finance Function Redesigns Start With The CFO Job Spec
The strongest finance function redesigns begin with the CFO job spec. Here is why the spec sets the ceiling for every hire, system and process below it.
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Should Your Financial Controller Be Technical or Commercial? You Cannot Have Both Junior
A senior recruiter's honest take for finance leaders on whether your next Financial Controller should be technical or commercial, and why junior means one.
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CASE STUDY: How a 30m Scale Up Built Its Finance Function From One Hire to Twelve
How one finance leader grew a team from a single hire to twelve as revenue scaled to 30m, with the sequence, timing and lessons behind each role.
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Why a Diverse Finance Team Makes Better Numbers, Not Just Better Optics
A diverse finance team spots errors faster and challenges weak assumptions. Here is how variety in the layer below you improves the numbers.
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CASE STUDY: £150m Manufacturing Business Where The New CFO Redesigned The Team In 30 Days
How a new CFO at a £150m manufacturer restructured the finance function in 30 days, and what the board learned about hiring for change.
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Hiring for a Function That Will Double: Build for the Business You Are Becoming
How to hire finance roles for a function set to double, building for the business you are becoming rather than the one you have today.
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The Most Common Mis-Hire Finance Leaders Make at the Financial Controller Level
The most common Financial Controller mis-hire is picking a technical accountant when your team needs an operator. Here is how to spot it before you offer.
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Head of FP&A vs FP&A Manager: The Difference Is Not Just Seniority
A CFO's practical guide to the real difference between a Head of FP&A and an FP&A Manager, and how to hire the right one for your team.
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The Transactional Team Is Not an Afterthought, It Is Your Foundation
Why your transactional finance team underpins reporting, forecasting and your own week, and how to hire and structure it well.
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What Good Actually Looks Like in a Financial Controller in 2026
A practical guide for CFOs and Finance Directors on what a strong Financial Controller delivers in 2026, and how to hire and spot one.
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How to Structure a Transactional Finance Team That Scales Past 100m Revenue
A practical guide for CFOs and FDs on structuring a transactional finance team that scales cleanly past 100m revenue without adding headcount blindly.
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CASE STUDY: How a 45m Turnover SaaS Business Sequenced Its First Three Finance Hires
How a 45m SaaS finance leader sequenced their first three hires: Financial Controller, FP&A Manager, then Financial Accountant. A practical case study.
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Why Your Head of FP&A Should Not Report Into Your Financial Controller
Your Head of FP&A and your Financial Controller do different jobs. Making one report to the other quietly weakens both. Here is why, and what to do.
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When To Add A Head Of FP&A, And What Changes When You Do
When to add a Head of FP&A to your finance team, the signals that say it's time, and what shifts in your week once the role lands.
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When to Hire a Financial Controller and When You Actually Need a Head of Finance
A practical guide for CFOs and FDs on choosing between a Financial Controller and a Head of Finance, with clear signals for each hire.
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The Finance Hire That Gives A CFO Their Week Back
The right number two frees a CFO from month-end firefighting. Here is the hire that gives you your week back, and how to get it right.
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How To Hire A Financial Controller Who Takes Work Off Your Plate
A finance leader's guide to hiring a Financial Controller who owns the close, runs the team, and genuinely frees up your week.
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FC Or Head Of Finance? Which Your Function Actually Needs Next
A practical guide for CFOs and FDs deciding whether to hire a Financial Controller or a Head of Finance for the layer below them.
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