Interim Finance Leaders: Rising demand is creating a seller’s market

Over the first quarter of this year, we have seen a significant increase in demand for Interim Professionals. Across the Finance Practice we have seen a 51% increase in demand driven by clients failing to attract a permanent hire, meaning many have had no choice but to opt for an Interim. The market has changed dramatically with demand outstripping supply for highly commercially minded finance leaders. Technical competency, an ability to drive and define the commercial agenda, and the experience to assess and refine a business plan are all sought after by CEO’s.

Due to the buoyancy of the market, many Interim CFOs and Finance Directors are turning down interim projects due to the fact that the opportunities are not enticing enough. Many clients are trying to drive greater commercial insight into their leadership team and are opting to recruit out of their industry sector to ensure cognitive diversity.

We have experienced significant demand from our clients across the Retail and Manufacturing sector, who are facing ever-increasing competitiveness on an international scale. This is forcing the boardroom to radically review business operations and often redefine their target operating model.

For many clients, the role of the CFO and Finance Director has dramatically changed, with many clients wanting evidence of where individuals have delivered significant financial returns through commercial insight. Core skills of influencing at board level and demonstrating the delivery of change and transformation projects, often around ERP systems, is now a regular occurrence, thus driving greater commercial insight through better visibility and assessment.

The majority of our clients across both FTSE and AIM listed organisations require a more commercially orientated finance leadership team, achieving a greater degree of diversity of thought around the boardroom table. With that in mind, clients are being more open-minded on sector-specific expertise, opting for individuals with strong leadership and people development skills, as well as the ability to manage an international workforce.

Click to view all articles for the EPIC:
Or click to view the full company profile:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Norman-Broadbent-Plc

More articles like this

Norman Broadbent Plc

Norman Broadbent Safe Bet? Shortlisting in Procurement

Business leadership often mandates that new hires come from a specific industry or category background to try to reduce risk. It is considered the “safe” way to hire, and sometimes it may well be necessary. But

Norman Broadbent Plc

Talent & Market Intelligence

This month, customer insight – the holy grail of retail and consumer marketing – has been a “red thread” through a number of our client discussions. Indisputably, we live in an age where personal data is

Norman Broadbent Plc

Insurance Update Trends in Digital

The global insurance market is in the midst of a game-changing course correction that will re-define ‘business as usual.’  A ‘digital first’ urgency is sweeping across the industry driven by a new generation of consumers, data,

Norman Broadbent Plc

“It’s all in the mind (set)…”

“There are two types of people in this world…” is a common opening line for many jokes and internet memes. However, it was over 30 years ago that Carol Dweck identified a stark difference in resilience

Norman Broadbent Plc

Identifying long-term talent in the UK water sector

With an upcoming election potentially dictating radical changes, it’s an unsettling time in the UK water sector as we approach AMP7. The potential of nationalisation, aligned with competition for talent across other major infrastructure sectors (think

Norman Broadbent Plc

Stop Wasting Money …

How often have you been involved in hiring a senior executive when it only becomes clear mid-way through the (expensive) executive search what is really required? You aren’t alone as research shows 37% of all executive searches fail. 

Norman Broadbent Plc

Next Generation Leaders

When identifying potential future leaders, it is the conventional organisation and commercial needs that dominate the particular sector or functional role requirements. This answers the question of what we require today, but not necessarily what we

Norman Broadbent Plc

Flexible working – attracting and retaining talent

The financial services and insurance sector suffers from a higher median gender pay gap than any other sector of the economy. Prina Mashru, head of human resources at Konsileo, argues that for women in the sector,

Norman Broadbent Plc

To target real diversity, ask the workers

Booking.com, the Dutch-headquartered travel company, has come top for workplace diversity and inclusion in a new ranking of European employers by the Financial Times and research partner Statista, followed by American consumer goods multinational Colgate-Palmolive, and

Norman Broadbent Plc

Why Diversity is important

The CFO and their finance function are operating in a new and ever changing world. Organisations face almost unprecedented uncertainty, and the business environment is more complex, and evolving at a pace not seen before. In

Norman Broadbent Plc

Industrials: Interim Update

Across the Industrials sector, Norman Broadbent’s Interim CFO Practice has supported a multitude of clients seeking advice, market insight, and benchmarking for singular and project hires. With Brexit negotiations going down to the wire, and increased

Norman Broadbent Plc

“All Change”

Despite the fact that the Williams Review is yet to be published, we were given a glimpse of what to expect in the State Opening of Parliament last month. For the rail sector, the headline of

Norman Broadbent Plc

Oil & Gas Review

Norman Broadbent plc (LON:NBB) is a leading Professional Services firm offering five interrelated Talent Acquisition & Advisory Services: Board & Leadership/Executive Search, Senior Interim Management, Research & Insight, Leadership Consulting & Assessment, and executive level Recruitment

Norman Broadbent Plc

D2C Retailing – Evolution or Revolution?

Direct to consumer retailers have been the success story of the 2010s. Brands such as Harry’s, Caspar, Made.com, and others, have gone from fledgling start-ups to agile VC backed businesses. As they continue to evolve, market expectations are

Norman Broadbent Plc

Making work more “Human”

For many senior leaders, keeping things practical and focussed in order to achieve tangible yet meaningful stretch goals is a norm few would disagree with. However, for all levels of management, success is as much about