Finance Leadership
CFO Executive Search in Ireland
Finance leaders for financial services, regulated and private equity backed businesses
Phoenix Search runs retained executive search for CFOs, Finance Directors and Heads of Finance across financial services, fund and corporate services, payments and fintech, and private equity and venture backed businesses. We also hire CFOs for international groups building or strengthening their Irish entity, and for Irish companies building finance functions in the US.
In a regulated firm the Head of Finance is a pre-approval controlled function, so the Central Bank of Ireland must approve the appointment before it takes effect. That changes the shortlist and the timetable, and we plan for it from the start.
The brief has moved on. Our Global CFO Survey 2026 found that only 26.6% of CFOs expect the global economy to improve in the first half of 2026, down from 49.5% in 2025, while 75.5% are confident in their organisation’s ability to navigate uncertainty. AI adoption among CFOs rose from 73.9% to 82.2% in a year, and 78.9% say they are actively balancing cost control with innovation and growth. Boards want finance leaders who protect cash, run a fast and reliable close, use automation properly and still back growth.
How we run a CFO search
Map the market. We map finance leaders by sector, ownership model and regulatory experience, so the shortlist reflects the business you run, not just the title.
Assess properly. Candidates are tested on technical depth, commercial judgement and, for regulated roles, fitness and probity readiness. Our search process pairs interviews with executive assessment and psychometrics.
Build top down. Finance functions work best when the CFO chooses the team. Where a client needs a full function, we hire the CFO first and then the team beneath them.
Close the hire. We benchmark compensation and incentives so offers land at market, and manage notice periods, which for senior finance roles are often long.
CFO and finance roles we search for
- Group CFOs, CFOs and Finance Directors
- Heads of Finance, including PCF roles at Central Bank regulated firms
- Combined CFO and COO roles
- Portfolio company CFOs, first-time and repeat private equity CFOs
- Heads of Tax, Financial Reporting and Fund Accounting
- US CFOs and finance leads for Irish companies expanding into the US
Sectors: fund administration and fund services, payments and fintech, private equity backed businesses, investment banking and corporate services. See also our financial officers practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CFO role a PCF role?
In a firm regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, the Head of Finance is a pre-approval controlled function, so the appointment needs Central Bank approval before it takes effect. We test candidates against fitness and probity expectations before they reach your shortlist and build the approval step into the timetable.
Should a private equity backed business hire a first-time or repeat PE CFO?
A CFO who has been through a full private equity cycle, from completion to exit, shortens the learning curve and reduces risk. A strong first-time candidate can bring more energy and sector depth but needs support from the sponsor’s operating team. Decide which risk you would rather carry before the search starts.
Do you recruit combined CFO and COO roles?
Yes. Growing private equity and venture capital firms often need one leader across finance and operations, and we have placed CFO/COO roles for both.
Can you hire a CFO for our US business?
Yes. We hire US finance leaders for Irish companies and build finance functions top down, starting with a retained CFO search.
