The Brief

Marlin Hawk was retained by a private-equity backed industrials company who is a leader in heating system planning, installation, and financing, to find its new Chief Financial Officer. As they work to advance the energy revolution, our client needed a CFO who could serve as the Chief Business Planner and Controller who demonstrated strong convictions towards the company's mission. Reporting directly into the CEO, this role was key to leading the company’s budgets, financial KPIs, cash flow, and accurate forecasts.

Our Approach

We commenced our search with more experienced CFOs and divisional finance leaders in traditional German corporate sectors such as OEMs, energy and FMCG businesses while focusing on gender diversity. We quickly expanded to include more general senior finance professionals based in Germany with “blue chip” training and core experience. We simultaneously began to expand our search for more controllership & technical accounting orientated candidates in the relative sectors who could fit the rising-star profile.

The Result

Over the course of the rest of the search, we expanded our geographical scope to Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxemburg, as well as turn our attention to start-ups and their current CFOs. Ultimately, the client extended an offer to an experienced C-suite executive with direct experience in the renewables and sustainability landscape. They previously served as the Chief Financial & Value Officer for an integrated supplier of renewable energy production from the sun, wind and biomass, with years of experience at the supply level for mobility, heat and industry.