A confidential CFO, appointed in 31 days.

A fast-growing non-banking financial company was about to raise its next round — and needed a CFO who could stand in front of investors and regulators with total authority. The catch: the search had to stay entirely off the radar.

The brief

The board had decided to upgrade the finance function ahead of a major capital raise. The incoming CFO would need deep NBFC and regulatory experience, the gravitas to lead investor conversations, and the operating rigour to scale controls as the business grew.

Crucially, the incumbent was still in seat. The search could not become public knowledge — not to the market, and not internally.

The challenge

• A small, exceptional talent pool — senior NBFC finance leaders who are almost never on the market.
• Absolute confidentiality, with no leakage to the team, the market or competitors.
• A tight window dictated by the fundraise timeline.
• A board that, rightly, would not compromise on quality.

"We needed three people we could genuinely see in the role — not a long list to wade through. SForce understood that from the first conversation."

Our approach

This was a senior-led, retained search run on a strict need-to-know basis. A partner from our executive practice owned the mandate end to end, with a dedicated researcher mapping the market in the background.

1 · Calibrate with the board

We spent time with the chair and lead investor to pin down the real success profile — not a generic CFO spec, but the specific blend of regulatory credibility and scale experience this business needed.

2 · Map discreetly

We built a confidential map of every credible CFO and CFO-ready number two across comparable NBFCs, and approached them personally — never through job posts or public channels.

3 · Assess for the board, not the brief

Each finalist went through structured leadership assessment and discreet referencing, so the board met three people it could appoint with confidence — not a pile of CVs to sort.

The outcome

The board interviewed three finalists and extended an offer that was accepted within 31 days of the search beginning. Confidentiality held throughout — the appointment was announced on the board's terms, alongside the fundraise. The placement is backed by our 12-month leadership guarantee.

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