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Obtaining an Interim Finance Leader While Searching for a Permanent CFO: 5 Factors for Success

By: John Hanssler, SeatonHill CFO Partner


Hiring a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is one of the most consequential decisions for a company’s leadership. The CFO doesn’t just run the finance department; they help shape strategy, influence culture, and serve as a key partner to the CEO and board. No matter the reason, the hiring process can be lengthy, leaving critical weeks or months without leadership in place before a permanent CFO is hired and onboarded. Considering an Interim CFO to fill this vacancy during the search period is a strategic imperative for long-term success.


More than just a placeholder, the right Interim CFO can stabilize and improve operations, maintain momentum, and help a company select and seamlessly onboard their permanent CFO. While an Interim CFO is a shorter-term leader, there are several key factors to consider for a successful partnership.


With that in mind, here are 5 essential elements to look for when engaging an Interim CFO.


  1. Crisis and Change Management Experience for Stabilization: Stabilizing a potentially unsteady ship is the first task for an Interim CFO. In a situation that may be shifting or uncertain, they must deliver stability, clarity, and continuity. Whether it is managing working capital, supervising audits, or reassuring investors and banking partners, the right Interim CFO restores balance and instills confidence. Seeking a CFO who has handled similar changes and knows how to promptly evaluate and reduce risks, while avoiding further disturbance, ensures a more successful transition when the permanent CFO is hired.

  2. Competence in Finance Operations and Strategy: The best interim leaders focus forward and know how to balance action with restraint, delivering insights and recommendations with alignment from the board and/or CEO before committing to any major changes. They must also be operationally oriented with a strong grasp of core finance principles and functions, including FP&A, controllership, treasury, and risk management, having the ability to spot and correct gaps in people, processes, and systems. While the permanent CFO’s mandate will be more focused on long-term strategy, seeking an Interim CFO who has experience in strategy with a strength in finance operations is vital to stabilization during this transitional period.

  3. Adaptability to Company Stage and Sector: Interim leaders must match the company’s growth stage and industry dynamics to hit the ground running. A startup seeking funding has very different needs from a private equity-backed portfolio company or a publicly traded entity. One size does not fit all. Look for relevant experience to shorten ramp-up time to ensure an immediate impact.

  4. Transformational Thinking: In addition to maintaining continuity, seasoned interim leaders can influence transformational thinking, particularly in how the company measures and drives performance. One powerful but underutilized tool is Throughput Accounting, a methodology derived from the Theory of Constraints. Unlike traditional cost accounting, which often incentivizes local optimization and cost-cutting, throughput accounting emphasizes maximizing profitability throughout the entire interrelated business system, enabling an Interim CFO to:

    • Identify organizational bottlenecks and focus financial decision-making around constraint-based thinking.

    • Shift the mindset from cutting costs to Throughput maximization or increasing velocity and flow, while aligning financial KPIs with operational performance.

    • Lay the foundation for scalable decision-making that the incoming permanent CFO can expand upon.

    This kind of financial leadership transforms the finance function from a backward-looking scorekeeper to a forward-focused business partner, which is invaluable in growth-stage or operationally complex environments.

  5. Hiring and Transition Support: Effective interim leaders not only hold the line, they also help the company prepare for the arrival of their permanent CFO. This can include creating the CFO job description, vetting potential candidates, or identifying restructuring opportunities. The right interim leader will also plan for and assist with onboarding the newly hired CFO, ensuring a smooth transition and increasing the likelihood of a successful outcome.

    A good Interim CFO can be a strategic bridge that enhances the long-term success of the company and its new finance leader. By choosing an interim leader with the right mix of experience, the permanent CFO will walk into a cleaner, clearer, and more strategically aligned finance organization that is ready to scale.

John Hanssler is a SeatonHill Partner and seasoned Interim CFO who partners with high-growth and mid-market companies during periods of transition. With deep expertise in financial operations, strategic planning, and performance-driven transformation, Hanssler specializes in turning uncertainty into opportunity.



ABOUT SEATONHILL PARTNERS, LP


SeatonHill provides organizations’ financial leadership with a strategic and operational focus by placing elite CFO talent to challenge the business and contribute to operational decisions to achieve results.  With our curated talent, our financial leaders guide small and medium-sized businesses through complex financial problems to mitigate risk and achieve organizational goals.

 

We are the fastest-growing CFO services firm in the nation, offering the power of combined thought leadership and the support of the country’s top financial talent to the benefit of all our clients.  SeatonHill has offices in  Atlanta, Austin/San Antonio, Birmingham, Boston, Cedar Rapids, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Madison, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Princeton, Raleigh, Savannah, Tallahassee, Tampa/Sarasota, Washington DC. 



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