Client: Established “Good for You” food start-up
Industry: Refrigerated & Perishable Goods
Search Focus: Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Leadership and Strategy
Location: United States
The Challenge: Find a CFO to Bring Financial Discipline & Strategic Foresight
Our client had experienced explosive growth over the past several years. With national retail expansion, increasing manufacturing complexity, and rising interest from strategic investors, the leadership team recognized the need for a CFO who could bring both financial discipline and strategic foresight to the business. The business was becoming more complex and needed a next-level leader to help build financial structure for continued growth.
This wasn’t just a numbers role; our client needed a finance leader with:
- Experience scaling finance functions in a fast-growth CPG environment
- Strong command of forecasting, budgeting, and scenario modeling
- M&A readiness and experience working with private equity or strategic acquirers
- A culture fit for a brand with an entrepreneurial spirit and loyal fanbase
The Search
We launched a national search, focused on CPG financial executives with both operational depth and strategic experience. Knowing the importance of cultural alignment, we prioritized candidates with a history of working in founder-led or rapidly scaling brands, especially in refrigerated and perishable goods.
The ideal candidate would bring a strong track record of financial leadership in the CPG sector, with hands-on experience in high-growth lean environments. The company highly valued experience navigating complex manufacturing and distribution models, as well as M&A or exit transactions.
Our shortlist included candidates with CFO and VP-level experience at:
- High-growth food startups
- Private equity-backed natural/organic CPG companies
- Brands that had successfully navigated acquisition, fundraising, or IPO
Each candidate was fully vetted not just for technical competence, but for leadership style, agility, and ability to build and lead a lean finance team.
The Outcome: Dynamic CFO with 20 Years of Experience
Our client selected a dynamic CFO with over 20 years of progressive experience in the food industry:
- Leading financial strategy through multiple rounds of private equity investment
- Building integrated FP&A systems to support better decision-making across functions
- Partnering with operations and sales to improve margins while sustaining rapid growth
- Proven success in preparing companies for acquisition or outside investment
- The personality to be hands-on, extremely collaborative, and excited to jump into a little chaos
Within six months, the new CFO had established clear financial reporting protocols, strengthened internal controls, and helped position the company for its next stage of strategic growth. She also has had a fantastic journey building strong relationships with the team and became passionate about the brands mission.
Let’s Connect
Need high-quality leaders for your company, such as a CFO? Contact TCH Resource & Recruitment today, and we can make a plan for your success.
