Our Client:
An iconic fashion brand with wholesale, retail and ecommerce distribution.
The Situation:
With their long-standing Chief Financial Officer planning his retirement, our client engaged Noto Group to search for his successor. Our challenge was to find a CFO who would appreciate and champion the sustainability and people-focused values of the company from the financial side of the business. The exiting CFO had been with the company from its start, so we set out to identify a leader that could learn from his wealth of institutional knowledge, while bringing external expertise to be an active contributor their growth strategy.
Noto Expertise
Our client had limited experience working with a search firm, so a key part of our role was to collaborate with the hiring team on developing the search parameters and process including competencies, interview guides, facilitative debrief tools and timeline. We initiated a comprehensive dialogue within the team to help the, articulate the fit elements of an ideal candidate.
Next, we developed a selection filter and methodology for our initial interviews as well as client interviews. In this case, the CFO would need to be a strategic forward looking leader and be a considerate participant in the company’s deliberate and thoughtful decision-making culture.
Result
While the hiring team was initially open to candidates outside of the industry that had strong cultural alignment, we quickly discovered that a CFO with wholesale, retail, and ecommerce expertise was necessary to be a key player in driving the long-term goals of the business. By representing the client and position authentically and working with the hiring team on their definition of fit, we were able to recruit an amazing candidate with both the functional expertise and the ability to lead from their values.
