How are CFO search fees structured?

Retained search fees are typically a percentage of the first-year cash compensation of the role being placed, billed in thirds over the search lifecycle. The exact percentage and structure depend on role seniority and search complexity.

Finance & Accounting Executive Search

Finance leaders for a new era

Q: How long does a CFO search take?

Our median CFO search closes in 109 days. The fastest 25% close in under 90 days; the slowest 25% take more than 145 days. Speed correlates with how clearly the brief is defined, not with the firm.

Q: What is the difference between a CFO and a Chief Accounting Officer?

The CFO owns strategic finance, including fundraising, board, and capital allocation. The CAO owns the close, the audit, and accounting policy. In smaller companies the CFO does both; once you cross ~$50M revenue or near a public offering, you need both.

Recruit CFOs, Chief Accounting Officers, or Controllers equipped for the modern transparency and board governance today's market demands.

Start a Search Meet Our Partners

95% Referral Rate

4.9 out of 5 rating

105 median days to close

400+ Searches

The Function

Finance & Accounting
executive search

94% of executives in our 2026 research say AI is reshaping their role, and in finance that shows up as a widening mandate. The CFO who closes the round is now expected to model the AI workforce and defend the audit in the same conversation, and the leaders who do all three well are a small population.

As median private equity hold periods have stretched from 4.3 to 6.4 years, the premium has moved to a CFO who can build enterprise value across a longer arc, and we have run more than 400 finance and accounting searches, so the partner on yours already knows who is ready and reachable.

Source: ON Partners Widening Gap, 2026, Deloitte CFO Signals Q4 2025, Bain Global Private Equity Report 2025

Role in this function

Finance & accounting isn’t one job. It’s a stack.

Six roles. Different mandates, different talent pools, different timing. We’ve placed across all of them, and our partners know which combination your company actually needs at this stage.

The Most Searched Role

Chief Financial Officer

The CFO brief keeps widening. Boards want a strategist who can hold their own in the room, sponsors want someone who has carried a company through diligence and exit, and the business still needs the close to run clean. We map this market continuously, so when you open a search we already know who is ready for your stage and who only looks ready on paper.

Visit our CFO Page

A sample of our work in this area

The Role

CAO & Corporate Controller

This is the talent pool that owns the close, the controls, and the audit, whether the title is Controller at a growth-stage company or Chief Accounting Officer at a global public one. When reporting complexity outgrows the CFO's calendar, this is the hire that buys it back. We've placed the seat at every scale, from PE-backed platforms preparing for exit to some of the largest public companies in the world.

A sample of our work in this area

The Role

Vice President Positions

Whether the seat is finance, accounting, or FP&A, this is the layer where the numbers actually get made: the close, the controls, the forecast, and the board package. Each discipline draws from a distinct talent pool, and the right profile depends on what your CFO needs lifted first. Our recent placements span all three, from accountants at public companies to FP&A leaders inside PE-backed platforms, leaders who deliver from week one and grow.

See our Vice President page

A sample of our work in this area

Our clients

Companies trust ON Partners

In their words

What clients say after the placement.

1 / 2

“

Excited to work with ON Partners again. I appreciate the knowledge of what would work in our culture (and what would not), as well as the knowledge of the domain area (finance in this case).

Emerging Tech & AI

Head of Human Resources

“

Very good experience, would highly recommend this firm to others seeking Finance Leadership positions. We enjoyed the team very much. I had confidence that the team understood what we were looking for wholistically in a candidate, and refined their search based on our non-negotiables.

Professional & Financial Services

Founder & CEO

Common Questions

What leaders may ask before a search

What does a PE-backed CFO do differently than a public-company CFO?

PE-backed CFOs run on a 100-day plan and exit timeline. Public CFOs run on a quarterly cadence and SEC filings. The same person rarely does both, and the candidate pool for each is almost entirely different.

How long does a CFO search take?

Our median CFO search closes in 109 days with the fastest 25% closing in under 90 days. The average search typically takes 3-5 months for most search firms. Speed correlates with how clearly the brief is defined.

When should a Series B company hire its first CFO?

When the business has either crossed $20M ARR, started a fundraise that requires audited financials, or hit a complexity threshold — multi-entity, international, or M&A — that a VP of Finance can no longer carry.

What's the difference between a CFO and a Chief Accounting Officer?

The CFO owns strategic finance: fundraising, board, capital allocation. The CAO owns the close, the audit, and accounting policy. In smaller companies the CFO does both; once you cross ~$50M revenue or near a public offering, you may require both.

Start a Search

Build the finance leader who compounds.

A conversation is all it takes to know if we're the right fit. Tell us about the role, and we'll tell you what the market looks like. You'll speak directly with the partner who would lead your search.

85% of clients search with us again

4.9 / 5 client satisfaction rating

Partner-led from kickoff to close

98% placement rate

Finance leaders for a new era

Finance & Accounting
executive search