We have seen our colleague base grow rapidly in the last three years, with support from Paul Card Recruitment, they have helped us expand our finance function with new hires, which in turn have introduced new systems and processes into the group, that have been essential for the growth and development of The SDDE Smith Group.
Brief
The SDDE Smith Group (SDDE) approached us to discuss a strategic hire aimed at restructuring their senior leadership team. The goal was to allow their incumbent Finance Director, who was also a shareholder, to transition into the role of Commercial Director. They required a strategic finance professional with a proven track record of significantly scaling businesses.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by the company, particularly in streamlining financial reporting due to recent growth through acquisitions and the utilisation of five different accounting systems, SDDE sought our advice on the difference between a Finance Director (FD) and a Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the investment required for both roles.
After an in-depth discussion, our recommendation was to hire a part-time CFO supported by a full-time Group Financial Controller (FC), which we believed would effectively address both current challenges and provide future succession and talent development.