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.

Result

Both the CFO and FC roles were opened simultaneously and within three weeks, offers were extended and promptly accepted by the selected candidates.

The successful recruitment of a part-time CFO and a full-time Group FC at The SDDE Smith Group has had a transformative impact. The ambitious growth targets set by the company are being delivered, and significant strides have been made in streamlining financial reporting. The combination of a part-time CFO and a full-time supporting Group FC has proven effective in addressing the challenges posed by the company's growth and acquisition strategy.

With the two leaders in place, The SDDE Smith Group is now well-positioned to continue building its finance team to support the ambitious growth plans of the business.

What We Did

Point 1

After providing strategic advice on the optimal hiring strategy, we worked closely with SDDE to identify the right candidates.

Point 2

Having worked alongside the senior management team for several years, we were able to quickly identify and recommend two individuals, one for each role from our network. Both people possessed the required technical skills, could seamlessly integrate into the company's culture and existing leadership team, and work well together as two new senior leaders in the finance department.

Point 3

We facilitated extensive interviews to ensure a thorough assessment of both candidates' technical skills and cultural fit, however, the decision was quick as ultimately the right people were recommended.

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.

Dale Smith

Founder & CEO, The SDDE Smith Group

What We Did

Point 1

After providing strategic advice on the optimal hiring strategy, we worked closely with SDDE to identify the right candidates.