Chief Financial Officer recruitment agency and headhunters
your next Chief Financial Officer, in good hands.
We combine our data, our sector experts and our AI algorithms to identify the headhunter most relevant to your role, from operational CFO to group financial director.
- no setup fees, pay on hire
- guaranteed replacement
they hire their CFO with muzzo
how do you hire a Chief Financial Officer through a recruitment agency?
A good CFO drives finance at a mid-market company or large SME and sits on the board. Muzzo gives your role to headhunters who place CFOs most often: they test fundraising or acquisition experience they have led. Fee of 5 to 30%, paid on hire. Leaves within 3 months: we restart the search free.
how it works
you only pay if you hire
01
you describe the role
Using the form above: the role, your company, your scope. The rest is scoped in your first conversation with the Muzzo team.
02
our data chooses the headhunters
Our AI picks those who have placed most CFOs, from more than 2,500 selected headhunters.
03
you meet the best profiles
Approached and qualified by finance headhunters. You choose who you meet.
04
you hire, then you pay
Not before. If your new hire leaves within 3 months, we restart at no cost.
they hired with muzzo
Muzzo's strength is the diversity of its recruiters: there is always someone listening to our needs.
With Muzzo, I get the reactivity of a marketplace and the quality of a search firm.
let's talk about your role
Antoine and the Muzzo team help you scope your role and choose the right headhunters. Describe your role in the form: we'll call you back to discuss it.
Antoine GigomasCEO and co-founder of Muzzo
one last question?
With Muzzo, you set the fee, between 5 and 30%, and pay only on hire: no deposit, no fixed fees. An operational CFO at a growing SME and a group financial director managing a capital raise don't take the same search. The fee follows that difficulty, and Muzzo helps you set it.
You have a double guarantee. If your new hire leaves within 3 months because the scope doesn't match the brief, we restart at no cost. No replacement within 4 months: we refund 50% of fees. On average, 94% of Muzzo hires stay after 3 months.
finance headhunters are ready to start
A hire signed in under 26 days, paid only on hire.
the reality
a CFO is judged by the financial trajectory they give the company
a good CFO is on the board, not on job boards
They manage cash flow, prepare board meetings and speak to investors or banks. They're not job hunting. A finance headhunter knows when and how to approach them.
the title covers two very different jobs
In an SME, the CFO also handles accounting and sometimes HR. In a mid-market company, they lead a team and manage capital transactions. The headhunter starts from your size, not the title.
a hiring mistake shows at board level
Wrong forecasts, tight cash, uninformed investors. The headhunter checks the board meetings led and capital transactions already managed before introducing anyone.
the roles
the CFO profiles our headhunters go after for you
From a growing SME CFO to a group financial director, each search goes to a headhunter who has already hired that profile.
operational CFO
They run day-to-day accounting, cash flow and board reporting, and prepare management decisions. Often the first CFO at a growing company.
SME CFO
They blend finance, accounting and sometimes HR, with a small team. They must decide fast, with less reporting than a large group.
group CFO
They consolidate subsidiaries, lead a full finance team and prepare board or shareholder reporting.
fundraising CFO
They prepare the data room, speak to investors and manage cash during a capital raise. A high-pressure role on a tight timeline.
acquisition CFO
They manage the financial side of a sale, acquisition or post-merger integration, alongside the CEO.
group financial director
They lead multiple subsidiary CFOs, sit on the executive committee and set financial strategy for shareholders.
the method
a finance headhunter, not an agency that does everything
A CFO is hired for the financial trajectory they will drive, not a toolset. The method starts from that trajectory.
we define the trajectory the CFO will drive
Growth, fundraising, sale, turnaround: the brief describes the transaction or period the CFO will manage, and to whom they will report.
a headhunter who places CFOs
From more than 2,500 selected headhunters, your role goes to those who place most in finance leadership.
a real transaction verified before the interview
The headhunter asks the profile to detail a fundraising, sale or group close they have managed, and cross-checks with references what they actually led.
the figures
a Chief Financial Officer's salary in figures
source: Apec, private-sector managerial pay in 111 job families, 2025 edition, p. 45 (finance and admin leadership) (opens a new window), 2025 data
source: Apec, private-sector managerial pay in 111 job families, 2025 edition, p. 45 (finance and admin leadership) (opens a new window), 2025 data
source: Apec, private-sector managerial pay in 111 job families, 2025 edition, p. 45 (finance and admin leadership) (opens a new window), 2025 data
source: Apec, private-sector managerial pay in 111 job families, 2025 edition, p. 45 (finance and admin leadership) (opens a new window), 2025 data
hiring a Chief Financial Officer: what you need to know
why use a headhunter to hire a CFO?
The CFO drives financial strategy: budget, cash, board reporting, relations with banks or investors. Good profiles are in post, busy with a close or transaction, and don't respond to ads.
A finance headhunter knows how to approach them and ask the right questions: what scope, what team, what transactions already led. This page covers the CFO at a mid-market or large SME; for the finance function across a smaller structure, see our finance administrator page.
CFO, finance administrator or management accountant: which role?
A finance administrator handles day-to-day finance at an SME, often solo, wearing multiple hats. A management accountant manages budget and variance, with no executive role. A CFO leads finance, sits on the board and manages capital transactions.
A growing SME often moves from finance administrator to CFO at a fundraising or acquisition. Make that trajectory clear in the brief: it sets the profile level.
how do you assess a CFO at interview?
The CV lists tools and qualifications. The interview must show something else: the ability to present financial strategy to a board or investors, and say no when needed.
A case study works well: tight cash, three options, explain your choice. The headhunter screens this first before introducing anyone, and checks with references the actual transactions led.
which CFO to hire by company size and stage?
A growing SME needs a CFO who can build the finance function from a light setup. A mid-market company needs a CFO who leads an existing team and speaks to a board or investor.
Pay follows that size: according to Apec, the median goes from €74k in companies under 250 employees to €100k above. Settle the level in the brief before salary talk, not after.
how to hire a CFO for fundraising or acquisition?
A capital raise or sale changes what you need from a CFO: they must prepare a data room, answer investor due diligence and manage a tight timeline on top of their regular work. Not all CFOs have done this.
The headhunter checks if the profile has managed a fundraising, sale or acquisition, and how they performed under investor pressure. According to Apec, a CFO who leads a team earns €82k median, against €62k without: managing capital transactions often goes hand in hand.
your questions about hiring a Chief Financial Officer
According to Apec, finance and admin leaders earn 51% of them variable pay, median €10,000, and size matters most: €74k median below 250 employees, €100k above (2025 edition).
Yes. According to Apec, the median for finance and admin leaders is €93k gross per year in the Paris region, against €71k in the rest of France (2025 edition). The gap is higher than for other finance roles.
Significantly. According to Apec, finance and admin leaders who manage a team earn €82k gross median per year, against €62k without (2025 edition). Note team size in the brief: it shapes the profile level.
A CFO leads finance, sits on the board and manages capital transactions. A finance administrator runs day-to-day finance, often solo in an SME. For an office manager-style finance role, see our finance administrator page.
With a real scenario, not a tool checklist. Ask them to describe a capital transaction they managed: the pressure, the decision, the outcome. Our headhunters run this screening and check the transactions mentioned with references.