What you'll find in this case
How we hired Pliant’s CFO in just 8 weeks
Our strategy for sourcing top financial leadership
Key takeaways on hiring for high-growth fintechs
Pliant offers companies the digital credit card solution for maximum flexibility and savings. With its app-based solution, companies get the ability to issue physical and digital credit cards, track spends, and easily integrate all of this data to an entire ecosystem of other finance and accounting tools. Moreover, with a program called Pliant Earth, companies gain an easy means to combat climate change by allowing them to offset their CO2 emissions automatically through certified providers.
The challenge
Securing strategic growth, the quest for Pliant's CFO
Pliant is gearing up to expand into new markets across Europe. With operations in 8 markets already, they aim for further growth, eyeing potential expansion into the US and Japan. Finding a Chief Finance Officer (CFO) became a critical mission for Pliant. They needed someone to lead the finance team, manage investor relations, and ensure compliance. This CFO had to do more than handle finances – they needed to use financial data to guide decisions, update practices, and build strong business partnerships.
Finding the right CFO meant discovering someone hands-on yet capable of strategic leadership. They wouldn't handle every detail, but would build teams and use tools to manage tasks efficiently. Additionally, this CFO would work closely with the CEO, driving business growth and overseeing equity fundraising—a profile that was both vital and hard to find.
The approach
We formed a dedicated team of experienced talent specialists to find the ideal CFO for Pliant. Our first step involved an in-depth meeting to grasp the essence of the company, understand the specific requirements for the CFO role, and gain insights into current operational methods. Utilising these insights, we developed a comprehensive hiring strategy that laid the groundwork for our approach.
This strategy guided us through the process of actively sourcing, carefully screening, and shortlisting qualified CFO candidates from both our extensive talent pool and external networks. We aimed to pinpoint individuals who not only possessed financial expertise but also exhibited leadership qualities essential for driving Pliant's growth plans.
Our overarching approach involved a hands-on management of the entire recruitment journey, ensuring a streamlined process to decrease the time-to-hire while maintaining a top-notch candidate experience. Our goal was to secure a CFO equipped not only to manage financial aspects but also to catalyse Pliant's growth while fostering strong relationships within the business landscape.
The result
After several interviews and effective negotiations on both ends, we were able to hire the perfect CFO. All within 8 weeks.
Share this case
Hiring a Chief Financial Officer for Pliant
8
weeks
time to hire
10
candidates
on first interviews
1
CFO
and great addition to the team!
Need a hand with hiring?
The right people are out there—we help you find them.
