We help growing companies to appoint ambitious CFOs, and we support CFOs who want to hire their successor.
Executive Search, Interim Management and Fractional Experts.
Interim Executives
Leaders you need, immediately you need them.
Our interim management solutions put proven executives and adaptable fractional professionals at your service, ensuring seamless transitions and critical project delivery.
Our Capability
- Interim CFO/FD — to lead finance, turnaround plans, M&A readiness, exits.
- Interim COO — optimise operations and boost efficiency.
- Interim or Fractional CPO — lead talent strategy and workforce planning.
- Transformation Leads — for business change.
Our flexible, tailored approach puts the right leader in place quickly.
Leaders you need when you need them.
Finance is where we all began our recruitment journey
Chief Financial Officer
We identify CFOs who can deliver transformative leadership, drive financial performance, create sustainable value, and take businesses into the future.
With a minimal 'off limits' policy, we are able to produce highly robust and relevant shortlists, when others may have their hands tied.
Future CFOs
We also help appoint senior finance leaders who report into the CFO; including Financial Controllers, Heads of FP&A, Group Finance Managers, and Divisional FDs.
These roles are critical to the strength and depth of the finance function, and we apply the same focused, high-quality search process, to secure candidates who combine technical strength with commercial insight.
Interim and Fractional Experts
Experienced, adaptable, and highly effective, interim and fractional leaders bring calm, clarity, and hands-on support when it’s needed most. Whether stepping in during a period of change, covering a leadership gap, or guiding a team part-time, they offer deep expertise without the long-term commitment.
Many of our fractional leaders act as mentors to founders and senior teams — providing strategic input, financial oversight, or operational guidance on a flexible basis.
Over the last 50 years, we have acted for companies of all shapes and sizes across multiple industry sectors. Whether our clients are backed by investors, privately held, family owned or publicly listed, we are skilled at assessing a candidate's technical ability, cultural fit, motivation and leadership qualities.
What we believe sets us apart from many of our competitors, however, is our personal approach and the high level of attention we give to our clients and candidates.
Each recruitment project is unique, and we adopt a strategy and approach which is bespoke to each appointment, ensuring we successfully meet the requirements of the brief. It’s for these reasons we believe clients work with us on a repeat basis.
Experts
How we help you appoint high performing finance talent
We are not a high volume 'agency', meaning our clients can expect us to invest the appropriate time and resources, to ensure we understand their requirements, company culture, challenges and opportunities.
Our expertise includes:
- CFO / FD search for private, investor backed, publicly listed and family owned companies.
- Financial Controller, M&A, Heads of Function e.g. FP&A, Financial and Management Reporting.
- Talent Advisory services for early stage, high growth companies.
We act for companies throughout the UK across all industry sectors, to deliver recruitment solutions on a Permanent, Interim and Fractional basis.
Please don't hesitate to contact us to discuss your specific requirements or the market in general.
Interim
Finance
Freshwood provides interim finance professionals, typically for periods of change. The experience and value that a professional interim can bring, will ensure business continuity during transitions, projects, or leadership gaps.
From Financial Controllers to CFOs, we deliver skilled, adaptable talent to meet your short-term needs.
Fractional CFO
The experienced Fractional (Portfolio / Part-Time) CFO has grown in popularity in recent years. Generally they have taken a deliberate decision to leave their full time executive career, in order to support companies and boards with strategic financial leadership on a flexible basis.
Whether guiding / mentoring a less experienced CFO or supporting a specific project e.g. M&A, we are connected to an extensive network of highly experienced CFOs.
Clients we have worked with
We've been recruiting in finance for more than 50 years.
Assessing technical skills, cultural fit, motivation and leadership capability is where we excel.
We get to know our candidates in depth, by asking probing questions, challenging their answers and most importantly, we listen intently.
Experts
We've been placing accountants for over 50 years. Identifying the right experience, skillset, industry sector etc. is not the hard part.
Assessing cultural fit, motivation and leadership skills is when we come into our own. We get to know our candidates by asking probing questions, challenging their answers and most importantly, we listen.
Industry Focus
Technology
Consumer
Sustainability
Industrial
Travel and Leisure
Healthcare
Education
Business Services
Industry Sectors
Technology
Consumer
Sustainability
Nutrition and Well-being
Travel and Leisure
Healthcare
Education
Business Services
With a few kind words
Some kind words from our clients
We instructed Fiona on a role that we have historically found difficult to fill. We worked very closely with her, developing a full job description and person specification. She was very knowledgeable and able to advise us on the best recruitment strategy to identify the successful candidate. It was not easy search but she found us the perfect candidate!
Healthcare CFO
I have known Phil for a number of years. He successfully completed a search for our UK Finance Director position. Throughout the search Phil invested time to make sure that he understood my requirements, our business and our culture. He demonstrated his knowledge and experience by presenting a timely shortlist of extremely strong and relevant candidates, from which I was able to select our UK FD.
Retail CFO
Fiona led the search for a new Group Financial Controller.
I was very impressed with the whole process; given regular weekly updates, a very strong preliminary candidate list and saw some very good candidates, one of which we ultimately offered the job to.
I found Fiona to bevery knowledgeable, easy to work with and focused on delivery. Would definitely use her again.
CFO - Tech Manufacturing
We have worked with the team at Freshwood Group for a few years. Over that time they have really got to know & understand our business, culture and values which is always reflected in the candidates they introduce to us. They have worked hard to build a relationship with whole business and have always given us professional and timely service.
VP HR, EMEA - Software (SAAS)
Phil led our search for a new CFO. I was very impressed with the whole process; given regular weekly updates, a very strong preliminary candidate list and saw some very good candidates, one of which we ultimately offered the job to.
I found Phil very knowledgeable, easy to work with and focused on delivery. Would without doubt use him again.
Group HR Director - Automotive
Freshwood were creative in their approach, stayed in regular contact and were quite prepared to challenge us when they felt it was necessary. We successfully appointed a CFO, who supported the CEO in an exit process within 12 months.
Private Equity Investor
We just work very hard for you.