Executive Search: Construction Supplier CFO

How Stanton Chase constructed a CFO shortlist from scratch for an Austrian construction supplier

>The Background
An Austrian Construction Supplier Looking for a Generalist CFO

Our client is an Austrian family-owned company supplying the construction industry from its Vienna base, operating in a highly project-driven business environment. The owner, who travels frequently and runs the business from the road as much as from the office, engaged Stanton Chase to run a CFO executive search for a new Chief Financial Officer.

The new CFO would cover all commercial areas of the business, support the owner from inside the office, and have the standing to drive internal improvements forward across the company.

>The Challenge
A CFO Brief Built on Construction Industry Foundations

The client needed a generalist Chief Financial Officer who could see every commercial function from the ground up, rather than relying on specialists underneath him. The role also called for someone with the standing to push improvements forward across an organization used to working in its own way, while supporting an owner who is often on the road and cannot personally oversee every change.

The need for hands-on experience in a project-driven construction supply business narrowed the candidate pool considerably. There are relatively few CFOs in Austria who combine real project-business understanding with the breadth of a true generalist.

>The Solution
Why We Built the CFO Shortlist from Scratch

We started the construction industry executive search from scratch, with internal brainstorming and detailed research that built a longlist of around 75 names. Preliminary interviews surfaced two strong new candidates, alongside three candidates we already had in mind from earlier searches.

The three earlier candidates dropped out one by one as it became clear they lacked specific skills the role required. That left the two newcomers running head-to-head. The early frontrunner had two excellent references, but his behavior started to raise questions during later meetings.

The client had not seriously considered the second candidate until we put him forward as the calmer, more straightforward of the two. He was selected, and the client thanked us for opening his eyes. The new CFO was placed after 75 days.

>Our Team
CFO and Senior Finance Executive Search Specialists in Austria

This construction industry search was led by Christoph Leydolt, Partner at Stanton Chase Vienna. Our team specializes in CFO executive search and senior finance leadership placements for owner-led and family-owned businesses, where the right Chief Financial Officer has to be a hands-on generalist with the standing to influence the owner. We bring the local network and the project-business experience to find finance leaders who can build a function from the ground up.