Uk Accounting Finance Case Study Ftse 250 Global Business Services Group

FTSE 250 Global Business Services Group

Following a number of acquisitions, this Business Services Group wished to establish a common management leadership structure in each of its Continental European operations. Argyll Scott was engaged to hire the CFO and the CMO roles for 6 of the countries. 

The challenge 

The desired structure comprised a General Manager, a Chief Financial Officer, and a Chief Marketing Office for each country. This led to a requirement to hire one, two or all three of these roles in eight different countries ranging from Finland to the Netherlands, France and Greece. Despite being a Business Services Group, the client wanted candidates predominantly from blue-chip retail backgrounds in each market. It had engaged local recruitment agencies but was unhappy with the quality of candidates that is was seeing, so wanted a specialist who could deliver. 

Our approach 

Our team conducted a full search of the leading retailers in each of the cities that the roles would be located. This was supported by a comprehensive online advertising campaign, which used appropriate job boards in each market. 

We worked the client’s head office and local senior managements teams to agree on the list of target retailers in each market that would form the bulk of our search. We were able to conduct the research cost-effectively by utilising our digital resourcing function in Manilla, which identified and obtained contact details for all the senior finance and marketing staff in each relevant city of the search. 

Argyll Scott consultants then approached the identified individuals to qualify them for the roles. We interviewed them all using video conferencing facilities. A shortlist of five candidates was presented for each role. We managed the entire interview process, which comprised of a mix of face-to-face interviews with local management teams and video interviews with Head Office staff.     

We then managed the offer process and prepared candidates to handle the process of their resignations and possible counteroffers. We stayed in regular contact with the successful candidates until their start dates. 

The outcome 

6 CFO positions filled

4 CMO positions filled


We successfully filled six CFO positions and four CMO roles within eight weeks of being mandated. Nine of these candidates are still employed by the client today (some eighteen months later). The roles that Argyll Scott did not fill were given to candidates either referred by local staff or to individuals who were already known to the local General Managers. 

Posted over 9 years ago
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Vince Humphries

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