Top Tax & Advisory CFO executive search firms in Jacksonville.
1 tax & advisory CFO executive search firm operating in Jacksonville — verified by us, reviewed by their buyers.
About CFO executive search
CFO executive search is the retained, confidential process of placing a Chief Financial Officer — and often the senior finance bench beneath the role (VP Finance, Controller, Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer). Because the CFO sits closest to the board, investors, and the company's capital strategy, buyers rarely fill it through job postings; they use a search firm to approach proven operators discreetly and assess them against a specific financial mandate.
What "CFO" means varies enormously — a fundraising CFO for a venture-backed startup, an operational CFO scaling a PE portfolio company, and a public-company CFO managing the Street are different hires with different scorecards. The best CFO search firms interrogate that fit directly: capital-markets experience, M&A and exit track record, systems and controls maturity, and the ability to be a true operating partner to the CEO.
Every firm below has been verified by us and runs CFO and senior-finance searches. CFO compensation is equity- and incentive-heavy, so confirm how a firm benchmarks total comp and structures its fee and guarantee — then weigh that against the buyer reviews on each profile.
CFO executive search — Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CFO executive search?
- A retained, confidential search to place a Chief Financial Officer and, often, the senior finance leaders beneath the role. The firm maps the market, approaches proven finance executives discreetly, and assesses them against the company's specific financial mandate before managing the process to offer.
- When should I use a search firm instead of hiring directly?
- When the role is senior enough that the best candidates are passive, when confidentiality matters (e.g. replacing a sitting CFO), or when you need rigorous, reference-deep assessment of capital-markets and operating track record. For those situations, retained search is the standard.
- What types of CFO do these firms place?
- Fundraising CFOs for venture-backed startups, operational CFOs for PE-backed and growth companies, and public-company CFOs who manage investors and the Street — plus the VP Finance, Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer layer.
- How much does a CFO search cost?
- Retained search is typically a percentage of first-year compensation — commonly around a third (roughly 25–33%) — billed in installments. Since CFO pay is equity-heavy, confirm whether the fee is calculated on base, cash, or total compensation.
- How long does a CFO search take?
- A typical retained CFO search runs roughly 10–16 weeks from kickoff to signed offer, depending on stage, public/private status, and how specialized the mandate is (e.g. pre-IPO readiness).