Roles on the rise: Where True Search saw the most hires in 2022
In 2022, executive searches were down three percent, but hiring for these four areas continued to rise most at True Search: chief financial officer, chief executive officer, chief operating officer and sales executive.
Vanessa Vercollone is co-head of the Financial Officers Practice at True Search. She’s seen that demand for CFOs has been high for a long time–but what businesses need from their CFOs has changed.
“Generally, in good times and bad there is always a need for a strong CFO or financial leader,” she says, “But right now, there’s less of an appetite for companies to hire ‘step up’ profiles. Businesses are looking for more seasoned and experienced CFOs who have weathered a storm.”
Jon Mackey, True co-GM Americas agrees.
“We’re seeing companies hiring their ‘wartime’ CFO and CEO. They also need a great COO to ensure rigor across operations and bolster efforts to drive revenue,” he said. “The sales roles are critical to keeping companies profitable.”
Tim McDonald is co-Head of the CEO/BOD Practice. He says that while some companies were still “wait and see” on whether or not to hire, demand remained high for a couple of reasons.
“Now it’s important to have strong leadership,” he said, “Boards are looking to upgrade talent. Many clients are founder-led, and now they’re looking to replace themselves, because of founder fatigue. They’re ready to pass the baton after working so hard.”
For further insight on the roles above, reach out to:
CFO: Financial Officers Practice Heads: Aaron Rouza, Vanessa Vercollone
COO: CEO/Board Practice Heads: Tim McDonald, Evan Grossman
Sales: Go-to-Market Practice Heads: Kristin Godfrey, Stephanie Paris, Ryan Hall