Our Services
Retained Executive Search Services
We provide retained executive search services for CFOs and senior finance leaders, focusing on roles where precision, discretion, and long-term alignment are essential. Our approach is highly targeted and confidential, ensuring organizations secure finance executives who not only meet technical requirements but also align with strategic goals and culture for lasting impact.
Retained Executive Search for Critical Finance Leadership Roles
Our executive search services are delivered exclusively on a retained basis, designed for organizations making high-stakes senior finance leadership hires. We focus on CFOs and senior finance executives whose decisions directly impact financial discipline, investor confidence, operational scalability, and long-term value creation.
This service is purpose-built for retained engagements where confidentiality, sound judgment, and long-term alignment are essential—ensuring each search is conducted with the depth, rigor, and discretion these roles require.
Our Focus: Senior Finance & Accounting Leadership
Leadership roles we place include:
- Chief Financial Officers (CFOs)
- Chief Accounting Officers (CAOs)
- Senior Finance Executives
- Vice Presidents of Finance or Accounting
- Controllers
These roles are central to governance, capital strategy, reporting integrity, and exit readiness.
PeakPitch specializes exclusively in retained executive search for senior finance and accounting leaders in middle-market and investor-backed organizations, supporting companies at pivotal moments of growth, complexity, or transition where financial leadership must scale alongside the business.
A Retained Executive Search Model Designed for Leadership Impact
A retained executive search model allows for:
- Deeper market coverage and proactive outreach
- Greater discretion and confidentiality
- Structured executive evaluation
- Reduced mis-hire risk in mission-critical roles
This approach is best suited for organizations where leadership decisions carry material financial and strategic consequences.
PeakPitch operates exclusively on a retained executive search model, allowing each engagement to be approached as a structured leadership mandate rather than a transactional recruiting assignment. This model enables the time, focus, and rigor required to identify, assess, and secure senior finance leaders whose decisions materially affect financial performance, governance, and long-term enterprise value.
A Structured, Insight-Driven Executive Search Process
Our retained executive search process is designed to provide clarity, transparency, and confidence at every stage of the engagement.
Our process includes:
- Leadership role definition and success profiling
- Targeted market mapping and candidate identification
- In-depth executive interviews and evaluation
- Ongoing communication and progress updates
- Offer support and leadership transition guidance
We partner closely with clients to ensure alignment before engaging the market.
Executive Candidate Assessments
At PeakPitch, we provide in-depth talent assessments as part of our retained executive search process. Our team evaluates candidates using real-time market data, industry insights, and proven evaluation frameworks. We advise clients on salary ranges, bonus structures, and benefits packages that align with both budget requirements and talent expectations. Our goal is to help you hire the strongest leaders while maintaining internal equity and long-term sustainability.
Our executive assessment components include:
- Behavioral interviews
- Technical skills assessments
- Cultural fit evaluations
- Reference and background checks
Private Equity CFO hires:
In addition to our executive risk assessment, we offer an in depth evaluation designed specifically for sponsors placing CFOs.
Leadership effectiveness in PE backed companies is a measurable execution variable, not a soft factor. A leader’s ability to regulate emotional energy directly impacts operating cadence, decision velocity, team durability, and execution consistency across the hold period. Misaligned intensity or unsustained drive increases leadership risk by accelerating burnout, turnover, and execution drag. Properly calibrated emotional leverage preserves momentum and compounds performance over time.
PeakPitch provides operating partners with a structured framework to assess and manage this risk early, before it erodes value creation or disrupts the investment thesis. This includes the option to utilize a third party assessment we employ that is focused specifically on private equity portfolio CFO placement.
Confidential Placements
When discretion is paramount, PeakPitch specializes in conducting confidential searches for senior leadership roles. Whether preparing for a sensitive transition or seeking to discreetly replace a key executive, our team ensures that your company’s confidentiality is maintained throughout the process. We manage every aspect of the search with the utmost professionalism, safeguarding your organization’s reputation and protecting the privacy of potential candidates.
Why Choose a Confidential Search?
- Protect your company’s market position and reputation during leadership transitions
- Ensure discretion when making sensitive or strategic hires
- Attract top-tier talent who may not be actively seeking a role but are open to discreet inquiries
Compensation Consultation
Staying competitive in today’s market requires offering the right compensation packages to attract and retain top talent. PeakPitch provides compensation consultation services that are rooted in real-time market data and industry trends. We advise clients on the appropriate salary ranges, bonus structures, and benefits packages that align with both your budget and the expectations of the talent pool. Our goal is to ensure that you are positioned to secure the best candidates while maintaining internal equity and sustainability.
Consultation Services:
- Salary benchmarking and market comparisons
- Bonus and incentive structures
- Long-term compensation plans (equity, benefits)
- Compensation strategies for high-growth companies
- Compensation strategies for turnaround or financially distressed companies
When to Engage a Retained Executive Search Firm
Organizations typically engage a retained executive search firm when leadership decisions are high-impact, time-sensitive, or require discretion.
Common scenarios include:
- Hiring a first CFO or senior finance leader
- Upgrading existing finance leadership
- Supporting growth, acquisition, or exit preparation
- Managing confidential leadership transitions
Begin a Retained Executive Search Engagement
If your organization requires experienced finance leadership through growth, transition, or strategic change, PeakPitch offers a retained executive search approach built for high-stakes leadership decisions.