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      CFO & Finance Leadership Archives - Cowen Partners
      The CFO you want has already calculated what leaving costs. Bonus, unvested equity, risk. Why benchmarked offers miss, and how to build one that closes.
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      CFO Candidates Don’t Evaluate Offers, They Underwrite Them

      The CFO you want is not negotiating a number against a benchmark. They are underwriting the whole opportunity over several years, and deciding whether it justifies leaving something that already works. Write the offer accordingly.

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      The team that builds a company to an IPO is often not the team that survives it. Learn which two seats decide whether the transition holds.
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      The IPO Window and the Two Roles That Determine Whether It Holds

      Nasdaq recorded the strongest first half for U.S. listings in exchange history. Whether a company can hold that window open usually comes down to two roles, and most boards fill them too late.

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      Most CFOs inherited their tax department rather than built it. Here's how to assess whether your CFO tax function is a compliance cost center or a strategic value driver, and what to do if it's the former.
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      The CFO’s Guide to Building a Tax Function That Actually Drives Value

      Most CFOs didn’t build their tax department. They inherited it from a predecessor, a transaction, or a period of growth that added complexity faster than it added capability. The team may be competent. The outside advisors may be excellent. The filings go out on time. And still, something nags: is this function actually doing what

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      The Modern CFO Mandate: How the Role is Evolving | CFO Recruiters
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      The Modern CFO Mandate: What Boards, PE Sponsors, and CEOs Now Demand from the Finance Chief

      By Shawn Cole, President & Founder — Shawn Cole is a nationally recognized authority on CEO recruiting. His insights regularly appear in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and other leading publications, delivering nuanced and critical analysis on executive recruitment, succession planning, enterprise transformation, and the evolving demands of

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      Interim CFO Portland

      Portland’s Financial Leadership Gap & How Interim CFOs Fill It In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, organizations in Portland face more complexity than ever before: navigating capital constraints, accelerating growth, responding to market volatility, and aligning finance with long-term strategic priorities. Whether you’re scaling operations, preparing for a capital raise, stabilizing after disruption, or transitioning

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      Case Study detailing the placement of Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development for a technology company
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      Case Study in Strategic Leadership Acquisition: Securing Global Sales Excellence for a Technology Pioneer in Autonomous Mobility

      MicroVision had a problem. The NASDAQ-listed pioneer in MEMS-based laser beam scanning technology had world-class technology but couldn’t convert it into sustainable revenue growth. Their previous executive search firm had struck out completely. They needed someone who could walk into the autonomous vehicle and industrial automation markets and immediately start opening doors—specifically, doors at Tier-1 automotive

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      Why CFO tenure is shrinking
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      From Number Crunchers to Crisis Managers: Why CFO Tenure Is Shrinking

      By Shawn Cole, President & Founder — Shawn Cole is a nationally recognized authority on CFO recruiting. His insights regularly appear in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, CFO Dive, Entrepreneur, and other leading publications, delivering nuanced and critical analysis on executive recruitment, succession planning, enterprise transformation, and the evolving

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      Why PE-Backed Companies Should Focus on the CFO Seat | CFO Search
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      Why PE-Backed Companies Should Obsess Over the CFO Seat

      All private equity executives know that the most important aspect of any PE-backed venture is value creation. While all of the members of the C-suite and board play a vital role in actively improving portfolio companies, there is one role that is particularly critical to achieving higher returns: the CFO. A portfolio company’s CFO takes

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      Global Executive Search & Recruiters | Cowen Partners
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      Why Companies Are Internalizing Tax Functions to Drive Profitability

      Tax strategy is no longer just about compliance—it’s a core business function that can drive profitability, improve cash flow, and create a lasting competitive advantage. While many companies still rely on external accounting firms for tax filing and regulatory compliance, industry leaders have realized that internalizing tax functions enables them to maximize savings and proactively

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      CFOs as CEOs: Higher Margins, Lower Growth & Strategy | CFO Recruiters
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      CFOs as CEOs: Higher Margins, Lower Growth & an Inward Focus on Business Strategy

      The corporate landscape has witnessed a notable trend: Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) ascending to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) positions. This shift brings a unique financial acumen to the helm of companies, often resulting in enhanced profit margins. However, this focus on internal financial metrics can sometimes lead to conservative revenue growth strategies. This article delves

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