CFO Brew: Why Interim CFOs Are About to Boom
Shawn Cole, President of Cowen Partners Executive Search, was quoted in CFO Brew on how the interim CFO has evolved from an internal seat-warmer into a deliberate, strategic hire brought in for specific moments in a company’s life.
In the article “A new kind of interim CFO,” writer Demi Lawrence explores how companies are increasingly bringing in experienced outside finance chiefs on a temporary basis, whether to integrate an acquisition, raise debt for the first time, or hold the seat while a permanent successor is trained. Shawn’s contribution adds a use case that often goes unspoken.
He points to the interim hired specifically to clean up after a scandal or accounting errors, so that the permanent CFO who follows never has to wear the mess. As Shawn frames it, there are real strategic reasons to use an interim, and shielding your eventual long-term hire from a tainted situation is one of them.
Shawn also connects the trend to a structural pressure Cowen Partners has been tracking through its Leadership Inflection Point research.
There simply aren’t enough candidates in the pipeline to backfill the wave of baby boomer CFOs heading toward the exit. He expects interims to keep booming as a result of that thin bench and weak succession planning, and points to 2029 through 2034 as the crunch period, when peak boomer retirement leaves fewer sitting executives than there are seats to fill.
Read the full article in CFO Brew.
About CFO Brew
CFO Brew is a leading digital publication from Morning Brew Inc. that serves chief financial officers and finance professionals with essential news and insights on risk management, compliance, strategy, talent management, and corporate finance trends.
Through its daily newsletter, virtual events, digital guides, and in-depth resources, CFO Brew delivers timely analysis and practical guidance that helps finance leaders navigate the complexities of their evolving roles.
The publication covers everything from SEC regulatory changes and treasury operations to AI adoption in finance and executive compensation trends, making it a trusted resource for CFOs and senior finance executives seeking to stay ahead of industry developments.
About Cowen Partners Executive Search
Cowen Partners Executive Search is a leading national executive search firm, known for placing world-class C-suite leaders, board members, and senior executives across industries.
Specializing in finding and recruiting top talent, we provide clients with comprehensive access to the executive marketplace, ensuring that each search is tailored to the unique needs of the organization. Our clients benefit from a proven track record of delivering high-impact leaders who drive growth, innovation, and performance.
At Cowen Partners Executive Search, we go beyond traditional executive search by offering strategic insights and expertise that help companies build high-performing teams and navigate complex market challenges.
Whether it’s sourcing transformative CEOs, CFOs, or board directors, we are committed to excellence, transparency, and results-driven solutions, making us the trusted partner for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
About Shawn Cole, President & Cofounder
Shawn Cole is a serial entrepreneur and executive leader with over 15 years’ experience founding and running successful companies. Shawn’s business career has been centered on value creation for both turnarounds and startups.
Shawn is President and Co-Founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search, a national CFO executive search firm focused on the key elements of a successful business: sales, marketing, and finance. Business clients across the country trust Cowen Partners Executive Search to take their companies to the next level by finding them executive talent, such as a CEO, CFO, COO, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer. Clients are both small and large, publicly traded, pre-IPO, private, and non-profit organizations.
An active participant in the business community and startup space, Shawn Co-Chairs The Cowen Partners Venture Fund, which provides seed funding and early-stage investments, focusing on market disruptors in niche markets, community businesses, and minority entrepreneurs.
Shawn attended Oregon State University’s College of Business Austin Entrepreneurship Program and participated in a first-of-its-kind experiential entrepreneurship experiment at Weatherford Hall. He was also a Founding Member and President of Oregon State University’s Students in Free Enterprise, an international non-profit organization working with university students who want to positively change their communities and learn practical knowledge to become socially responsible business leaders.
At the age of 16, Shawn became a volunteer firefighter and EMT, eventually founding and managing a half-marathon to raise funds for the community. To date, he has raised over one million dollars benefiting the community.
As trailblazing leaders in executive search, Cowen Partners Executive Search is also an innovator that routinely develops groundbreaking resources to empower better insights, decisions, and understandings of what it takes to recruit and retain top talent in today’s C-suites. Explore some of our elite resources below to see why Cowen Partners Executive Search continues to be a top executive search firm nationwide.
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