What is CFO Selections?

CFO Selections serves companies that need to make a permanent CFO or Controller hire—typically businesses at a stage where a full-time financial executive is justified but the search process is unfamiliar or time-constrained. Their retained search model is designed for organizations willing to invest in a quality placement rather than a low-cost contingency search.

They also serve nonprofits and foundations seeking CFO or Controller-level leadership, which is a distinct differentiator from most fractional CFO providers that focus exclusively on for-profit companies. Companies preparing for M&A activity may use CFO Selections to assess and upgrade their financial leadership before a transaction.

Companies that prefer ongoing fractional or part-time CFO coverage without a permanent hire will find CFO Selections mismatched to their needs—they are a placement firm, not a fractional CFO service.

CFO Selections organizes its services into two primary categories: executive search (retained search for permanent placements) and consulting (interim CFO/Controller services and financial assessments).

The executive search practice handles full-time CFO and Controller placements across for-profit and nonprofit clients. Their consulting services include financial assessment, finance and accounting risk assessment, KPI guidance, and financial team assessments—essentially diagnostic work before or alongside a placement.

The nonprofit and foundation practice is a specific differentiator, offering CFO and Controller services tailored to mission-driven organizations with different governance structures and reporting requirements than for-profit companies.

What CFO Selections does not offer is ongoing fractional CFO coverage. This is a placement firm for companies that have decided to hire a full-time executive.

CFO Selections operates on a retained search model, which typically means a negotiated fee (commonly 25-30% of first-year compensation) paid in stages throughout the search process. This differs from contingency search firms that only get paid if a placement is made.

The retained model signals a higher-touch, more committed engagement—which typically translates to higher quality candidates and more thorough search work, but at a higher cost than a commodity search. Companies with a defined budget for senior finance talent should confirm pricing structure before engaging.

Consulting engagements are priced per project or hourly, likely varying by scope and team member assigned.

The retained search model is a genuine differentiator. Retained search firms typically deliver higher-quality candidates because they are compensated regardless of outcome, which means they can invest more thoroughly in the search process without cutting corners on candidate sourcing.

The nonprofit and foundation practice is notable—few executive search firms have a dedicated practice for mission-driven organizations. This requires different candidate assessment criteria (board relations, grant compliance, endowment management) that for-profit-focused search firms lack.

The regional footprint across the West and Mountain States (Bellevue, Portland, Denver, Frisco, Fort Worth) gives them local market knowledge in those regions that national firms may not replicate.

Since 2002, they have nearly a quarter-century of operating history, which provides credibility and likely an extensive network of finance executives.

CFO Selections is a placement firm, not an ongoing finance partner. After a successful placement, the relationship typically ends—leaving the company to manage the full-time executive independently. There is no fractional CFO coverage, no ongoing advisory, and no finance office infrastructure.

The retained search fee structure (typically 25-30% of first-year salary) is a significant investment. A CFO earning $300,000 annually means a placement fee in the $75,000-$90,000 range. For companies that only need fractional or part-time CFO coverage, this is dramatically more expensive than a fractional arrangement.

Timeline to placement is typically longer than fractional alternatives. A thorough retained search can take 3-6 months before a candidate starts. Companies needing immediate finance leadership will find this timeline challenging.

CFO Selections is a placement firm that finds you a full-time CFO. Eagle Rock CFO is a complete outsourced finance office providing ongoing outsourced accounting services, controller services, treasury management, and CFO/FP&A coverage. These are fundamentally different models for different needs.

If you have decided to hire a full-time CFO and need help finding the right person, CFO Selections' retained search process can deliver quality candidates. If you need ongoing finance function coverage without the commitment and cost of a full-time hire, Eagle Rock CFO's model provides that—effectively giving you a CFO plus the rest of the finance team.

The other key difference: Eagle Rock CFO provides a team (accounting, controller, treasury, CFO/FP&A) rather than one individual. A full-time CFO you hire through a placement firm still needs to build or manage the rest of the finance function— Eagle Rock CFO provides that entire infrastructure.

See our outsourced controller services and accounting services for what that includes.