Chief Financial Officer

Harper May is working with a founder-led financial services platform that has grown organically to £200m+ in AUM over the past eight years. The business operates across wealth management and advisory services, serving high-net-worth clients and institutional investors. Strong regulatory capital position and a track record of sustainable, profitable growth. The firm is now at a stage where the founding CFO is transitioning, and the business needs an experienced Chief Financial Officer to embed financial discipline, lead a planned technology upgrade, and support the next phase of geographic expansion. The Role Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will own all aspects of financial leadership: strategy, planning, compliance, and performance management. This is a Board-facing role requiring both technical rigour and the credibility to challenge strategic decisions when needed. You will sit on the executive committee and play a direct part in shaping how the business scales over the next three to five years. • Establish and drive a financial strategy aligned with growth ambitions while maintaining a robust capital position • Lead financial planning, forecasting, and scenario modelling to support executive decision-making • Oversee regulatory reporting, statutory accounts, external audit, and liaison with the FCA • Design and implement financial controls, governance frameworks, and risk management processes • Manage balance sheet optimisation, liquidity planning, and capital allocation • Build and lead a finance team aligned to the business's operational and compliance needs • Act as trusted adviser to the CEO and Board on financial and commercial matters What we are looking for • ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with significant executive-level CFO or FD experience • Proven background in financial services, ideally wealth management, investment, or advisory • Strong knowledge of FCA regulation, capital adequacy, and governance frameworks • Experience working with founder-led or private businesses and navigating growth transitions • Clear communicator with the presence and judgement to operate confidently at Board level • Organised, disciplined mindset with a bias towards transparency and sound financial controls