Placing a Financial Director for a multinational agribusiness in East Africa.

Context

A multinational agribusiness with operations across East Africa had been operating without a permanent Financial Director for several months following an unexpected departure. The vacancy was creating pressure across the business: financial reporting was delayed, the regional leadership team was absorbing finance responsibilities outside their remit, and investor confidence was beginning to waver. The business needed to move quickly, but without compromising on the quality of the appointment.

The Challenge

The role was not straightforward. The business required a Financial Director with strong technical finance credentials — ideally a CA(SA) or equivalent — combined with direct experience operating in complex, multi-country African environments. The candidate needed to be comfortable navigating currency volatility, multi-jurisdictional reporting, and the operational realities of running a finance function in markets where infrastructure and regulatory frameworks vary significantly.

Finding candidates who combine both the technical depth and the personal resilience to operate effectively in this environment is genuinely difficult. Most candidates with the right technical credentials have limited African market exposure. Most candidates with strong African market experience are not at the financial leadership level required. The overlap between the two is a narrow pool, and it is not a pool that responds to job advertisements.

Our Approach

We took a detailed brief from the regional CEO and the group CFO, spending time understanding the technical requirements alongside the leadership profile and personal attributes that would determine success in this specific environment. We then activated our pan-African network immediately, drawing on both in-country talent pools and our diaspora network of African professionals who had built careers internationally and were open to returning to the continent.

Every candidate was assessed before being presented. We evaluated technical qualifications, the depth and relevance of their African market experience, their leadership style, and their personal motivation for the role. We only presented candidates who met all of the criteria.

The initial shortlist was delivered within 48 hours of receiving the brief. Each candidate was accompanied by a written assessment covering their technical profile, their African market experience, and our recommendation on fit.

The Result

Within two weeks of the initial brief, the client made an offer to one of our shortlisted candidates, which was accepted. The appointed Financial Director had a CA(SA) qualification, eight years of experience in senior finance roles across East and Southern Africa, and a track record of building finance functions in complex, multi-country environments.

The placement stabilised the finance function and allowed the regional leadership team to return their focus to the business. Financial reporting was brought current within the first quarter, and the business successfully completed its annual audit on schedule for the first time in two years.