From merger to momentum: hiring a finance team built to last
When this business completed a huge merger in 2024, they needed to completely restructure their finance function. Two years and over 25 roles later, Sewell Wallis is their trusted recruitment partner.
The Challenge
Our client completed a major merger in 2024, bringing together two finance functions that had grown with different systems and ways of working. They needed to build a single cohesive team as a priority, in a location where the current team had little to no network.
Many of the roles they needed to fill were at part-qualified level and above, which meant a lot of niche headhunts rather than a generalist approach. The merger made for lots of project work within the finance team, while they reworked the structure and implemented new systems. This meant that candidates needed relevant experience in businesses with a similar structure, with the right mindset for an organisation growing this quickly and an ability to manage project style work.
The client had used multiple recruitment agencies in the past to recruit into their finance team, but never one they trusted to support consistently across a high volume of hires. They wanted a single partner who could get under the skin of what "the right fit" actually looked like for them, rather than sending over a generic pool of CVs to sift through.
Our Approach
We started by spending time with the leadership team, to properly understand what the newly merged finance function needed to look like. It was important to us to establish which roles were the most urgent, and what "good" looked like beyond a job description.
Kayley took the lead as the main point of contact, working consistently with the business over the following months rather than treating each vacancy as a one-off brief. This continuity meant that she was able to build a genuine understanding of the kind of candidate who'd thrive in this business and had the appetite to work through the practicalities of a post-merger environment.
Because most of the roles sat at part-qualified level and above, we treated each search as a targeted headhunt rather than a generalist recruitment drive. Instead of sending over a wide net of applicants, we screened rigorously against the specific technical and cultural fit the client needed, so every candidate presented had already been screened against that criteria.
The Outcome
Over the two years since the merger, we've placed more than 25 roles across the finance team, spanning a range of senior, part-qualified, and transactional-level staff as the team continued to take shape.
Rather than working through a high volume of unfiltered applications, hiring managers have consistently been presented with a shortlist of 3-5 strong candidates for each role, already screened against the specific technical and cultural fit the business needs. We've freed up their time to focus on interviewing well and making efficient decisions, rather than the admin heavy tasks that usually come with recruitment (we handle those bits!).
They've now got a finance function that's been rebuilt with the right people in the right roles, and a recruitment partnership that's continued well beyond the initial post-merger push, with them turning to Sewell Wallis as their long-term go-to for finance hiring, not just a one-off fix.
Group Financial Controller
Sewell Wallis just get what we’re looking for. We need talent with strong technical skills and experience in similarly sized businesses. It's also really important that candidates have the right mindset and want to work in an environment like this, with lots of project work and growth.
They keep us in the loop on every role, working quickly and always making sure they know exactly what we want. I’d recommend them to anyone, whether you’re managing a big transformation project like us, or you’re a smaller organisation in need of strong finance talent. The guys at Sewell Wallis really pay attention to what you need, rather than just sending you the candidates they have.
Find your 'right'
Whether you're navigating a merger, a restructure, or simply scaling a finance function that needs the right technical and cultural fit, our team takes the time to understand what 'right' really looks like for your business, not just what's on a CV.
If you're a business leader facing a similar challenge, get in touch with our team and find out how a long-term recruitment partnership could work for you.
If you're a finance professional at looking for your next move in a fast-growing organisation, you can check out our live vacancies below.