The Challenge
A $200M+ consumer goods company retained Alliance to help with its first family office hire. The Principal needed a hands-on, finance and accounting professional who could operate independently and help establish the foundation for a formal family office structure. The search was unique because the role reported directly to the Principal, which is uncommon at the manager level. It also had wide-ranging responsibilities, including everything from high-level planning to family office strategy to day-to-day execution. It is challenging to find candidates with that wide of a range, because it requires a rare combination of technical accounting expertise, strong family office judgment, direct principal-facing experience, and a willingness to operate as a “team of one” to help build family office infrastructure.
The Solution
Alliance’s extensive experience in both family office and accounting/finance recruiting led recruiters to approach the search with a very targeted strategy, rather than treating it as a traditional accounting role. They focused exclusively on candidates with backgrounds in family offices, private investment, business management, and closely held founder/family environments who had experience in both high-level decision-making and hands-on accounting. They then evaluated each candidate to confirm they had the technical skill to own an accounting function, the judgment to work directly with a Principal, and the flexibility to help build family office infrastructure from the ground up.
The Outcome
The strategy was successful and Alliance identified a candidate who clearly stood out. He had that rare combination of manager-level execution, direct Principal exposure, and a willingness to operate as a true hands-on partner in a team-of-one environment. The client was thrilled and made an offer, which the candidate accepted. After beginning in the role, the new hire’s qualifications enabled him to quickly help build the foundation of the family office, including a fresh start set of financials for previously unaccounted for entities.