The Challenge
A large specialty grocery store chain needed to upgrade its Controller role. With more than 60 people in accounting and finance and a large, manual AP department, the CFO had too many direct reports and was bogged down by tactical issues.
He needed a strong number two who could support accounting and reporting, automate processes, manage and develop staff, and give him more time to coach department heads.
The search was complicated by the fact that many of the company’s vendors and staff spoke Mandarin, so the right candidate also needed to be fluent in the language.
The Solution
This highly specialized search required a candidate with consumer products and inventory experience, technical expertise in GAAP accounting, large-company best practices, experience managing a large team, Mandarin language skills, and a leadership style that fit the company’s culture.
Alliance took a deep dive into the Southern California market to uncover candidates with this rare combination of skills. The team leveraged its deep network, multiple research tools, and industry expertise to present a slate of candidates who were extremely qualified and excited about the opportunity. Alliance facilitated interviews and the company made an offer which was accepted.
The Outcome
The new hire’s exceptional background helped her hit the ground running. She was a CPA and native Mandarin speaker who had worked at a large, Chinese-owned consumer products company. She had experience in GAAP accounting, inventory management, business transformation, system automation, and managing large teams.
After stepping in, she quickly built trust, identified processes for automation, freed the CFO to focus on strategy, and moved several initiatives forward. Alliance’s ability to find specialized talent led to a successful hire.