1400Interim CFORomania
About Our Client:
Our client is the Romanian subsidiary of a mid-sized international pharmaceutical and cosmetic group. The entity operates as a small, sales-focused trading affiliate with a lean back office, no local manufacturing, and a straightforward distribution-only model with limited transactional volume and a single supplier relationship. The organization is integrated into group systems, using tools such as SAP and EPM solutions, and follows a structured reporting cadence with multiple forecast cycles per year. Governance is decentralized and consensus-led, with decision making shared between the group finance leadership and the local general management. The local leadership team has recently evolved in marketing and sales, reflecting a broader transformation of senior roles and a desire to modernize and align functions with a high-performance, results-oriented culture.
Project Description:
The project addresses an urgent leadership gap in the finance function following the resignation and termination of the local CFO, whose behavior is described as toxic and misaligned with the evolving culture. The outgoing CFO holds significant influence, including HR and administrative responsibilities, and maintains close personal alliances within the finance team, which raises the risk of internal disruption, obstructive conduct, and incomplete knowledge transfer. The group finance leadership has expressed concerns about potential sabotage, disengagement, and governance weaknesses during the transition.
The interim assignment aims to stabilize the finance function, secure critical knowledge transfer, and ensure continuity of operations through a sensitive period that includes the year-end close and the affiliate’s first audit. The environment is operationally simple but high risk, with latent dysfunction in governance, internal toxicity, and compromised culture. The interim CFO will be expected to maintain zero slip in performance reporting, safeguard audit readiness, and preserve business continuity in a politically nuanced and emotionally charged context.
Key responsibilities include rapidly assessing the current finance setup, documenting and securing processes, de-risking handover gaps, and providing oversight of day-to-day financial operations. The interim manager will need to recalibrate the culture within a small team, address misalignment with corporate protocols, and propose adjustments to team structure and competence where needed, without triggering further attrition or instability. The role also involves acting as a trusted partner to both local and group leadership, navigating dual reporting lines, and aligning the finance function with a performance-driven, cost-disciplined mindset.
The assignment is conceived as a bridge solution until a permanent CFO is recruited, with an initial expectation of full-time presence and the possibility of evolving engagement intensity as key milestones are achieved. Depending on recruitment timelines and mutual fit, the interim manager may also support or participate in onboarding the permanent successor.
Interim Manager Required Skills:
The interim manager must be a seasoned finance leader with substantial experience as CFO or equivalent in international or regional settings, capable of operating autonomously in a small, sales-heavy subsidiary while interfacing effectively with group-level stakeholders. A strong background in finance governance, statutory reporting, and audit preparation is essential, including the ability to manage first-time audits and ensure compliance with group reporting frameworks and local regulatory requirements.
The role requires a results-oriented mindset and a proven track record in high-margin-conscious or cost-disciplined environments where finance is integral to business decision making. Experience in distribution or trading models and familiarity with regulated, compliance-driven sectors are highly relevant. The interim manager must be able to quickly understand and work within established systems such as SAP and EPM tools, maintain structured forecasting and reporting cycles, and ensure performance visibility in a complex international context.
Behavioral and leadership capabilities are critical. The interim manager must demonstrate high managerial maturity, emotional neutrality, and the ability to manage transitions under stress, including situations where predecessors may be uncooperative or obstructive. Building trust rapidly with both local and group leaders, stabilizing a small and potentially fragile team, and recalibrating culture without heavy-handed disruption are central to success. The interim manager should be comfortable documenting processes, identifying governance gaps, and recommending pragmatic improvements while maintaining operational continuity.
Cross-cultural intelligence and experience in Central and Eastern Europe or similar environments are important, given the perceived HR risks and cultural challenges in the local market. The interim manager must be able to project ownership from day one, navigate informal yet execution-focused leadership dynamics, and balance group expectations with local realities. Immediate availability and the capacity for on-site presence in Romania at short notice are required, with openness to flexible engagement models as the assignment progresses.
Key Requirements:
Proven senior finance leadership with strong governance and audit readiness experience
Ability to stabilize and restructure a small, politically sensitive finance team during a high-risk transition
Immediate availability and readiness to operate on-site in Romania within a short timeframe
Type of Assignment:
Interim
Scope of Interim Assignment:
Finance stabilization and leadership transition
Functional Area of the Interim Manager:
Finance
Location:
Romania
Duration:
Approximately two to three months, with potential extension depending on integration, performance, and permanent recruitment timelines
Start Date:
Within one to two weeks from appointment
Why work with us?
CE Interim delivers proven executive interim leaders within 72 hours across borders, cultures, and industries. We specialize in high-impact interim management for private equity firms, family offices, and global corporations facing moments of transition: digital transformation, market entry, operational turnaround, post-merger integration, or crisis.
What sets us apart is not just the speed or depth of our network, it’s how we lead. Every engagement is personally guided by a CE Interim managing partner: former CEOs, CFOs, or COOs who’ve been on your side of the table, steering organizations through high-stakes decisions.
With a global talent pool and operational reach spanning Europe, the USA, and the Middle East, we don’t fill roles, we build trust, lead transitions, and deliver outcomes.
As part of the Valtus Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of Executive Interim Management companies, we ensure seamless international execution through 25+ offices and 80+ senior partners in over 50 countries.
