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 and administrative structure and no local manufacturing. It is fully integrated into group systems, uses SAP and EPM tools, 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 organization is undergoing a broader transformation of senior roles in marketing and sales, while the finance leadership has lagged behind in terms of cross-functional alignment and behavioral fit with a high-performance, results-oriented culture.
Project Description:
The project addresses an urgent leadership gap created by the resignation and termination of the local CFO, whose behavior has been described as toxic and misaligned with the evolving culture. The outgoing CFO holds significant influence over the finance team, including HR and administrative responsibilities, and is expected to be obstructive during the transition, with risks of incomplete handover, omissions of key operational knowledge, and potential internal disruption.
The interim CFO will be responsible for stabilizing the finance function, securing knowledge transfer, and ensuring continuity of financial operations in a small, distribution-only business with a single supplier and limited transactional volume. The assignment covers preparation and execution of the upcoming year-end close and a first-time audit, maintaining performance visibility and compliance with group reporting requirements, and ensuring zero slip in statutory and management reporting.
A central objective is to reset the finance function culturally and behaviorally. The client seeks a finance leader who can act as a trusted, neutral party, de-risk governance weaknesses, and address embedded dysfunction without triggering further attrition. The interim CFO is expected to quickly build trust with both local and group stakeholders, navigate dual reporting lines, and operate effectively in a politically nuanced environment where the previous CFO’s alliances and influence have compromised culture and internal resilience.
The scope includes assessing the current team structure and competence, documenting and formalizing processes, tightening internal controls, and improving audit readiness. The interim CFO will provide hands-on oversight of day-to-day finance operations, including local compliance topics, while acting as an operational business partner to a pragmatic, results-oriented general manager. The role may also involve supporting or onboarding a permanent CFO once recruited, depending on timelines and organizational decisions.
Interim Manager Required Skills:
The interim manager must be a senior finance leader with proven CFO-level experience in international or regional environments and a strong track record in governance, audit readiness, and financial control. Experience in high-margin-conscious, performance-driven industries such as consumer goods or automotive is preferred, with an explicit expectation of cost discipline and finance as an integral part of business decision making. A background in large pharmaceutical groups is not desired.
The role requires the ability to enter a small, low-complexity but high-risk affiliate and rapidly stabilize operations under tense and emotionally charged circumstances. The interim CFO must be able to manage transitions where predecessors are uncooperative, protect business continuity, and maintain morale while asserting clear standards. Strong stakeholder management skills are essential, including the capacity to build trust quickly with group finance, local general management, and a finance team that may be culturally misaligned or influenced by the outgoing leader.
The interim manager must combine hands-on operational capability with strategic judgment, be comfortable working in lean structures, and navigate cross-border reporting, group systems, and compliance frameworks. Experience with SAP and EPM or comparable tools, as well as prior involvement in first-time audits and year-end closings, is highly relevant. Behavioral fit is critical: candidates must demonstrate maturity, neutrality in toxic environments, resilience under pressure, and the ability to project ownership and authority without overreliance on formal hierarchy.
Key Requirements:
Ability to stabilize and lead the finance function during a high-risk leadership transition
Proven experience in audit readiness, year-end closing, and governance in international group structures
Strong cultural and behavioral alignment with a high-performance, results-oriented environment
Type of Assignment:
Interim
Scope of Interim Assignment:
Finance stabilization and audit readiness
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.
