Identifying Finance Leadership for a Global Pharma Giant
How Global Accounting Network’s consultative approach led to a more efficient hiring process that targeted high-performing financial leaders with precision.
How Global Accounting Network’s consultative approach led to a more efficient hiring process that targeted high-performing financial leaders with precision.
A leading FTSE 100 pharmaceutical company faced ongoing challenges in recruiting top-tier finance leadership talent for their US business. Despite their strong track record of internal promotions, there was a recurring need to source external experts for key commercial finance roles.
This challenge was compounded by:
The organisation required a partner who could identify exceptional finance leaders efficiently and effectively to maintain their standards and performance.
Global Accounting Network (GAN) partnered with the client to deliver a tailored solution that addressed their unique challenges. By building strong relationships with the client’s senior finance leadership, GAN developed a deep understanding of what was required to succeed in the company’s US finance leadership roles. This involved uncovering the precise traits, skills, and competencies needed to excel.
Drawing on in-depth market knowledge, GAN consulted with the client on what was and wasn’t feasible in their hiring plans. This included advising on salary benchmarking, role adjustments, and realistic expectations for attracting top talent. This consultative approach ensured the client could make informed decisions in line with both their budget constraints and the available talent pool.
Several retained searches were conducted. Using our extensive network in the pharmaceutical space, we were able to target high quality candidates. The targeted nature of these searches meant fewer unnecessary interviews, streamlining the overall process.
In addition, GAN implemented a proactive, long-term talent pipelining strategy. By introducing high-calibre finance leaders to the CFO outside of live vacancies, the client gained greater visibility of the market landscape, competitor insights, and salary benchmarks. This strategic foresight positioned the client to move swiftly when new opportunities arose, reducing future hiring timelines dramatically.
Through GAN’s strategic approach, the client experienced considerable improvements across their finance hiring strategy. Time to hire was reduced by approximately two months, significantly improving their ability to secure top-tier talent efficiently. The client also benefited from streamlined recruitment processes, with fewer resumes and interviews per hire — a testament to GAN’s highly targeted methodology.
This precision not only saved the hiring team considerable time but also improved the calibre of commercial finance support within the organisation. The CFO praised GAN’s “unique understanding of business partnering,” which played a key role in securing high-performing finance leaders.
The talent pipelining initiative further supported the company’s workforce planning by equipping the CFO with valuable insights into salary trends, career trajectories, and competitor landscapes. This proactive preparation ensured that when a key role became available, GAN was able to deliver a strong shortlist of candidates within just five days. A stark improvement on the weeks or months previously required for similar searches.
Following these successes, GAN’s proven methodology was extended to mid-level roles, reinforcing the client’s trust in GAN’s ability to deliver talent solutions at every level of the organisation. This expanded relationship resulted in the CFO actively recommending GAN to multiple contacts and business areas across the company.
“I have worked with Global Accounting Network for over 10 years, both as a candidate and a client. In my experience, they have an unprecedented understanding of business partnering, provide excellent market intelligence and advice and can identify and attract the best candidates in the market, active or passive. They typically make the whole recruitment process as seamless as possible, and I actively refer them across the business as a result.”
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