Why do your best offers remain unanswered even when your need for financial leadership is urgent? Because the kind of talent that transforms organizations doesn’t take the traditional path.
In finance and accounting—particularly in Montréal—CFOs, VPs of Finance, and Finance Directors are highly sought-after, discreet, loyal, and focused on the impact they deliver every day. They don’t browse job boards, spend hours on LinkedIn, or click “Apply in 1 click.” They respond to an intelligently framed, confidential opportunity—aligned with their ambitions and the next chapter of their career trajectory.
This is exactly where the expertise of a headhunter becomes strategic—and why partnering with a specialized recruitment agency can make all the difference.
The Hidden Market of Financial Leaders
Roles such as CFO, VP of Finance, and Finance Director largely operate within a hidden market. The vast majority of high-performing financial executives are already in post, engaged in multi-year transformation cycles, and unwilling to publicly signal that they are open to a move. Confidentiality isn’t a luxury—it’s a baseline requirement to protect trust with teams, shareholders, and partners.
The CFO role illustrates this reality perfectly: overseeing cash flow, governance, compliance, risk management, investment strategy, as well as initiatives related to digital transformation and data management. For a detailed, up-to-date overview of the CFO’s strategic responsibilities, see PwC’s article: The New CFO Agenda.
In this context, expecting these executives to send résumés or respond to job ads is unrealistic. LinkedIn trend studies confirm that a significant portion of qualified talent is “passive”: open to discussion but not actively searching. Market data shows that direct outreach, combined with a credible and strong employer brand, is critical to attract and engage these strategic profiles.
Strategic alignment and timing matter. A CFO does not leave a mandate for a simple salary adjustment. They move for an expanded scope of influence, a confirmed seat at the executive table, a credible transformation agenda, or the chance to accelerate their development. Their natural posture remains: discretion, selectivity, and rigor.
Why Don’t the Best Candidates Apply?
Several factors explain this paradox:
- Reputational risk. A visible job search can call into question an executive’s loyalty and undermine their internal authority. The confidentiality of a headhunter mitigates this risk.
- Strategic workload. Between audit committees, financial closes, refinancing, due diligence, ERP projects, and ESG agendas, a CFO or VP of Finance has neither the time nor the inclination to sift through job postings.
- Ambition/opportunity alignment. The best leaders respond to a tailored value proposition—not to a generic job ad.
- A highly competitive local market. Greater Montréal’s financial ecosystem attracts and retains talent, strengthened by initiatives like Finance Montréal.
- Shifting skillsets. Automation, financial data, and cybersecurity now complement core accounting and strategic responsibilities. Truly hybrid profiles are therefore exceptionally rare.
- New reporting obligations. The rise of international sustainability reporting standards increases demand for CFOs able to integrate ESG into their role. For more details, see the IFRS Foundation sustainability standards.
In this context, posting a job is not enough. You must go out and find the right people, spark their interest, carefully qualify them, protect confidentiality, and orchestrate the process—specialized skills that make all the difference.
What a Headhunter Does When No One Applies
A Montréal-based financial headhunter leverages three key levers inaccessible to traditional processes:
- Mapping the hidden market. Not through CV databases, but through ongoing strategic monitoring of org charts, career trajectories, transformation cycles, and subtle signals. The focus is on stories in motion—not just titles.
- Opening the door. The first contact isn’t about a “job,” but about ambition, impact, challenges, team, and culture. It’s targeted, credible, discreet—the opposite of a mass-market approach.
- Crafting the value story. A seasoned headhunter transforms a business need into a compelling strategic narrative—backed by numbers—and outlines a clear trajectory for the future CFO or VP.
Evaluation then goes far beyond technical skills. Leadership, the ability to navigate ambiguity, influence at the executive table, digital readiness, and financial judgment are all tested. Interviews follow strict confidentiality protocols, with validation points to prevent unnecessary exposure.
Finally, the headhunter helps structure the offer. Financial leadership packages are complex: fixed and variable pay, long-term incentives, performance criteria, deferred benefits, sometimes equity. The goal: to establish a strong, sustainable relationship from the outset.
Why Montreal Requires an Even More Specialized Approach
The Montreal market has specific features that make specialized finance & accounting recruitment essential:
- Operational bilingualism. Communicating with boards, investors, regulators, and teams in both languages requires rare agility and directly impacts recruitment.
- Interregional competition. Toronto and New York also covet Montreal’s best CFOs. Highlighting local advantages—quality of life, ecosystem density, and mandate relevance—is crucial.
- Sector diversity. Insurance, video games, AI, manufacturing, healthcare, distribution, fintech—each sector requires distinct regulatory and technical expertise.
- Quebec business culture. Decision-making codes, governance, communication styles, and the human factor all weigh heavily. Only a nuanced understanding of Montréal’s ecosystem ensures a strong fit.
What Companies Can Do Differently—Starting Now
Even without launching a full mandate, you can make your opportunity irresistible to a CFO, VP Finance, or Finance Director today by:
- Clarifying impact. What will this role transform, secure, or accelerate in the next 18 months? Position it within overall strategy, not just an org chart.
- Strengthening governance. Who does the role report to? What’s the link with the CEO? What rituals exist with shareholders and the board?
- Making room for influence. Budget, team, technology, decision-making latitude, capital structure, cash optimization—the clearer this is, the more credible the opportunity.
- Highlighting digital agenda. ERP, BI, automation, data governance, cybersecurity—where are you now, and what remains to be built?
- Defining non-negotiables, staying flexible on the rest.
- Protecting candidate experience. Swift decisions, consistent interlocutors, high-quality feedback—your process signals managerial maturity.
- Preparing executive onboarding. A structured plan, 30/60/90-day objectives, and key stakeholder connections. This is a selling point, not an afterthought.
How We Activate Passive Finance & Accounting Talent
At Kenova, our mission is to create long-term strategic matches between ambitious organizations and exceptional financial leaders. We know that the most sought-after CFOs, VPs of Finance, and Finance Directors are rarely in active search.
Our human, confidential, and personalized approach is designed to activate these leaders with precision and respect. We continuously monitor the market, engage executives with a tailored narrative, and guarantee confidentiality at every step. We recruit less, but better: every candidate presented is highly qualified and aligned with the actual mandate. Our deep understanding of Montréal’s market dynamics allows us to handle its local complexities with ease.
Key Trends to Anticipate
Hybrid skillsets. Finance, data, technology, automation, and cybersecurity now converge in the CFO’s daily reality. Those who can master this range are rare, and must be approached directly.
Sustainable and non-financial reporting. Standards like IFRS S1 & S2 are gaining traction. Companies seek CFOs who can turn these obligations into competitive advantage. Learn more at the IFRS Foundation.
Leadership in transformation. Evaluation increasingly focuses on the ability to drive organizational transformation beyond pure financial scope.
International competition and flexibility demands. Hybrid work and global competition are forcing companies to rethink packages and value propositions.
The Human Angle at the Heart of Success
Technology helps, but human nuance is irreplaceable. Algorithmic profile-matching only has value when paired with a deep understanding of motivations, trajectories, and ambitions. A qualified exchange with a headhunter is vital: securing sensitive conversations, testing alignment between career stories and business strategy, and surfacing creative options no job posting could ever produce.
In Summary
The best candidates don’t “apply”—they engage. They’re not simply looking for a job—they choose a mandate. They don’t respond to ads—but to a clear, confidential opportunity, presented by those who understand their world.
That is the true value of a headhunter—and the strength of a local, specialized recruitment agency capable of orchestrating these high-level connections.
If you’re looking to recruit a CFO, VP Finance, or Finance Director in Montréal, don’t leave it to chance. Activate the hidden market—strategically.
Ready to unlock the hidden market? Entrust us with your next financial leadership mandate. Discover our approach or contact us for a confidential conversation.
