End-to-End CFO Recruitment for a Leading Grammar School

Calday Grange Grammar School approached Sellick Partnership to support with the recruitment of an interim Chief Finance Officer (CFO) to provide cover whilst they recruited a replacement permanent CFO.  

The school needed an experienced CFO to oversee financial strategy, compliance, audit readiness, and long-term planning. The assignment required significant stakeholder engagement and the credibility to work closely with the Head Teacher, HR Manager and Governors. 

The campaign was led by Lindsay Richey, Business Manager. Lindsay has 15 years’ experience delivering senior and executive recruitment, specialising within the finance profession, across the education and wider public sector markets.  

Interim support

Lindsay has an extensive network of finance candidates within the local area and was able to quickly recommend a professional interim from our existing network. This candidate had completed a number of interim assignments via Sellick Partnership previously, and had extensive education experience to commence the contract quickly. 

Permanent campaign 

Calday Grange Grammar School had already advertised the permanent role directly but had not generated suitable applicants. The Head Teacher and HR Manager invited Sellick Partnership to support, with final approval for spend and engagement provided by the school’s Governors. 

Lindsay undertook preliminary market mapping and proactive candidate generation to build an informed longlist. She produced a tailored proposal outlining our methodology, demonstrating how a structured search, targeted outreach and full process management would deliver stronger results than repeat advertising. 

Once approval was provided for us to manage the recruitment for the permanent appointment, Lindsay delivered a high-quality CV shortlist within two weeks.  

Lindsay coordinated a full assessment day (8am–4pm) for four shortlisted candidates, including competency interviews and practical exercises. 

Outcome 

An excellent candidate identified through LinkedIn headhunting was appointed following the final stage. The school benefited from uninterrupted financial leadership, a seamless interim process, and a fully managed end-to-end campaign delivered at pace. 

Testimonial 

“Sellick Partnership recently helped us to recruit a top class Chief Financial Officer. We found this a very difficult position to fill and, to be honest, were reluctant to instruct an agency to act on our behalf. Working with Lindsay was an absolute pleasure and any concerns which I had were soon addressed. What impressed me most was the time Lindsay took to really understand our organisation and what we required. Lindsay quickly went away and assembled a high-quality field for us and we could have appointed two candidates in the process! This was because of Lindsay's approach and the fact that she had been so thorough in her work. I would have no hesitation in recommending Sellick Partnership. They take the stress out of the recruitment process and deliver at the end of it.”

Stephen Gray, Head Teacher, Calday Grange Grammar School