Case Study: Strengthening Financial Leadership for Growth

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Client: A leading West African data centre

Role: Chief Financial Officer
Challenge: Finding a candidate with the right technical depth, strategic vision, and cultural fit in a short timeframe
Outcome: A CFO with over 15 years of experience, bringing expertise in ERP

integration, process automation, and financial discipline across capital-intensive sectors

Background

A leading West African data centre, renowned for being carrier-neutral and Tier III Constructed Facility Certified, has been at the forefront of delivering high-quality colocation services since 2012. Backed by major investment funds, the organisation has a reputation for zero downtime and innovative power efficiency, positioning itself for rapid expansion from 1.5MW to 12MW capacity and ambitious 10x revenue growth. The organisation required a Chief Financial Officer capable of guiding this scale-up while modernising financial systems and ensuring alignment with shareholder expectations.

Challenge

Although the parent company had already identified a pool of candidates for the CFO role, none fully met the organisation’s requirements. The internal candidate initially considered raised concerns due to nationality, and the board required a broader, highly curated search. The ideal CFO needed to combine:

•  Extensive experience in ERP integration and process automation
•  Strategic financial planning and oversight of capital-intensive operations
•  Expertise in P&L management, currency exposure, and regulatory compliance in Nigeria
•  Leadership skills to guide a small finance team through rapid growth while building stakeholder confidence

Finding a candidate with the right technical depth, strategic vision, and cultural fit in a short timeframe posed a significant challenge.

The Solution

A comprehensive, targeted search was undertaken to identify candidates who could meet the organisation’s unique requirements. The approach included:

1. Extensive Market Mapping: Identifying senior finance talent across B2B, telecom, real estate, and fintech sectors, leveraging professional networks to uncover high-performing individuals who might not be actively seeking new roles
2. Structured Assessment: Designing bespoke assessments and case scenarios to evaluate candidates’ financial modelling, compliance expertise, ERP implementation capabilities, and leadership style
3. Stakeholder Alignment: Maintaining close communication with the CEO and board members to ensure shortlisted candidates aligned with the strategic vision, operational priorities, and cultural expectations.

The process integrated internally sourced candidates alongside a wider longlist of 122 potential leaders, resulting in a shortlist of eight highly qualified individuals. Recommendations were provided based on both technical ability and cultural fit.

Approach

The search focused on uncovering candidates with:

• Proven experience in scaling financial systems within capital-intensive and high-growth environments
• Adaptability to Nigeria’s business and regulatory landscape
• Strong leadership presence to influence internal teams and external stakeholders

The process involved detailed interviews, written assessments, and competency-based evaluations to ensure each candidate could navigate the complexities of the role and deliver immediate impact.

The Outcome

The successful placement was a CFO with over 15 years of experience, bringing expertise in ERP integration, process automation, and financial discipline across capital-intensive sectors.

The candidate was able to:

• Strengthen financial oversight and compliance frameworks
• Modernise processes and ERP systems to support scale
• Lead the finance team through the organisation’s transformative growth phase

This strategic appointment has positioned the organisation to achieve its growth objectives, enhance operational efficiency, and reinforce its leadership in the West African data infrastructure market. Beyond filling a critical role, the placement laid a foundation for sustainable expansion and long-term financial resilience.