After two successive quarters of record appointments of CFOs and FDs across Yorkshire and the East Midlands, the summer quarter returned a significant drop in the number of internal & external appointments of CFOs and FDs. The number of internal and external appointments was:

The numbers are erratic to say the least. It will be especially interesting to see where the numbers are for the current quarter. Looking just at the data of our placements & campaigns, appointments made early in the quarter, and our network conversations, we are predicting at least a fair bounce back.

Our recent interview with Linda Nguyenova at BGF highlighted that the M&A market had taken a dip in this period which has undoubtedly lead to some of the numbers, but also the resilience of the SME and OMB sectors that are thriving across many sectors.

Sectors - Top 3 for Appointments:

• Manufacturing 22%
• Public Sector 18%
• Technology 12%

The sectors are in line with the normal trends with the exception of the public sector, which featured more heavily in the East Midlands than Yorkshire. Some of the sectors that had a significantly higher representation in previous years include construction, services, retail, financial services and utilities/infrastructure.

Interim Appointments

National data from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation has shown the more rapid growth of the interim market over the past twelve months -a trend that is consistent in the Executive Finance sector in our region. It is more challenging to collate the overall market data for this market and our analytics hold less authority than for permanent appointments, but we estimate that the market is growing year-on-year:

CFO Network Annual Report

We will be publishing our East Midlands CFO Network Report in November. To request a copy of either this or our Yorkshire CFO Network Report, please contact Lucy Miles.