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Why Finance Candidates Get Overlooked in Executive Hiring

Finance candidates don’t always make it to the final round—and not because they lack the chops. In executive hiring, especially in CPG, strong financial operators are too often misread or undervalued. Not because they aren’t capable, but because they’re not packaging themselves for how companies actually hire leadership today. 

Let's unpack why finance talent gets overlooked, how hiring managers can adjust their lens, and what finance candidates can do to position themselves more strategically. 

The Underrated Role of Finance Talent in CPG 

Finance teams are the operational heartbeat of most CPG organizations—but they’re rarely treated like growth drivers. While sales and marketing functions tend to take the spotlight, finance is expected to quietly handle reporting, controls, and cost containment. 

That thinking is outdated. In today’s margin-pressured market, finance leaders are central to driving agility and efficiency. Whether it’s shaping scenario plans, optimizing pricing strategy, or identifying investment priorities, finance is now a key voice in steering the business forward. 

Yet when it’s time to hire at the executive level, finance professionals often lose out to candidates who seem more dynamic or commercially savvy. The risk? Brands overlook the exact leaders who could’ve brought the operational clarity and fiscal discipline their teams actually need. 

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What Hiring Managers Prioritize in Executive Searches 

 When hiring executives, decision-makers are weighing more than resumes. They’re paying attention to how a candidate communicates, whether they project leadership presence, and how fluently they speak across functions.   

This often puts finance candidates at a disadvantage—not due to lack of experience, but due to how they tell their story. A VP of Finance might spend most of the interview detailing audit controls and ERP upgrades, when the panel really wants to hear how they partnered with sales to unlock margin or supported a go-to-market pivot. 

That disconnect matters. Leadership hiring is as much about influence and clarity as it is about capability. If a candidate can’t make the leap from function to strategy in their answers, they won’t get the benefit of the doubt. 

How Finance Candidates Undersell Their Impact 

Most finance professionals are trained to focus on facts and figures. But in executive hiring, numbers without context fall flat. Hiring teams want to understand the why behind the metric—what decisions were made, who was involved, and how the business changed as a result. 

Consider the difference between saying “We reduced COGS by 12%” and “We collaborated with procurement and operations to redesign our cost structure, leading to a 12% margin expansion that supported reinvestment in trade marketing.” 

One is accurate. The other tells a leadership story.

Many finance candidates also forget to highlight how they’ve built teams, aligned with cross-functional peers, or influenced cultural change. In a hiring environment where leadership fit is often the deciding factor, that omission can quietly remove them from contention.

Interviewing Finance Leaders: What to Listen For 

Hiring finance executives requires a different ear. Beyond the technical depth, the best candidates reveal how they work across silos, influence decision-making, and think about long-term value creation. 

Listen closely for candidates who can explain how they’ve contributed to revenue strategy, partnered with brand or sales leadership, or shifted org structures to support company growth. These signals are often buried under more tactical answers, but they indicate whether the person in front of you is a finance leader—or just a financial controller with a better title. 

  Equally important is their comfort navigating ambiguity. Can they speak to big swings or turnarounds? Do they show appetite for complexity? These cues matter, especially in today’s CPG climate where certainty is rare and agility is everything. 

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Reframing Finance Talent for Modern Executive Roles 

Helping finance talent succeed in executive interviews isn’t about dumbing down the work—it’s about elevating the story. Great search partners and internal hiring teams can make a difference by shifting the frame. 

First, prep your interviewers to go beyond technical screens. Bring in cross-functional leaders—brand, ops, or sales—to assess how finance candidates will integrate. That’s where collaboration fluency shows up. 

 Second, coach candidates to connect their wins to bigger business outcomes. Encourage them to replace “I closed the books on time” with “I rebuilt the FP&A process to give commercial leaders faster, more accurate forecasting that helped them reduce missed targets.” 

Finally, broaden your sourcing beyond traditional finance pipelines. Candidates from finance-forward organizations often come in with the storytelling, agility, and commercial IQ you need—they’ve simply been trained to think more like operators than controllers. 

“If finance isn’t in the room when key decisions are made, your org is missing a strategic anchor.” 

Let’s find finance leaders who move the business forward. 

Contact Protis Global 

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In 1995, our founders embarked on a journey that would disrupt the status quo of the executive recruiting industry. We have been transforming companies and lives ever since.

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Brent Albertson

CEO, Zing Zang LLC

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“ Our experience with Protis Global has been very positive. They have strong multi-industry CPG experience and understand our business model and standards. They know the difference between an “A-player” and a “B-player” in several functions, and the honesty around that standard helps us move faster. Mike and team set up a great process, especially in early canvassing and vetting that helps our leaders engage at the right time and make decisions fast. ”

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Colin Nolan

Executive Vice President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc.

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“Protis Global’s approach to talent acquisition is marked by diligence, transparency, and a genuine dedication to client satisfaction. Their strategic insights and personalized service have made a substantial impact on our organization, ensuring that we always have the best professionals driving our initiatives forward. The team at Protis Global demonstrates a keen ability to identify individuals who not only possess the requisite skills but also align seamlessly with our company culture.”

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Hilal Tabsh

Chief Revenue Officer, Glass House Brands

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“Over the last 10+ years my experience with Michael Bitar and the Protis Global team has been exceptional across multiple industries. Michael and his team work to get to the true needs of my hiring plan and partner with us throughout the process. They understand our business, company culture, what success looks like, and then propose candidates that will produce results while also fitting into our team dynamic. Overall it’s a great team and experience and I would recommend to anyone looking to hire top-notch quality candidates reach out to Protis Global and Michael Bitar.”

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Peter Iglesias

Chief Executive Officer, Bespoken Spirits

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“I highly recommend Protis Global as a top-notch recruiting agency. I have had the pleasure of working with them for the past 15 years, both as a candidate and employer in the Spirits and Wine industry. In my 25 years of experience, I have found Protis Global to be the most efficient and effective recruiting agency I have ever dealt with. Protis Global has consistently come through for me in the clutch, providing exceptional professionalism and execution in job searches and placements. Their dedication to finding the right fit for both candidates and employers sets them apart from other agencies. I have always been impressed by their ability to understand the needs of both parties and successfully connect them in a timely manner.”

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Soley Van Lokeren

SVP, People

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“I have been in the field of human resources for over thirty years, in executive level roles both in-house and in outsourced positions. Michael Bitar is my favorite talent acquisition professional with which I have ever worked. He cares deeply about building a relationship with his clients, learning their business, culture, challenges, and truly understanding the needs of a role requisition. His approach is mirrored by the rest of the Protis team, who are courteous, thorough, and who make you feel like you are their only client. Protis successfully delivered hires for our Chief Commercial Officer role and for three key challenging roles (in both Marketing and Sales). They are simply – the best!”

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Brian Kuz

Chief Sales Officer

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“Protis is unique in their go-to-market strategy in that they not only find the right candidate for the role, but they find the right opportunity and company for the candidate. Protis Global looks for people who are ready to make a change...I will continue to recommend Protis Global as one of the best placement agencies in the World, as I have worked on every continent and have dealt with the big executive placement firms and the boutique ones. Protis shines above all, and as long as I am hiring, I will continue to go to Protis Global first, if not exclusively.”

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Chris Hall

CEO, poppi

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“Partnering with Protis Global has been a game-changer for poppi. They understood our vision and the unique challenges we faced as a rapidly growing brand. Their expertise in executive search helped us find the right leaders who not only fit our culture but also brought the skills and passion needed to drive accelerated growth. The Protis Global team actively took our feedback and adapted the search so that we could focus on what we do best – creating innovative, healthy beverages that our customers love. They’ve truly become an extension of our team, and we couldn’t imagine achieving our success without the team members they helped us to bring aboard.”

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Chad Palma

President of Sales, Spindrift

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“Michael Bitar and the Protis team have been such a pleasure to work with over the years. Not only do they do amazing work with recruiting but we have also developed a partnership between our two companies. Michael and his team provide a crucial role in reviewing my hiring needs at the beginning of each year. Once the review is complete, Michael begins searching for quality candidates that fit the role and culture for Spindrift. He and his team do an outstanding job of finding the right candidates for the position in need. I highly recommend Michael and the Protis team for your hiring needs.”

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John Sacksteder

President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc

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“From the start, the relationship with Protis Global was different than other recruiting firms.  The team had a deeper level of commitment and desire to learn about our business than I had experienced with other firms. Our company was experiencing a time of exponential growth and our staffing needs were complex. We needed very experienced people across every possible function in the Operation and Supply Chain Teams and we needed them in a hurry. The Protis Global Team mobilized quickly and established a methodology to identify strong candidates and work them through the interview process in a professional and timely manner. Their grit, determination, understanding our needs and culture, sense of urgency and drive to exceed our expectations set them apart from the pack.”

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Thomas Frisch

Chief People Officer at IJW Whiskey

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“The team worked quickly and efficiently to find a unique position.”

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Kim Nguyen

VP of Supply Chain at Lallemand

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Everyone involved was extremely helpful - Gary, Michael, Ben - thank you!! The team didn't only search for candidates based on the job description, but also the qualities that I look for in candidates. 

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Shashank Gaur

VP of Product Technology & Innovation

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The interview process was smooth and extremely professional. Ben and team represented me as much as they represented the company. 

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Jeremy Schulman

Regional Business Manager - Foodservice

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Consistent communication, updates, and detailed knowledge of the client. The whole experience was top notch!

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Blake T. Bermingham

Supply Chain Manager

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Very simplistic process finding the right role for the right candidate...keep up the great work! 

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Don Stohrer Jr.

CEO, Arla Foods USA

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“We’ve been a Protis Global client for eight years, and during this time have always appreciated the thoroughness of the recruitment process, as the candidates brought to us have been well-vetted, not only from a competency perspective, but more importantly from a [cultural] fit dynamic. Mike and the team have always been highly engaged to ensure they bring us candidates that match our culture. That’s been critical to the success of the candidates that have landed here by way of our relationship with Protis.”

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