Food & Beverage CFO Recruitment
Specialized CFO and VP Finance recruitment for food & beverage companies. Expert financial leadership search for owner-managed businesses.
Find Your Food & Beverage CFOFinancial Leadership for Food & Beverage
Food & Beverage companies face unique financial challenges that require CFO expertise specific to the industry. Our recruitment practice specializes in placing financial leaders who understand the operational complexities, regulatory requirements, and strategic dynamics of the food & beverage sector.
Whether you're an owner-managed business in growth mode, preparing for a capital raise, or professionalizing your financial operations, we connect you with CFOs and VPs of Finance who bring both technical excellence and industry-specific experience to drive your success.
Financial Challenges in Food & Beverage
Perishable inventory management and food safety compliance costs
Multi-channel distribution (retail, food service, direct-to-consumer)
Recipe costing, portion control, and menu engineering
Regulatory compliance (FDA, USDA, health departments, liquor licenses)
Commodity price volatility and hedging strategies
Restaurant-specific metrics (table turns, check averages, labor percentages)
What Food & Beverage CFOs Do
Implement inventory systems accounting for perishability, expiration dating, and food safety
Develop recipe costing models with variance analysis and menu profitability optimization
Manage relationships across diverse customer channels including retail, distributors, and food service
Build financial planning models accounting for commodity volatility, seasonality, and promotions
Track restaurant-specific KPIs including prime cost, labor percentage, and same-store sales
Lead expansion financing for new locations, production facilities, or equipment investments
What to Look for in a Food & Beverage CFO
The ideal Chief Financial Officer for a food & beverage company brings industry-specific expertise combined with strategic financial leadership capabilities:
- ✓Experience with food and beverage operations including manufacturing or restaurant management
- ✓Understanding of multi-channel distribution including retail, food service, and DTC
- ✓Knowledge of food safety regulations, compliance costs, and quality assurance
- ✓Track record managing commodity risk, supplier relationships, and contract negotiations
- ✓Familiarity with industry-specific software (Toast, Square, Restaurant365, etc.)
- ✓Strategic mindset for location selection, concept development, and brand positioning
When Should Food & Beverage Companies Hire a CFO?
Food and beverage companies typically need a CFO when expanding production capacity, opening multiple restaurant locations, pursuing retail distribution, managing commodity price volatility, or preparing for significant growth capital raises or acquisition opportunities.
Example Scenario
A craft beverage manufacturer growing distribution from local to regional needs a CFO who understands excise tax compliance, can manage relationships with distributors across multiple states, optimize production costs and pricing strategies, navigate complex three-tier distribution regulations, and secure growth capital for expanded production capacity.
Our Food & Beverage CFO Recruitment Process
Our executive search process for food & beverage companies focuses on identifying financial leaders who combine industry expertise with strategic capabilities:
Industry-Specific Candidate Sourcing
We leverage our extensive network within the food & beverage sector to identify both active and passive candidates with relevant experience. Our search focuses on financial leaders who have proven track records in similar companies.
Technical & Strategic Assessment
Every candidate undergoes rigorous evaluation of their industry knowledge, technical capabilities, and strategic thinking. We assess their understanding of food & beverage-specific challenges and their approach to solving them.
Cultural Fit Evaluation
We evaluate candidates for their fit with owner-managed business environments, ensuring they bring the hands-on mentality, adaptability, and collaborative approach that characterizes successful financial leaders in entrepreneurial companies.
Reference Verification
We conduct comprehensive reference checks with former colleagues, supervisors, and board members to verify past performance, industry expertise, and leadership effectiveness.
Find Your Food & Beverage CFO
Connect with our specialized recruiters to discuss your financial leadership needs in the food & beverage sector