Where new CFOs come from

The most common previous job of a new chief financial officer, in the filings that name one, falls under chief financial officer: 89 of the 207 permanent appointments whose filing states a prior role, or 43 per cent. In all, 247 permanent appointments were filed between June 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026; interim appointments are counted separately, on the interim spells page.

Of the 89 appointees who came from a CFO title, 86 joined from outside the company. Those who rose through accounting (22, as controller or chief accounting officer) mostly did so inside: 18 were already at the company. The two paths run in opposite directions: the seat is filled from outside by people who already hold it elsewhere, and from inside by the person who runs the books.

The previous role of 40 appointees is not stated in their filing, and the first-time question is mostly open: the filings establish that 105 appointees held a CFO seat before, and say nothing either way for 142. No appointee is counted as a first-time CFO unless a filing says so.