Acertitude Assists Karo Healthcare with CFO Search
April 17, 2026 – Acertitude has helped to recruit Karine Martin as the new CFO of Karo Healthcare, a KKR portfolio company. The search was led by partner, Eliza Baker, and supported by Finty Hunter and Hannah Elwiss. “We are very pleased to welcome Karine to Karo,” said says Christoffer Lorenzen, CEO. “With her broad international experience, strong financial leadership and proven transformation track record, she will be instrumental in supporting Karo’s continued development and further strengthening our financial platform. We are delighted to attract a CFO of Karine’s caliber.”
Mr. Martin brings more than 20 years of international experience across all aspects of financial leadership, including commercial and corporate finance, financial planning and analysis, M&A, and large-scale transformation programs. She began her career at Unilever and has since held senior finance roles at globally recognized companies such as GE Healthcare, Ecolab, Intertek and Electrolux.
Most recently, Ms. Martin served as CFO and group chief financial and transformation officer at Stock Spirits Group, a CVC portfolio company. During her time there, she played a central role in shaping and delivering key efficiency and transformation initiatives, including the Fuel for Growth program, strengthening the operating model and building a strong finance and transformation organization to support the company’s next phase of development.
“I’m excited to join Karo at such an important stage in its development,” Ms. Martin said. “Karo has built a strong foundation and clear strategic direction. I’m passionate about efficiency and believe it starts with clarity. When processes are simpler and teams are empowered, performance improves naturally – and helping people grow is the part of my role I enjoy the most. I look forward to working closely with all Karo team members to further strengthen our financial capabilities and to position Finance and IT as business enablers of growth, speed, and better decisions.”
Karo Healthcare is a Stockholm-based consumer healthcare company founded in 1987 that develops, markets, and distributes a portfolio of over-the-counter and prescription products aimed at treating common health conditions and supporting everyday wellness. The company operates primarily across Europe, with products available in more than 90 countries, and focuses on categories such as skin health, digestive health, intimate care, and pain relief.
Acertitude is a global executive search firm and leadership consultancy committed to unleashing human potential. The firm works alongside ambitious private equity and portfolio companies to build leadership teams that drive impact, strengthening businesses at every stage of the deal lifecycle. With deep expertise across business services, consumer, healthcare, industrials, infrastructure, private equity, and technology, the firm’s consultants operate in North America and EMEA. Acertitude delivers executive search, assessment, and pre-deal solutions that help investors and executives make critical leadership decisions.
Related: Acertitude Recruits CFO for Ascend Healthcare
Ms. Baker is a partner at the firm and a key member of the firm’s private equity, consumer and healthcare practices. Her focus is on partnering with PE firms and portfolio companies in assessing and building executive management teams and boards. She brings over a decade of experience delivering international investor-backed C-suite and board search mandates across the deal cycle, with a committed focus on driving performance, transformation, and growth. Ms. Baker joined Acertitude as a principal in 2023.
Ms. Hunter is a senior associate within Acertitude’s global private equity practice, supporting executive searches across Europe and the U.S., with particular strength in CFO and CISO mandates. Since joining the firm in 2021 as an analyst, she has steadily expanded her scope and impact, earning recognition as a standout force within the London office. Ms. Hunter has been instrumental in building the firm’s functional private equity hiring practice across Europe, bringing diligence, tenacity, and a sharp eye for quality to every mandate she supports.
The Evolving CFO Role in Private Equity
Navigating a tapestry of challenges, private equity CFOs have undergone a transformative evolution, shifting from being financial overseers to becoming strategic pilots. Their role surpasses the scope of accounting and reporting monthly numbers; they now own and harness data, providing invaluable insights that improve fact-based decision making for the organization at large, according to a recent report from Acertitude’s Scott Carberry. “The emerging PE CFO is a vital linchpin, balancing the financial acumen, operational resilience, and strategic foresight poised to unlock new dimensions of success in an ever-changing landscape,” he said. “Adapting to these evolving circumstances, the responsibilities shouldered by PE CFOs have experienced a notable metamorphosis in contrast to previous years.”
“Today’s CFO is an adept communicator and collaborator, transcending silos to engage operational leaders, investors, and portfolio company executives to navigate fluid market dynamics, conserve cash, and drive transformation,” Mr. Carberry said. “Most importantly, they enable the ability to drive better and faster decision making, aiding in the execution of the value creation plan.”
In the current landscape, there are heightened market challenges confronting PE CFOs compared to previous years, according to Mr. Carberry. He says that executives grapple not just with survival, but proactively rising from economic inflation to maintain the original investment thesis. “These times demand meticulous attention to minute details and a strategic pivot around new pain points – namely inflation, rising interest rates, and supply chain disruptions,” he said. “Each of these challenges bears its own set of sub-challenges leading to after-effects, and the key areas to focus on during these times include balancing cash management and revenue growth, evaluating headcount, benefits, procurement, and facilities, while also investing in automation.”
Mr. Carberry explains that amidst these dynamics, pace is still paramount. “Even in the face of impending challenges, the deal team continues to expect prompt execution within the business, tasking PE CFOs to augment their strategic maneuvering while managing rapid timelines,” he said.
Related: Financial Services is Booming, CFO Role Continues to Evolve
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
