Polachi Finds CFO for Analytic Partners
November 29, 2018 – Chief financial officers continue to be in high demand. Finding them is keeping many of the nation’s top recruitment operations busier than ever. In recent months, search firms of all varieties have placed CFOs at various companies.
Recently, executive search firm Polachi Inc. placed Jeff Driskill as the new CFO of Analytic Partners in New York.
“Jeff brings a phenomenal track record as a leader in global finance and will be instrumental in furthering our efforts to grow as a company,” said Nancy Smith, CEO of Analytic Partners. “We are excited to have him join us as a dedicated resource to help us become the world’s premier analytic consultancy.”
Mr. Driskill has more than 20 years of experience in global finance. Over the span of his career, he has facilitated acquisitions with Serious Eats and Tapad, taken the New York Mercantile Exchange from a domestic to a global company, and has driven millions in equity & debt financing.
As a founding team member of Tapad, Mr. Driskill was central to its $360 million acquisition by Telenor in 2016. He has overseen venture capital transactions for firms that include FirstMark Capital, Battery Ventures, Firsthand Technology Value Fund, Sigma Partners, Kodiak and Avalon Ventures. He has also held pivotal financial roles at Sonic Corp. and Flemings Corp., among others.
New Position
As CFO, Mr. Driskill is expected to help build upon the successes of Analytics Partners and collaborate with all teams to identify strategic growth opportunities, said the company. Additionally, he will assist the CEO on all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget management, cost benefit analysis and forecasting needs.
Analytic Partners is a global analytics firm that delivers highly-customized analysis, consulting, and software to improve sales, enhance marketing ROI and support optimized resource allocation decisions in industry-leading companies. Through offices in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas, the company provides expertise and reach with localized analysis, delivery and client support.
Polachi Inc. provides access executive search services to technology, clean technology, private equity and venture capital companies. The firm recruits executive leaders for a client roster that includes Aspen Technology, Bottomline Technologies, Attunity, Cognizant Technologies, MAM Software, Trillium Software/Harte Hanks, FleetMatics, Lionbridge, Sparta Systems, Sevcon, Epsilon, Cognex, Plug Power, Mediamorph, Witricity, BlueConic, Perkins School, Knoa and Visual IQ, among others.
Modern Day CFO
A recent report by Stanton Chase International found that the CFO role continues to evolve at an escalating pace. As the job expands to include more non-traditional financial accountabilities, CFOs recognize that they must develop new skills to lead.
Transitioning CFOs Seen Fast Tracking to CEO
La Quinta’s naming of Keith Cline as company president and chief executive officer is the latest in a running catalog of completed CEO searches that have resulted in the winning candidate coming from the CFO slot. Korn Ferry took on the search last fall after Wayne Goldberg stepped down from the post last September.
“With technology increasingly shaping and disrupting corporate strategy and the way organizations operate, CFOs must remain poised for more change ahead, and be prepared to quickly and continuously innovate to keep pace with digital transformation,” Stanton Chase said.
The report found that technology, and the unique opportunities it offers, presents new challenges and demands for CFOs. Among them, CFOs must take on a greater role in attracting, developing and retaining top tech-savvy leadership talent that can leverage new technologies within their organizations, allowing them to focus on developing and driving corporate strategy to remain competitive.
The tide has clearly turned, and the CFO’s focus has irrevocably shifted from “traditional” finance responsibilities to finding ways that finance can add measurable business value. “Technology is both a driver and an enabler of this shift,” the report said.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
