Wirz & Partners is a Swiss executive search boutique with deep expertise in filling finance and C-level positions. What that expertise looks like in practice is illustrated by a mandate for Deputy CFO / Head of Finance & Controlling at an internationally active Swiss software company: a business that has grown organically over two decades, remains owner-led, and whose finance function is already mature and well established — yet now stands at the edge of a phase that will likely require external capital, without losing the entrepreneurial culture that made this success possible in the first place.
A CV doesn't reveal who is ready for that dual challenge. That's why Wirz & Partners designed two mandate-specific case studies for the selection process, each delivered as a 15-minute presentation to the executive management team. The first tested how a candidate would prepare an external financing round and maximize company value for today's shareholders. The second tested how the company could be steered using a modern set of KPIs without undermining the leadership culture it had built.
The difference between the two rounds revealed far more than a traditional interview could: financial expertise is relatively easy to assess and can, to some extent, be learned. Whether someone truly understands how to steer an owner-led company without losing its substance only becomes visible when both scenarios are compared directly.
The position was filled successfully — with a candidate who brought both: the ability to convince investors, and the judgment to preserve the company's culture. Learn more about Wirz & Partners' methodology and how case studies serve as a qualification tool for leadership roles in the video.