Experts on Demand Case Study: Rapid Financial Leadership Support for a High-Growth Maritime Business
Business Type: Maritime Services
Location: Southern Europe
Experts on Demand Executive:Jonathan Pearse, Head of Executive Search
When a high-growth maritime services company in Southern Europe needed immediate senior finance expertise to support critical projects, a permanent hire was not the right solution. Through Faststream’s Experts on Demand service, the business quickly accessed a former CFO with the experience to step in and deliver immediate impact, without the time, cost, or commitment of a permanent hire.
The Challenge
A high-growth maritime services company in Southern Europe had recently appointed a new Chief Financial Officer to support the organisation’s expansion.
While the CFO began setting the strategic direction for the finance function, several urgent projects required immediate senior-level expertise. These included:
Reviewing and strengthening financial risk frameworks
Addressing immediate business risk exposure
Assessing global foreign exchange structures
Supporting wider structural finance initiatives
The organisation needed experienced executive-level finance support quickly, but the projects were expected to run for only 6–8 weeks, making a permanent hire impractical.
The CFO required a trusted expert who could step in immediately and deliver high-impact work without lengthy onboarding.
The Solution
Through our Experts on Demand solution, we quickly identified a senior finance professional with previous CFO experience who could provide the level of expertise required.
As we already had an established relationship with the candidate, we knew they were:
Actively seeking short- to medium-term contract work
Immediately available
Experienced in strategic finance transformation and risk management
We worked closely with both the client and the candidate to assess project fit and expectations, ensuring alignment before the engagement began.
Our team also managed the full engagement process, including:
Facilitating communication between all parties
Structuring the engagement
Managing contracts and onboarding
Providing payroll and payment services on behalf of the client
This allowed the business to access senior-level expertise without the complexity of hiring or contracting directly.
The Outcome
Within a short timeframe, the finance expert was able to support the CFO and leadership team with critical projects, including:
Strengthening financial risk frameworks
Addressing immediate operational finance risks
Reviewing foreign exchange exposure across global operations
Supporting broader finance transformation initiatives
The engagement gave the business rapid access to senior expertise at a critical time, allowing the CFO to accelerate priority projects without committing to a permanent hire.
Key Benefits Delivered Through Experts on Demand
Immediate access to CFO-level finance expertise
Rapid deployment for urgent project work
Flexibility through a short-term engagement
Reduced administrative burden through managed contracts and payroll
Strong alignment between client needs and expert capability
Looking for flexible access to specialist expertise?
Many maritime businesses face moments where immediate expertise is needed to deliver key projects, solve complex challenges, or support leadership teams during periods of change.
Experts on Demand connects organisations with experienced industry specialists who can step in quickly and deliver results, without the commitment of a permanent hire.
Whether you need senior leadership support, technical expertise, or project-based specialists, our network of maritime experts can provide the capability you need, exactly when you need it.
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