The finance function was primarily operational rather than strategic, with capacity stretched and reporting not yet configured for external capital. The mandate was to appoint a CFO who could build the institutional infrastructure the business needed: consolidating reporting under IFRS and UK GAAP, building the governance and structuring layer for fund and JV vehicles, and taking the platform through FCA and AIFM considerations as third-party capital came in.

The search was conducted with full confidentiality. No advert ran and no public attribution appeared at any stage. The right CFO also had to operate closely alongside the CEO from the outset, with the trust, ownership mentality and long-term horizon the role required. 

Ashtrom was looking for someone building a career at the platform, not passing through it.

177 candidates were mapped across CFOs and Finance Directors within listed real estate businesses, real estate private equity, fund and debt platforms with AIFM or regulated investment experience, and growth-stage investment managers. Three filters shaped the shortlist: experience establishing and operating within fund structures, hands-on ownership of complex finance functions, and the temperament to operate as a close strategic partner to the CEO.

A dedicated Ashtrom-branded microsite was built around a recorded interview with the CEO, accessible via a private link. Select candidates heard directly from the CEO about the platform, the direction of the business and what the incoming CFO needed to own. The fund context, the evergreen capital structure and the transition from single-investor to multi-investor sat around the recording as brand storytelling. It gave passive candidates a real read on the opportunity without any of the search being visible to the market. 

Following extensive screening conversations and in-person meetings with Rockbourne, eight candidates entered Ashtrom’s interview process, which ran across three stages: initial interview with the CEO, a second conversation focused on cultural alignment with a senior Director, and a stakeholder meeting with the CEO and senior leadership from the Ashtrom Group in Israel. Two reached the final stages. Rockbourne’s extensive screening meant that technical competence and experience alignment were a given for those that reached client interview; allowing the decision to focus on behavioural alignment and cultural fit: ownership, ego and the long-term horizon.