Commercial Finance Manager for Expanding Digital Publisher

Overview
Our client, a renowned digital publishing group with a strong reputation in the media sector, was experiencing rapid growth. Following the acquisition of a specialist media company, they required a Commercial Finance Manager to lead financial operations for their expanding digital content division. This role was critical for managing budgets, driving commercial insights and ensuring the smooth integration of the new acquisition into the group’s operations.

Key Challenges

• The role demanded a blend of commercial acumen, strong business partnering skills and a deep understanding of digital media finance.
• The successful candidate needed to work seamlessly across editorial, marketing, and operations teams while managing a complex post-acquisition finance environment.
• The competitive media talent market meant attracting candidates with both digital publishing experience and robust commercial finance expertise would be challenging.

Talentedge Approach‍

We worked closely with the CFO and senior leadership to refine the brief, focusing on candidates with:

• Proven experience in commercial finance within the media or publishing sector.
• Advanced financial modelling skills and proficiency in tools such as Excel and data visualisation platforms.
• Strong business partnering experience to influence senior stakeholders and drive profitability.

Our search strategy combined targeted outreach to our specialist network with proactive headhunting from competitor organisations.

Outcome‍

Within four weeks, we introduced a shortlist of exceptional candidates. The successful hire — a qualified accountant with significant digital publishing experience — brought the perfect balance of analytical skill and commercial insight. They quickly became a trusted partner to the content leadership team, supporting revenue growth strategies, managing integration budgets, and delivering financial transparency across the division.

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This appointment strengthened the finance function and provided the commercial leadership needed to navigate a fast-paced, post-acquisition environment. Both the client and candidate were delighted with the outcome.

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