For Employers
In a market flooded with generalist recruiters, how do you find someone who actually understands finance leadership at the technical level? The difference starts with who's leading your search — and how deeply they understand your world.
Most recruiting firms assign your search to a coordinator reading from a script. They don't know the difference between a Controller at a SaaS company and a Controller at a med device manufacturer. They can't evaluate whether a candidate truly understands cost accounting or just lists it on their resume. And they're juggling 10–20 searches at once, which means yours gets a fraction of their attention.
I spent 10 years living in the finance and accounting world before becoming a recruiter. I've closed books. I've worked through month-end. I know what these roles demand at a technical level because I've done the work myself — not read about it.
That difference shows up in everything: the quality of candidates presented, the speed of the search, the interview rate, and ultimately, whether the person you hire actually succeeds in the role long-term.
Before I became a recruiter, I was a CPA working in finance and accounting. That decade of hands-on experience means I evaluate candidates the way a hiring manager would — through a technical and cultural lens, not just resume keywords.
When I screen a VP of Finance candidate, I'm assessing whether they truly understand manufacturing cost accounting, variance analysis, and close processes — because I've done that work myself. When I call a passive Controller to discuss an opportunity, I can speak credibly about their challenges because I've lived in that world.
Background
Working directly in finance & accounting before transitioning to recruiting
Credential
Former Certified Public Accountant who understands the technical demands from the inside out
Interview Rate
Of submitted candidates receive interview requests — because real vetting produces real results
Concurrent Searches
Your search receives focused attention, not a fraction of a recruiter managing 15+ roles
Engagement Model
No retainer required — but exclusivity is non-negotiable for the quality of service you receive
Accountability
Regular check-ins with market intelligence and real-time feedback on candidate pipeline
While most recruiters juggle 10 to 20 open searches simultaneously, I cap my desk at two to three concurrent engagements. This isn't a limitation — it's the entire model. Each client receives the kind of focused, hands-on attention that high-volume firms structurally cannot provide.
Altitude requires airtight exclusivity on every engagement. No competing agencies. No internal team running a parallel search. This allows me to truly own the headache of your search from start to finish — running a tight, accountable process with weekly syncs and complete transparency into what I'm hearing from the market.
The tech market is dominated by software and SaaS companies. That means the vast majority of recruiters — and the vast majority of available finance talent — come from software backgrounds. Finding a VP of Finance or Controller who understands cost accounting, manufacturing operations, inventory management, and the complexities of physical product companies is exceptionally rare.
I've spent a decade building deep relationships specifically in the med device, hardware, and manufacturing sectors. I understand the intersection of finance and operations that these roles demand. I know which companies develop this talent, where to find it, and how to evaluate whether a candidate's experience is genuinely transferable to your environment.
Primary Industries
Med device, hardware, and manufacturing — physical product companies where finance meets operations
Geography
Coverage across all major U.S. markets, supporting growing companies wherever they're building
Company Stage
Early-stage through pre-IPO and newly public companies navigating critical finance leadership needs
Fill Rate
Of searches filled from the first batch of presented candidates
Offer Acceptance
Candidates genuinely excited about opportunities because they've been properly matched
Guarantee
Replacement guarantee standard, with extended structures available for retained engagements
Every search begins with me reviewing over 1,000 profiles to understand the market landscape and identify the strongest potential candidates. From that research, I screen 20 to 30 candidates through 30 to 45-minute video calls — assessing technical qualifications, cultural fit, motivation, compensation expectations, and closability.
Within two weeks of kickoff, I present 5 to 8 highly vetted candidates ready to interview. Ninety percent of placements come from this first batch. The entire process is built around accountability, with weekly syncs and real market intelligence — not vague status updates.
Access the Hidden Talent Pool
The best finance and accounting leaders aren't on Indeed or LinkedIn job boards. They're busy delivering results for their current employers and would only move for the right opportunity — presented by someone they trust and who understands their expertise.
Roughly 37% of the workforce are passive candidates. At the senior finance level, that percentage skews even higher. These are your best potential hires, and they will never see your posting.
My 10 years of building relationships specifically in the med device, hardware, and manufacturing finance community means I can reach candidates who would ignore a recruiter they've never heard of. When I call, they take the call — because I speak their language and have earned their trust over years of credible, respectful engagement.
A decade of building genuine relationships with finance professionals who take my calls because I don't waste their time.
CPA-to-CPA conversations about career goals and challenges — not mass InMail blasts from a recruiter who doesn't understand the role.
5–8 thoroughly vetted candidates within two weeks — not 20 unqualified resumes pulled from job board applications.
Deep connections in med device, hardware, and manufacturing finance — the exact intersection where generalist recruiters have blind spots.
Results That Prove the Difference
Finance Executives Placed Over 10 Years
Of Our Candidates Get Interviewed
Vetted Candidates in Two Weeks
Fill Rate From First Short List
Side by Side
What They Say
I have worked with Sabina for many years now, she has helped me recruit talent for multiple companies (both VC-backed and Public) where I worked. She understands the business needs like no other recruiter, and embeds herself into the business to find the pool of candidates that best suits the company’s needs. In addition to the quality of her searches, she is effective in closing timely and always has the best interests of her clients and candidates in mind.
I have had the opportunity to work with many recruiters, and Sabina stands out as one of the best for several key reasons. First, Sabina brings senior-level rigor to her searches, developing a deep understanding of the roles and candidate profiles. Second, she thoroughly seeks to understand an organization’s needs. Finally, Sabina demonstrates an uncanny ability to understand hiring managers, which allows her to accelerate the time to hire, as the candidates she presents are uniquely aligned with the hiring manager’s needs.
I’ve partnered with Sabina on many challenging searches, and she consistently brings dedication and thoughtfulness to our partnership. I can count on her to embrace the nuances of the company and the role, and represent the opportunity to candidates in a way that resonates with them. Sabina’s focus is always on quality over quantity, and her perseverance is what sets her apart from other recruiters. Working with Sabina always yields great results, and I’d happily recommend her to anyone.
Sabina is an amazing recruiter. She delivers a high-touch, people-first process for both the candidate and the employer, all the while delivering clear and actionable feedback.
I know this from experience — at my previous company, not only did she hire me into the role but she placed five employees on my team.
I highly recommend Sabina to place talent for finance and accounting roles.
I worked with Sabina both as a candidate and a hiring manager.
The thing I appreciated the most with her as a hiring manager is that she is very thorough and thoughtful to understand the needs of a hiring manager. Her background in Finance is incredibly helpful for her to quickly grasp what you are looking for. She not only quickly captures what you need but also suggests things that you may not have thought about. She brings in candidates that are well vetted, highly qualified and good fits for the role.
As a candidate, I appreciated her candid support and guidance and the fact that she doesn’t try to force you into a job that would not be a good fit. She really thinks about whether the role and candidate as well as the hiring team are good fits for each other.
I would highly recommend working with Sabina and would work with her on all my job searches or hiring needs.
I had the opportunity to work with Sabina when we needed to hire our first FP&A employee within a very tight timeframe. With our company scaling rapidly, we were under significant pressure to find someone who could implement a new FP&A solution independently and start delivering results from day one.
Sabina was outstanding throughout the process. She took the time to listen and understand the unique challenges we were facing, kept us in the loop with regular updates, and was always available to discuss our progress.
What stood out was the caliber of candidates she presented. It was clear she really understood what we needed, and her careful screening process saved us a lot of time, ultimately leading us to the perfect hire.
Sabina also helped us navigate the compensation negotiations. She’s smart, patient, and added a lot of value to our search. I highly recommend her.
I worked with Sabina on a number of important roles in our Finance team and cannot recommend her highly enough. Her background in Finance & Accounting means she has a deep understanding of her clients needs and expectations and I was impressed by the caliber of candidates she delivered consistently with each role. Even when we held a very high bar for moving forward with candidates, Sabina was patient, understanding and worked as a team to find the right fit. I look forward to working with her again in the future!
Ready to Experience the Difference?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll discuss your needs, your timeline, and whether Altitude is the right partner for your search.
