Chief Financial Officer

HHM Talent is assisting a client who is searching for an Automotive CFO in Hammond, Louisiana.

Position Overview

Our client is seeking a strategic, hands-on Chief Financial Officer to lead the organization's financial strategy and support its continued growth. The CFO will provide ownership and executive leadership with clear financial insight, strengthen the company's financial infrastructure, and guide decisions that improve profitability, liquidity, and long-term enterprise value.

This individual will help the organization become more proactive in its financial planning and decision-making by forecasting, timely performance reporting, capital allocation, and financial analysis. The CFO will also lead complex initiatives such as acquisitions, financing, real estate strategy, audits, employee benefit matters, and systems improvements that require sound judgment and long-term perspective.

The CFO will work closely with the Corporate Controller, who will retain primary responsibility for directing the store Controllers, managing the monthly closing, and overseeing dealership-level accounting and daily accounting operations.

Immediate Priorities

• Accelerate and standardize the monthly close process, with a goal of completing dealership financial statements by the fifth business day of each month.
• Deliver consistent, timely reporting and actionable analysis so ownership and operating leaders can adjust performance before opportunities are lost.
• Introduce proactive expense-management and revenue-growth strategies across dealerships and departments.
• Establish a clear operating rhythm between the CFO, Corporate Controller, and store Controllers, including expectations, review procedures, feedback, and accountability.
• Assess and implement tools, systems, and processes that reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and support the group's continued growth.
• Provide leadership and project ownership for acquisitions, audits, employee benefit plans, financing matters, and other high-impact or non-routine initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with ownership and executive leadership to develop financial strategies that improve profitability, manage expenses, increase revenue, and support the dealership group's long-term growth.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow planning, capital allocation, and financial analysis; provide reports and actionable insight into dealership, franchise, and departmental performance.
• Oversee enterprise cash management, banking and OEM financial relationships, floorplan financing, real estate debt, credit facilities, covenant compliance, capital expenditures, owner distributions, and insurance.
• Evaluate acquisitions, blue-sky valuations, real estate investments, facility programs, new franchises, and other growth opportunities; lead deal structuring, funding, and post-acquisition integration.
• Direct tax and entity-structure strategy, including DealerCo/PropCo arrangements, sale-leasebacks, related-party leases, and reinsurance or captive programs.
• Advise ownership on major financial decisions, succession, estate-planning coordination, distributions, and buy-sell matters.
• Establish consistent financial policies, internal controls, reporting standards, and scalable processes; identify technology, systems, and workflow improvements that increase efficiency, accuracy, and financial visibility.
• Oversee relationships with auditors, tax professionals, attorneys, insurance providers, benefit-plan advisors, and lead significant or non-routine financial matters such as audits, benefit-plan issues, and complex projects.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to the Corporate Controller, who will direct the store Controllers and oversee day-to-day accounting operations. Partner with the Corporate Controller to establish clear expectations, strengthen review procedures, and ensure the monthly close is completed by the fifth business day.
• Evaluate the finance and accounting team's long-term structure and capabilities