Who we place
Why boards and PE partners choose us
- We reach the leaders who aren't looking. The best executive for your seat is running someone else's right now. We bring them to you, confidentially.
- A senior specialist runs your search. Your seat is handled by a senior consultant who focuses on exactly this specialty, under our US healthcare Sector Head. Not a junior associate and a database.
- Healthcare is all we do. We know the difference between a clinician with a title and a leader who can run a P&L and a medical staff.
- Retained means all-in. We commit the full team to one search and stay until the right person signs. Most of ours close in 30 to 90 days.
- A global bench behind a local search. ISG runs in 50-plus countries with 1,200-plus partners, so no leader is out of reach.
What a health-system CFO search really demands
- Capital planning and bond financing, not just closing the books
- Revenue-cycle optimization and reimbursement command across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial
- Value-based-care and population-health economics
- M&A and post-merger integration
- Cost transformation and margin improvement
- A true strategic partner to the CEO on growth, not only stewardship
Representative engagements
Representative, anonymized examples. Details and locations changed to protect client and candidate confidentiality.
- A hospital in the Pacific Northwest needed a CFO who could do more than close the books. We placed a finance leader who partners with the CEO on strategy and margin.
- An organization working through a turnaround needed its numbers steadied by someone who had done it before. We placed the finance leadership that did.
Frequently asked questions
What do health systems want in a CFO now?
Beyond accounting, boards want a strategic finance leader who can navigate value-based payment, capital, and cost, and partner with the CEO on strategy.
Can you handle a confidential CFO succession?
Yes. We run CFO successions blind while the incumbent is still in seat, sharing candidates on an anonymized basis.
How long does a CFO search take?
A retained health-system CFO search typically runs 30 to 90 days, depending on complexity and confidentiality.
Meet your search partner
Lee Fossey leads the US Healthcare Executive Search practice for ISG Americas, with a team of senior consultants each focused on a specialty, so your search is run by someone who lives in that corner of the market. Across nearly three decades in search, the practice has helped hospitals, health systems, and private-equity-backed platforms place the leaders who change their trajectory, and on the global ISG platform that reach extends to more than 50 countries. Lee would rather have one honest conversation about your search than send you a proposal.
Book a confidential call with Lee →Have a seat open?
Every week a leadership seat sits empty, it costs you momentum, money, and the board's confidence. One confidential call, and you will know quickly whether we are the firm for your search.
Book a confidential call