With longer hold periods, tighter scrutiny and continued pressure on value creation, this year’s guide focuses on how senior finance hiring is evolving across PE-backed businesses – and what that means for CFO capability, hiring strategy and reward structures in 2026.

Inside you’ll find: 

• Market overview – the macro, fiscal and regulatory environment shaping PE-backed businesses in 2026, including cost pressure, scrutiny and transformation priorities.
• Recruiting trends – how PE senior finance hiring is evolving, from precision and phase-specific hiring to the increasing use of interim leaders for value creation.
• Market reality – why PE-ready CFOs remain structurally scarce, including insight from LinkedIn Talent Insights on the UK CFO talent pool.
• Skills & expertise in demand – the capabilities PE sponsors are prioritising across the investment lifecycle, spanning transactions, value creation, systems, AI, ESG and leadership under pressure.
• AI Leadership Survey – what finance leaders say about AI ambition versus readiness, governance, risk and the role of CFOs in value-driven adoption.
• CFO compensation in PE portfolios – how base salary, incentives, equity and interim rates are being structured to reflect delivery risk and exit timelines.
• Salary benchmarks – updated permanent, FTC and interim day-rate ranges for senior finance roles across PE-backed businesses by size and complexity.

If you’re hiring finance talent into a PE-backed business, or operating within one, this gives a clear view of where the market is heading.

Download your copy below.