Conexus, a rapidly expanding interim and executive human capital solutions firm specializing in the Office of the CFO, is pushing deeper into the U.S. talent market with the launch of its first East Coast offices in New York and Connecticut.
The move marks a significant geographic expansion for the California-rooted firm and reflects growing demand for specialized finance leadership across private equity portfolio companies and enterprise finance teams.
The new locations will be led by Partner David Erickson, a veteran executive search and interim leadership specialist with decades of experience placing senior finance talent. Erickson has built a reputation in the Office of the CFO ecosystem—particularly in advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies on leadership placements during periods of rapid growth, transformation, or operational restructuring.
According to Conexus CEO Mike Kelly, the company deliberately waited to enter the New York market until it found the right leadership to anchor the expansion.
“We held off opening a New York office until we found the right leader with the expertise to serve private equity portfolio companies while also delivering unmatched Office of the CFO interim and executive search solutions,” Kelly said in a statement.
A Strategic Push Into Finance Leadership Talent
The East Coast expansion comes at a time when CFO talent demand is rising sharply, particularly among private equity-backed companies navigating complex economic conditions, digital transformation initiatives, and tighter capital markets.
Finance leaders today are expected to operate as strategic operators—not just accounting stewards—driving operational efficiency, analytics, compliance, and AI-led finance automation. That shift has increased demand for interim and project-based finance executives capable of stepping into high-stakes situations quickly.
Conexus has built its brand around that niche.
The firm focuses on placing interim and permanent leaders within the “Office of the CFO,” including roles across finance, accounting, technology, and HR functions that support finance organizations. These placements often occur during mergers and acquisitions, ERP transformations, restructuring initiatives, or rapid growth phases common in private equity portfolios.
By expanding into the New York and Connecticut markets, Conexus gains proximity to one of the world’s largest concentrations of private equity firms, investment managers, and enterprise finance leadership.
The tri-state region also serves as a major hub for corporate headquarters, financial services firms, and high-growth technology companies—all sectors that frequently require specialized finance leadership during scale or transformation.
Building Momentum After Salt Lake City Launch
The East Coast push follows another strategic market entry earlier this year with the opening of a Salt Lake City office. That expansion signaled Conexus’ broader national growth strategy: establishing regional hubs led by senior partners with strong networks in finance and private equity.
The company says additional markets are planned in the coming months.
While historically known as a dominant recruiting player in California, Conexus has increasingly positioned itself as a national talent solutions provider focused on high-impact finance leadership placements.
The numbers illustrate that growth trajectory.
The firm reports deploying more than 1,000 consultants on mission-critical projects and talent gap assignments while completing over 400 executive searches in 2025 alone. Those engagements span finance and accounting roles, along with technology and HR leadership positions supporting finance organizations.
In practical terms, that means stepping into roles such as interim CFO, VP of Finance, Controller, finance transformation leaders, and other senior operational positions that often need to be filled quickly during business inflection points.
Why CFO Talent Is Becoming a Strategic Battleground
The expansion also reflects broader shifts in the HRTech and executive talent market.
Private equity firms increasingly view CFO leadership as a central lever for value creation across their portfolios. Modern CFOs are expected to lead data strategy, financial planning systems, AI-driven forecasting, compliance automation, and investor reporting—all while maintaining operational discipline.
As a result, the demand for specialized executive search firms that understand the finance leadership ecosystem has surged.
At the same time, companies are relying more heavily on interim executives to bridge leadership gaps or manage transformation initiatives without committing immediately to permanent hires.
That trend has fueled the rise of firms like Conexus that combine executive search with on-demand leadership placement.
The East Coast Opportunity
For Conexus, the New York and Connecticut offices represent more than a geographic expansion—they provide access to one of the deepest markets for finance leadership talent and private equity investment activity.
The region houses hundreds of private equity firms, thousands of portfolio companies, and a dense network of CFOs, controllers, and finance transformation leaders.
With Erickson’s team focused on both national private equity clients and regional companies across the tri-state area, Conexus is positioning itself to compete with established executive search players that already dominate the East Coast finance talent market.
If the company’s recent growth pace continues, the expansion could signal a broader consolidation trend in specialized executive recruiting—particularly in the CFO office, where leadership needs are evolving rapidly.
For HR and talent leaders, the message is clear: the battle for senior finance talent isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s becoming one of the most strategic hiring arenas in the enterprise.
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