Interim Finance Manager to lead the finance team: Case Sofigate

When Sofigate’s Group Financial Controller decided to pursue new challenges, the company needed someone - at short notice - to take responsibility for group reporting and lead a finance team of five. Despite the request arising in the middle of the summer holiday period, NIS was able to quickly provide an experienced interim professional for the role.

A successful collaboration for the second time

Sofigate is a leading Nordic business technology company. In the summer of 2024, the company’s Group Financial Controller chose to pursue new challenges. Annina Kaaja from NIS stepped into the role of Interim Financial Manager at the end of July.

“This was the second time we relied on NIS’s interim services. We knew they had the right people for our needs, and that proved true again. Annina quickly took ownership of the responsibilities and stepped into a key role in an exemplary way,” says Virpi Hentunen, CFO at Sofigate.

The interim solution enabled a rapid placement in this critical role, as a permanent recruitment process would not have been completed before the previous employee’s departure. In addition, Sofigate wanted more time to define the role and its responsibilities ahead of the new hire.

One-to-one meetings strengthened an open discussion culture

In her role as Interim Financial Manager, Annina’s main responsibilities included group reporting and leading a team of five within external accounting. In her leadership role, she succeeded in building strong dialogue within the team. This was supported by the monthly one-to-one meetings she introduced.

“Sofigate truly had a highly competent team of ‘Sofigators,’ and trust worked well in both directions. Still, I wanted to offer team members a regular channel for open dialogue, so everyone would have the opportunity to raise topics that might not otherwise come up during the workday,” Annina explains.

In addition to her leadership responsibilities, Annina was involved in group reporting, including monthly reporting and the preparation of financial statements. She was also responsible for cash flow forecasting and management, reporting and monitoring fixed costs, and participated in merger and VAT projects. At Sofigate, her ability to clarify and simplify complex topics was particularly appreciated—especially in the fixed cost development project.

A highly skilled finance expert delivered on short notice

Sofigate would not have been able to fill this critical role before the previous Group Financial Controller’s departure. The collaboration with NIS ultimately lasted seven months. When the permanent position was advertised at the end of 2024, Sofigate quickly found the right candidate. Annina ensured a smooth transition by onboarding her successor.

NIS finance experts can quickly step into new roles—for example, during a recruitment process. Our consultants offer specialized expertise tailored to your company’s specific needs, without requiring long-term commitments. Assignments can be flexibly extended and continue for as long as needed.

Interested in hiring an interim expert? Learn more and get in touch with us here.