Finance leaders evaluated on technical and behavioral skills

Founding partners of Assetz Expert Recruitment, Felipe Brunieri and Guilherme Malfi, state that both technical and behavioral competencies are critical throughout a finance leader's career, from hiring to termination.

Contrary to the common belief that professionals are hired for technical skills and fired for behavioral issues, the recruiters argue that both dimensions influence every stage of professional life. Brunieri notes that the nature of finance requires ongoing technical mastery of legislation, accounting, tax, treasury, and financial planning, even in leadership roles. He emphasizes, “You hire for the technical and the behavioral, but you also fire for the technical and the behavioral.”

Malfi adds that hiring depends on a combination of technical competence, leadership, strategic vision, cultural fit, and evolution potential. Dismissals are rarely caused by a single factor, often involving a mix of technical difficulties with new challenges, poor decision-making, lack of delivery, or relationship issues.

Data from the “CFO Profile in Brazil 2026” study, conducted by Assetz in partnership with Fundação Dom Cabral, supports these findings. Among 106 CFOs surveyed, 41.1% identified behavioral misalignment as a primary reason for candidate rejection.