Financial headhunting firms have discovered that good numbers men are hard to

Financial headhunters are caught in a tricky situation - that of finding the right candidate for their clients. Corporates - small, medium and large - are clamouring for experienced financial controllers, or chief financial officers (CFOs) as most of them prefer to be called, especially as the need for corporate compliance gains momentum.

But with the turnover among the beancounters down to a trickle, it is no surprise that headhunters are searching the market to lure experienced CFOs from their present companies with attractive incentives.

'CFOs are funny animals. They are needed in good and bad times, but mostly in bad times. We have gone through a lot of bad times in the last 18 months, and with things looking up companies are in the market hiring CFOs,' said Raymond Tang, managing director of headhunting firm Russell Reynolds Associates.

Dan Chavesse, director at international headhunting firm Michael Page International, said the job market for CFOs was more driven by lack of suitable candidates.

With Internet companies booming in Hong Kong, demand for CFOs had risen sharply, said Mary Wicks, partner, executive resources at accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In the aftermath of Asia's financial crisis, corporates have learned a big lesson: that good financial managers can put the resources of the company on a stable keel at a critical time.