The Challenge

Trellix, formerly McAfee, was undergoing a period of organisational change and transformation, requiring the appointment of multiple senior finance leaders to strengthen its global finance function. The organisation needed to recruit three highly specialised executive roles across payroll, revenue accounting and tax, each with distinct technical requirements and urgent timelines.

Complicating the process, key stakeholders were based in the United States while the roles were located in Ireland and EMEA, creating challenges around time zones, local market knowledge and candidate access. Trellix required a recruitment partner who could deliver quickly, accurately and with a deep understanding of senior finance leadership roles in complex, multinational environments.

The Brief

FRS Recruitment was appointed to lead the executive search for:

• Senior Director of Global Payroll
• Senior Director of Revenue Accounting
• Senior EMEA Tax Director

The brief required a tailored approach for each role, while maintaining a consistent, high-quality candidate experience across the entire campaign. Trellix sought a recruitment partner who could:

• Deliver within strict, client-defined timelines
• Access senior-level and passive finance leaders in a competitive market
• Ensure strong technical expertise and cultural alignment
• Manage the process end-to-end with minimal internal burden on their team
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Close collaboration with Trellix’s Head of Finance in Texas was essential to ensure alignment, pace and clarity throughout the project.

The Approach

FRS Recruitment designed and delivered a bespoke executive search campaign for each appointment, led by Bernadette Sisson and the senior finance recruitment team.

The approach included:

• Comprehensive market mapping and targeted headhunting
• Direct engagement with passive senior finance professionals
• A multi-channel digital campaign across eight platforms
• A customised microsite and supporting print advertising
• Structured screening, competency-based interviewing and assessment
• Full interview coordination and milestone tracking

To support seamless delivery across time zones, FRS adopted a client-first communication model, with the team working US hours to ensure real-time updates, fast feedback loops and a highly responsive process from start to finish.

The Outcome

All three senior roles were successfully filled within the agreed timelines, providing Trellix with the executive leadership capacity required to support its evolving finance function.

FRS Recruitment was commended for:

• Precision in candidate selection
• Deep understanding of complex finance operations
• Strong cultural alignment of appointed candidates
• A streamlined, low-friction recruitment process despite geographic complexity

The success of this project reinforced FRS Recruitment’s capability to deliver multi-role, senior executive searches for global organisations operating under tight timelines and high expectations. It also demonstrates our ability to adapt our search methodology to meet both private and public sector leadership recruitment needs, including highly regulated and strategically critical appointments.