Case study
Summer Berry – Interim Finance Director
Interim Finance Director
Opportunity
The Summer Berry Company is a leading international berry growers, producing premium strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries across farms in the UK and Portugal and joint ventures in Morocco, South Africa and Mexico.
The business combines horticultural expertise, innovation and sustainable growing practices to supply high-quality fruit all year-round. Having evolved from a traditional farming operation into a fast-growing international soft fruit business, The Summer Berry Company was entering a pivotal phase of growth and ownership transition. Building on a successful relationship with the business and following the resignation of their standing Finance Director, Eden partnered with The Summer Berry Company to support the appointment of a leadership focussed and commercially minded Interim Finance Director. The role was critical to strengthening financial leadership, enhancing organisational rigour, and partnering with the CEO and investors to support their short-term goals and longer-term value creation.
It was great to partner with Eden for what was a critical hire for the business during a time where focus, alignment and continuity in the SLT was crucial. They understood the challenges of the brief and delivered a number of options to ensure we got the best candidate for our business.
Helen Wilson, Corporate Services Director
Our approach
Working closely with the leadership team, Eden Search delivered a targeted search focused on Finance Director talent across fresh food, food manufacturing and adjacent sectors.
Our assessment process prioritised strategic finance leaders with the commercial, transformational and leadership capability to thrive in a fast-growing, investor-backed business. Despite a competitive market and geographic constraints, we found a strong candidate pool and delivered a high-quality shortlist aligned to both the technical and cultural requirements of the role.
The results
Eden successfully introduced an experienced Interim Finance Director who is set to bring immediate leadership and financial oversight during a critical period for the business.
The appointment strengthens the company’s readiness for a future sale process, ensuring stability within the finance function and will help to establish a strong foundation for a future permanent Finance Director.