For public companies operating at startup speed, financial leadership is critical. Grindr, the world’s largest social networking app for the LGBTQ+ community, was looking for a Vice President of FP&A who could bring strategic finance leadership, partner closely with the CFO and CEO, and help build the structure needed to support continued growth as a public company.
The right hire would need to balance financial rigor with agility, understand how to lead through scale, and thrive in a fast-moving consumer tech environment. That’s where NU came in.
Once we introduced Alda Chan, we assessed and placed her in just 29 days. The result was a high-impact hire perfectly aligned with Grindr’s needs.
The Challenge Was Clear
Grindr needed a finance leader who could drive forecasting, reporting, and strategic planning in a fast-growing, public company environment. The role required someone who had scaled before, partnered with executive leadership, and could bring financial discipline without slowing innovation. It also called for someone who could thoughtfully represent a high-visibility, mission-driven brand.
Your NU Edge
For public companies navigating scale and complexity, every search demands speed, precision, and a clear point of view. At NU, we combine experienced search leadership with AI-powered tools and close cross-functional collaboration to deliver exactly that.
- Greg Brown led the engagement, bringing deep experience in placing finance leaders in fast-growth tech companies. His ability to build trust and align quickly with Grindr’s CFO, Vanna Krantz, was key to moving efficiently from the start.
- Nada Usina guided early calibration, ensuring the role, candidate profile, and process were set up for success. She also provided her strategic perspective and tactical input throughout the search, including back-channeling support that helped the search move seamlessly.
- Mike Faust powered the search with targeted research and market intelligence, using NU’s tech-enabled tools to identify the most relevant and qualified finance talent.
The combination of functional expertise, trusted relationships, and a tech-enabled process helped us move with speed and precision.
The Right Leader for Grindr
Executives who know how to lead through growth and scale are rarely on the market. At NU, we specialize in surfacing and engaging exceptional talent who are thriving in their current roles, but open to the right opportunity when it aligns with their values and ambition.
For this search, we focused on senior finance leaders with experience in high-growth, fast-moving consumer tech and public company environments. That led to Alda Chan.
- A strategic finance leader with over two decades of experience leading corporate finance, strategic planning, and business partnership efforts, with a strong track record of building and scaling FP&A functions in public company environments
- Led FP&A and strategic finance functions at Twitter during a period of major transformation
- Held senior roles at Bumble, where she developed deep knowledge of platform-based business models
- Most recently at Uber, where she helped drive planning and forecasting for one of the strongest finance organizations in tech
Alda brought the ideal blend of structure, adaptability, and strategic acumen. She had worked in companies where financial leadership helped drive growth and where her insights influenced decision-making at the highest levels.
29 Days From Introduction to Offer Signed
Once Alda was introduced to the Grindr team, the search progressed rapidly. She was signed within a matter of weeks, a testament to tight alignment, disciplined execution, and a focused, high-trust process. Agility is a core part of our ethos.
Key Market Insights From the Search
- Calibration accelerates outcomes. Investing time upfront to define the right leadership profile and pressure-test different candidate archetypes allowed Grindr to align early and move quickly once the right executive emerged.
- Mission-driven brands can attract exceptional talent. When backed by strong fundamentals, purpose-led companies like Grindr stand out to top-tier leaders. Highlighting Grindr’s growth, financial strength, and broader impact enabled NU to attract high-caliber candidates motivated by both performance and purpose.
- Strategic offers close top talent. Grindr approached compensation with sophistication, tailoring the offer around long-term value and decision timing. By aligning with candidate priorities and anticipating key inflection points, they consistently compete with other top public companies for world-class talent.
- The bar for FP&A leadership in tech keeps rising. Today’s top candidates bring both technical depth and strategic fluency, and they’re highly discerning. Winning them requires clarity of role, credibility in process, and speed in execution.
The Impact
Alda brings best-in-class FP&A experience and a strong track record of helping high-growth companies scale. Her ability to connect forecasting with strategic decision-making makes her a valuable addition to the leadership team.
The client said it best:
“NU understood the specific skills that the new VP would need to spike in to be successful at our company. The NU team immediately grasped our culture given the stage of growth and pace to narrow the field of candidates who would thrive in our working environment. From start to finish the execution was perfect and resulted in a perfect hire.”
— Vanna Krantz, CFO at Grindr
Why Public Growth Companies Choose NU
At NU, we combine the speed and agility of a tech-enabled firm with the rigor and precision required in public company environments. Our process is built to move quickly without cutting corners and is designed for leaders who expect excellence and operate with urgency. We move at your pace: fast, focused, and built for outcomes.
NU Advisory Partners is an AI-native executive search and advisory firm specializing in senior executive, operating, and board roles, with deep expertise in private capital-backed environments. If you’re interested in learning more, get in touch here.