About Tessitura Network
Tessitura is a unique nonprofit technology company dedicated to arts and culture organizations. Tessitura is working toward a day when every human in every community served has arts and culture as a meaningful part of their life.
Customer relationship management (CRM) lies at the heart of Tessitura’s secure technology platform. Flexible ticketing and admissions work together with fundraising, membership, marketing, education and visitor services. Intuitive reporting and forecasting tools help reduce uncertainty and turn data into insights. Features such as frictionless payments, digital ticketing and integrated e-commerce help build a sustainable, accessible future. Tessitura’s tools and services help its member organizations grow now and anticipate what they will need to prosper in the future. Like its clients, Tessitura is guided by a mission statement that is centered on member success:
Tessitura Network enables and inspires arts and culture organizations of all sizes to achieve their goals by providing continually innovated technology and comprehensive services that improve their efficiency and effectiveness, and by offering learning, knowledge sharing and community collaboration between peers and organizations.
The award-winning Tessitura community is the largest and most active of its kind and includes 800 cultural institutions in 10 countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
In every way, the arts and culture community created Tessitura Network. Tessitura is proud that its seven founding organizations are still with them today and that the community influences and guides everything Tessitura does. The Tessitura Learning & Community Conference, regional and topical community group gatherings, and active online forums and groups facilitate the sharing of insights and best practices across the arts and culture sector. To learn more about Tessitura’s community impact please click here.
Tessitura’s focus is on continual innovation to power world-class arts and culture experiences. The 380+ person team provides 24/7 support and offers guidance to grow revenue and build lifelong engagement. In addition to its global team of experts, Tessitura has an experienced Board of Directors composed of leaders from organizations of various sizes, genres and sectors, all of which use Tessitura technology every day for business-critical work.
Unique Business Model
In 2001, Tessitura was established with a member-led, member-owned model. This unique nonprofit business structure benefits users — rather than investors, shareholders or venture capitalists. Tessitura is proud to be governed by its users.
Tessitura’s Organizational Values
- Respect Everybody: We foster an inclusive community and workplace
- Speak Truth: We communicate with integrity, clarity and generosity
- Choose Collaboration: We believe intentional collaboration produces stronger results
- Embrace Creativity: We value creativity, curiosity and learning as essential to innovation
- Focus Upstream: We prioritize long-term solutions over temporary fixes
- Pursue Excellence: We strive to improve ourselves, our technology and our services
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (DEAI) Commitment
At Tessitura, our mission is to enable arts and culture organizations to achieve their goals. We recognize that having a diverse team is not only critical to our commitment to adopt equitable behaviors, but it will also fuel collaboration, innovation and creativity as we deliver on our mission. Creating an environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable in bringing their authentic selves to work is both our pledge and our passion. Ultimately, providing an accessible and inclusive workplace will allow the Tessitura community to thrive.
To learn more about Tessitura, please visit the company’s website HERE.
The Opportunity
The Chief Financial & Administrative Officer will be the senior executive leader responsible for financial stewardship, operational excellence, and talent strategy across Tessitura Network, Inc. and its international subsidiaries. Reporting directly to the CEO as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, this role provides strategic vision and leadership for Finance, People (HR), and Operations functions, ensuring the right people, processes, and financial resources are in place to enable the Company to achieve its strategic objectives. This role will drive operational efficiency, continual improvement of business practices, and create a sustainable business model through sophisticated financial modeling, forward‑looking forecasting, and integrated strategic financial planning.
This is an opportunity to shape both the financial and operational future of a growing multinational technology company while contributing meaningfully to our nonprofit mission serving the arts and cultural sector.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on financial planning, operational scalability, and people strategy
- Operate as a strategic partner to the leadership team, ensuring financial planning is fully connected to operational realities and a people-centric culture
- Develop and maintain the company’s overall financial strategy and success metrics
- Make final decisions on significant financial policies, operational investments, and resource allocation
Financial Leadership & Business Partnership
- Lead the development of long-term financial strategies aligned with Tessitura's mission and global operations
- Support the Vice President of Finance in overseeing all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and financial reporting
- Serve as a strategic advisor on financial planning and analysis that supports scalable growth initiatives, new business opportunities and partnerships
- Oversee financial operations of subsidiaries, ensuring alignment with global financial policies and practices
- Navigate the financial complexities of international operations, including multi-currency risk management, cross-border transactions, regional compliance requirements and international tax planning
- Provide strategic input on subscription-based and SaaS billing models, pricing strategies, and revenue optimization for both core products and partnership opportunities
- Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting in compliance with US GAAP and international accounting standards
- Establish comprehensive management reporting frameworks that provide actionable insights for leadership and operational teams
Operational Excellence & Sustainability
- Embrace and champion emerging technologies, including AI and automation, as levers for operational efficiency, scalability, and continuous improvement across the Finance, Operations and Talent functions and the organization as a whole
- Create operational efficiency and continually improve the company's business practices to ensure a sustainable business model
- Support the Managing Director, Europe / Vice President, Operations in managing Legal, Risk, Governance, and Business Services functions
- Ensure the right platforms, systems, and processes are in place to support international SaaS delivery, driving cost efficiency and scalability
People Strategy & Organizational Culture
- Support the Vice President, People by championing Tessitura’s people-first talent strategy to gain, retain, and develop the best talent across the company
- Support an organizational culture that embraces Tessitura’s values, translates them into behaviors, and applies them to all aspects of work
- Center diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion at all levels of organizational culture and work
- Advocate for people investments at the executive and board level, articulating the business case for talent development, DEAI initiatives and culture initiatives
Governance, Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory, tax, and legal requirements in the US and in subsidiary jurisdictions (UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
- Maintain strong internal controls and financial governance frameworks appropriate for a multinational nonprofit organization
- Own relationships with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies at the executive level
- Ensure the appropriate governance structure and documentation are in place across all countries where the company operates
- Ensure the preparation and submission of all statutory filings and reports meet the highest standards
- Provide fiduciary oversight and ensure organizational financial integrity
Team Leadership & Development
- Build, mentor, and lead high-performing teams with a collaborative, values-led leadership approach
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional development
- Partner effectively across departments, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and a people-first mentality
- Develop succession plans and leadership pipeline across Finance, People, and Operations functions
Board Relations & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as the primary financial representative to the Board of Directors and Finance Committee, presenting strategic financial updates, forecasts, and recommendations. Facilitate strategic financial discussions with the Board
- Communicate financial performance, strategies, and insights effectively to diverse stakeholder groups including members, staff, and board. Make complex financial concepts accessible for non-financial audiences
- Represent the organization's financial interests in high-level negotiations and partnerships
- Collaborate with internal departments, external partners, and community stakeholders to support organizational goals
- Demonstrate commitment to delivering value to our members through innovative financial strategies and operational efficiency
Mission Alignment
- Champion Tessitura’s nonprofit values and integrate financial decision-making with our organizational mission to serve the arts and cultural sector
- Embody organizational ambition over personal recognition, contributing as a collaborative member of the leadership team
Essential and Desired Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum 12-15 years of progressive senior leadership experience with at least 5-7 years in C-suite financial leadership or equivalent roles (CFO or similar) managing multiple functions
- Deep expertise as a financial leader with proven ability to build and lead finance teams, particularly in developing FP&A and reporting capabilities from early stages
- Proven track record of successfully leading multiple business functions (finance, operations, HR/people) simultaneously in complex organizations
- Strong background in technology sector, SaaS businesses, or closely related industries with understanding of subscription-based business models and revenue recognition
- Substantial experience managing finance and operations for international businesses operating across multiple countries and currencies, including multi-jurisdictional compliance
- Demonstrated success in strategic financial and operational planning, developing business cases and models for growth initiatives and new ventures
- Demonstrable experience of the implementation of AI in an organization to improve productivity and efficiency
- Proven ability to work closely with HR leadership to drive talent strategy, organizational development, and culture initiatives
- Demonstrated experience using analytics and modeling to inform operational business decisions and financial planning
- Track record of driving operational efficiency, process improvement, and business transformation in a remote environment
- Experience implementing or optimizing financial and operational systems, processes, and reporting frameworks
- Participation in or leadership of growth scaling, or transformation initiatives that required deep people strategy integration
Desirable Experience
- Experience in organizations scaling from $50M-$150M in revenue
- Experience in a 501(c)(3) organization or similar not-for-profit structure
- Familiarity with the arts and cultural sector
- Experience leading through organizational transformation or significant growth phases
- Advanced financial qualification (e.g., MBA in Finance or equivalent)
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Strategic & Analytical:
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills across financial and operational domains
- Ability to see connections between finance, operations, and people strategies
- Balance of strategic vision and operational execution capability
Partnership & Integration Mindset:
- Understands that culture, talent, and engagement are drivers of financial performance and operational efficiency
- Comfortable with ambiguity in areas outside core finance expertise and actively seeks input from functional experts
- Track record of empowering leaders in other functions rather than centralizing decision-making
- Demonstrates intellectual humility and genuine curiosity about disciplines beyond finance
Leadership & People:
- Exceptional leadership and team development capabilities across multiple functions
- Proven ability to lead and integrate diverse teams (finance, operations, HR)
- Team-focused, low ego leadership style
- Effective coach and mentor
- Proven experience managing fully remote teams
Communication & Collaboration:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Collaborative and engaging approach to developing relationships with colleagues
- Ability to influence and build consensus across the organization
- Excellent negotiation skills
Operational & Technical:
- Ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity in a global context
- Strategic proficiency with financial systems, ERP platforms, and business intelligence tools
- Enthusiasm for leveraging AI, automation, and emerging technologies to drive efficiency and innovation across functions
- Process improvement and systems thinking orientation
- Attention to both strategic priorities and operational details
Personal Attributes:
- Alignment with Tessitura’s organizational values: Respect Everybody; Speak Truth; Choose Collaboration; Embrace Creativity; Focus Upstream; and Pursue Excellence
- High integrity and commitment to ethical financial and operational stewardship
- Self-starting, proactive approach with ability to drive initiatives independently while building consensus
- Genuine passion for mission-driven work and commitment to serving the arts and cultural sector
- Intellectual curiosity and comfort with ambiguity in a growing, evolving organization
- Resilience and adaptability in managing multiple priorities
- Commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion
What We Offer
The opportunity to:
- Shape the financial, operational, and people strategy of a mission-driven organization competing in a commercial marketplace and making a global impact in the arts and cultural sector
- Lead an integrated Finance, People, and Operations organization during an exciting growth phase
- Join an organization that genuinely values its people and sees culture and talent as competitive advantages
- Serve as a key strategic partner to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team in driving organizational success
- Work with a talented, collaborative team committed to member success
- Contribute your expertise to an organization that values purpose alongside performance
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $275,000-$300,000 plus a competitive bonus structure and a generous benefits package.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Anne McCarthy and Rhonda Taylor. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.