ABOUT THE COMPANY

Headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, Skyline Chili is an iconic American restaurant brand and culinary institution rooted in Cincinnati tradition. Founded in 1949 by Nicholas Lambrinides, who brought the bold spices and flavors of his Greek heritage to the Midwest, Skyline Chili is best known for its secret-recipe chili and signature menu items like the world-famous 3-Way and Cheese Coney.

For over seven decades, Skyline has grown into a beloved regional leader with over 130 restaurant locations across multiple states and a thriving retail products business. Its chili—layered over spaghetti or served on hot dogs—is more than food; it is a cultural touchstone that draws millions of loyal customers and reflects the brand’s heritage of bold flavor, community engagement, and hospitality.

Skyline’s business model includes company-owned restaurants, a growing network of franchise partners, and an expanding retail presence supplying products through grocery and national retail channels.

Skyline Chili is proudly owned by North American Properties (NAP), a Cincinnati-based company known for its long-term commitment to community-rooted businesses and enduring brands. NAP’s investment in Skyline reflects a shared vision to honor the company’s rich heritage while positioning it for continued growth and innovation. With deep local ties and a focus on building lasting value, NAP partners closely with Skyline’s leadership team to strengthen operations, support franchise growth, and expand the brand’s reach—ensuring Skyline continues to thrive for generations to come. This position is onsite at the Skyline corporate office in Fairfield, Ohio.

A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF AN ICONIC BRAND

Some companies hire a CFO to manage the numbers. We are looking for a CFO to help drive the business.

Skyline is entering an exciting new chapter. It is one defined by expansion, modernization, and disciplined value creation. Built on a brand that has been a cornerstone of regional cuisine and local pride for generations, the company today operates a dynamic platform that includes company-owned restaurants, a network of franchise partners, and a retail presence across major grocery and national retail channels. As the business evolves, Skyline is accelerating investment in its direct-to-consumer capabilities, franchise development, and broader distribution through leading retail platforms such as Amazon, Walmart, and Kroger. Through these initiatives, the brand continues to innovate and extend its reach while honoring the traditions that have made Skyline a beloved and enduring part of the region’s culinary identity.

The next phase of Skyline’s evolution requires a strategic, commercially minded CFO who views finance not as a reporting function, but as a catalyst for performance.

This leader will serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive team, helping shape the company’s direction while ensuring disciplined execution. The CFO will translate strategy into measurable outcomes—embedding financial rigor into daily operations, strengthening unit economics, elevating forecasting discipline, and ensuring every dollar of capital deployed generates meaningful return.

Importantly, this role does not carry primary responsibility for accounting or back-office stewardship. Instead, the CFO will be deeply engaged in the business—driving operational insight, enabling data-driven decision-making, and building the financial infrastructure necessary to support the company’s next stage of growth.

This role sits at the center of the company’s operating platform, bringing together financial discipline, people strategy, and technology capabilities to enable scalable growth and long-term value creation. The CFO will partner closely with the shared business services team, including Accounting, Tax, and Business Intelligence, to ensure these capabilities are aligned to drive scalability, modernize systems, and strengthen the organization’s operational foundation.

As a key member of the leadership team, the CFO will champion modernization across the enterprise, leveraging data, technology, and disciplined capital allocation to enhance performance, unlock new opportunities, and position the business for sustained long-term success.

We are seeking a dynamic and intellectually curious executive, someone with strong commercial instincts, a bias toward action, and the ability to challenge and inspire those around them. The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands-on: comfortable in the boardroom, but equally energized by digging into operational drivers, asking the right questions, and helping teams execute at a higher level.

We are intentionally casting a wider lens than the traditional CFO mold. While strong financial judgment is essential, we are less focused on résumé pedigree and more interested in identifying a rare leader who combines financial rigor with curiosity, creativity, and a relentless drive to get things done. This is someone who is comfortable challenging the status quo, questioning legacy assumptions, and bringing fresh thinking to complex problems. Experience in grocery or franchise-driven businesses would be particularly compelling, though it is not a requirement for the right candidate.

This is a role for someone seeking more than a traditional finance seat. It is an opportunity to help shape the trajectory of a beloved brand, influence strategic decisions at the highest levels of the organization, and drive meaningful enterprise value creation. 

For the right leader, this is not simply a CFO role. It is a platform to build, modernize, and lead.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CANDIDATES

Gilman Partners is committed to strengthening leadership teams and elevating talent in our communities—and that means all qualified applicants will receive consideration. You do not have to meet every qualification in this job description to apply. If you are drawn to the position and believe your experience makes you a good fit, we encourage you to apply.