[On-Demand] Creating a Successful Global Expansion Strategy: Key Considerations for CFOs

Global Expansion Is No Longer Optional—It's Strategic

Global hiring used to be a niche strategy for multinational corporations. Not anymore. As remote work became the norm and talent shortages hit local markets, CFOs started rethinking growth—and looking far beyond domestic borders.

Chris Wedek, Director of Customer Success, opens the session with a simple truth: companies now hire internationally not as a luxury, but as a business necessity. Especially in competitive fields like tech or finance, global hiring provides a way to access specialized skills that may be hard or impossible to find at home.

But international hiring isn’t just about opportunity—it’s also about risk. That’s where strategy comes in. And that’s where CFOs need to lead.

Why CFOs Are at the Center of Global Growth Decisions

According to Stan Broom, Co-General Counsel at Omnipresent, CFOs have become the linchpin of global workforce planning. They’re responsible not just for the cost, but also the structure—how the business enters a market, hires locally, and remains compliant with local laws.

As companies expand, finance teams need to ask:

• Should we hire directly or use an Employer of Record (EOR)?
  
• Do we need a local entity? What are the tax and legal implications?
  
• Can we afford to be in this market for the long term—or is this just a test?
  

The answers will vary depending on the country, the role, and the business model. But the point is clear: without strategic finance leadership, expansion gets expensive and messy fast.

Evaluating New Markets: What Really Matters

Not all markets are created equal—and going global doesn’t mean going everywhere.

Chris shares a framework companies use to decide where to expand:

• Talent availability – Is the skill set you need strong in that region?
  
• Cost structure – How do salaries, benefits, and operational costs compare?
  
• Compliance complexity – Are labor laws clear, stable, and business-friendly?
  
• Entity setup time – How long does it take to legally operate in the country?
  

Some regions—like Canada, the Netherlands, or Portugal—offer a sweet spot of accessible talent, lower cost, and manageable legal frameworks. Others may carry higher risk or cost but offer strategic value (e.g. Japan or Brazil).

Legal Risks: The Ones You Can’t Ignore

Stan dives deep into the legal side of expansion—and why many companies underestimate how different global employment can be.

The top risks he highlights include:

• Misclassification – Hiring someone as a contractor when they legally count as an employee can lead to fines, back pay, or lawsuits.
  
• Permanent Establishment (PE) – When a remote hire creates a taxable presence in a country (even unintentionally), triggering corporate tax obligations.
  
• Termination challenges – Some countries require notice periods, severance, or government approval for layoffs—even if you’re a foreign company.
  
• Intellectual property and confidentiality – Local labor laws may not automatically assign IP to the employer, requiring careful contract management.
  

Stan emphasizes that legal and tax risks are jurisdiction-specific. What's legal in one country could be a violation in another.

Cost Modeling Across Markets

Finance teams need more than a salary benchmark—they need total cost clarity. Chris outlines how EORs like Omnipresent help companies calculate:

• Gross salary expectations (market-based)
  
• Statutory benefits and taxes
  
• Health insurance, perks, and add-ons
  
• Onboarding, equipment, and operational setup
  

All of this varies significantly country by country. For example, payroll taxes in France or Brazil can be over 30%, while in the UAE or Singapore they might be negligible. Not knowing the difference up front can derail a hiring plan.

Real-World Case Studies

Halfbrick (Australia): Faced a talent crunch in gaming development, they expanded to 17 countries in under 2 months using an EOR. The speed and simplicity of the model let them scale product delivery without setting up local entities.

Sylvera (UK): As a climate tech B Corp, they needed to find scientists and analysts in niche fields like carbon modeling. A distributed hiring strategy helped them access global talent and raise $30M+ in Series A.

Omnipresent's own team: Chris mentions how even their internal team operates globally, with leadership across time zones. The internal experience reinforces their model’s scalability and resilience.

Building a Sustainable Global Hiring Model

Stan and Chris close the session by framing the CFO’s role not just as a cost manager—but as a growth enabler.

Global expansion only works when it’s:

• Scalable – No bottlenecks as hiring grows
  
• Compliant – No surprises from governments or tax offices
  
• Flexible – Able to test markets without overcommitting
  

Partnering with an EOR can help meet those goals, especially when a company is:

• Entering a new country for the first time
  
• Testing talent in emerging markets
  
• Hiring before setting up a local entity
  

Final Thoughts

Going global is exciting—but doing it wrong is expensive. This webinar gives CFOs and finance leaders a clearer path forward: evaluate risk, model total cost, and build a structure that allows hiring to move as fast as the business.