Open Positions
- Corporate Office: (360) 947-2804

Executive Search Firm in Seattle & Portland | CFO Consulting | Cowen Partners

What Private Equity Firms Want CFOs to Know

Many chief financial officers (CFOs) are excited by the opportunity to lead a private equity portfolio company’s financials. Being a private equity CFO looks good on a resume, often comes with a certain prestige and monetary bump; however, many CFOs do not realize what it takes to be successful at a private equity-backed company. According to a 2019 survey, the turnover rate for private equity CFO’s is greater than 80 percent. A majority of these exits take place within the first two years of a private equity (PE) firm acquiring a company. CFOs are not meeting expectations or understanding their role in driving value. When this happens, PE firms don’t see the results they expected and contact me, an executive recruiter, to find a new CFO candidate.

Private Equity CFO | Seattle Executive Search Firm | Cowen Partners — Private Equity CFO Search Firm

Private equity environments are very demanding, and it can be difficult for the CFO to know which skills need to be honed and which pitfalls to avoid. To make the transition to a PE backed company a little easier, below are four pieces of advice private equity operating partners and executives want CFOs to know.

Communicate Openly with Your Operating Partner or Private Equity Executives

The role of a private equity operating partner (OP) can vary greatly between PE firms and their portfolio companies. In many cases, private equity CFOs don’t fully understand what the OP has to offer, and that is why it is important for the CFO to have open communications with their operating partner. Ask your OP what resources are available so that you can have a full understanding of the tools at your disposal.

Private equity CFOs should also not be afraid to occasionally push back when OPs or other PE executives make a request. For example, if a requested financial report is going to take an inordinate amount of time and resources to compile, it is OK to ask why the numbers are needed and find out what the PE firm is trying to accomplish. Explain to the executives what it will take to provide what they requested so everyone is on the same page about the resources being dedicated to the task. Time and energy may be better spent completing other work, especially when what they want can be included in a regular report.

Keep Your Messaging Consistent

As the CFO of a private equity firm, you should be working closely with the company CEO to deliver consistent financial reporting and data analytics to the PE firm. It is surprisingly common for CFOs and CEOs to miscommunicate or to carelessly deliver divergent information to their private equity investors. Inconsistent information and communication do not inspire confidence. A successful CFO is able to work with the CEO to produce clear, consistent information that accurately reflects the state of the business sometimes on a weekly basis.

Chief Financial Officer Executive Search Firm

Strategically Invest in Technology

Due to the stringent financial reporting requirements of PE firms, staying up to date on the latest technology trends is important for increasing efficiency and staying relevant in a rapidly advancing industry. According to a 2019 survey by Deloitte, 82 percent of PE investors believe automation and technology are going to have a major impact on finance functions over the next 10 years. A private equity chief financial officer will make strategic investments in technology to enhance processes. Ideally, these investments will eventually cut labor costs and create a more efficient workflow within the PE portfolio company.

As a private equity CFO, you must start embracing technology. Old school financial reporting methods are being replaced by automation and as the CFO, you must be the one leading those changes. If technological advancements are not part of your strategic plan for the portfolio company, you need to pivot to start including them.

A Private Equity CFO Wears a Lot of Hats

As a private equity CFO, you must be flexible and wear many different hats. Before a business is acquired by a PE firm, a CFO might be perfectly fine filling the role of the accountant. After a business is acquired, however, this is no longer the case. A private equity CFO has to know how to strategically scale the business. Oftentimes, the duties the CFO previously held are increased exponentially to accommodate the rapid growth a PE firm demands.

100+ CFO Interview Questions

Succeeding as a Private Equity CFO

A typical PE experienced CFO will naturally oversee finances, but also may play a role in human resources, operations, supply chain management and negotiations, legal, information technology, and in some cases, real estate. A lot of CFOs inherited through an acquisition do not know how to adapt to these new duties required by the PE firm. That is part of the reason why CFO turnover is so high. You must realize a PE CFO role has higher expectations and you must quickly grow accordingly to match your new duties.

Ultimately, a strategic private equity CFO is forward-thinking and has a personal and professional growth mindset. Your role as a PE-backed CFO might be evolving into a more complex and challenging position, but it can also be the most fulfilling job opportunity of your career. If you remember the four messages above and work hard to bridge the skills gap, you are more likely to be a successful private equity CFO.

Private Equity CFO Search Firm | Cowen Partners Executive Search

Private Equity Executive Search | Best Private Equity Executive Recruiters | Cowen Partners — NATIONAL PRIVATE EQUITY EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM

Our hands-on private equity executive recruiters have extensive experience working with private equity-backed companies. Clients are typically $50 million in revenue to Fortune 1000’s. Successful placements span the entire C-Suite – CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and include vice president sales, general counsel, operating partners, and other director-level leadership roles.

Cowen Partners delivers 3X more qualified candidates than the competition. Through our proven retained executive search process, our private equity executive recruiters find, vet, and deliver the top 1% of candidates for positions across the C-suite. Our process works for all industries, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, real estate, financial service, and more.

Learn how we deliver top private equity talent, no matter the need, with our industry-leading research and resources. Discover the strategy that made Cowen Partners the top executive search firm in New York, Indianapolis, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and beyond.

Did You Like This Post? Share it :

Get in Touch.

Fill out the email request form to learn more about our approach.

What Private Equity Firms Want CFOs to Know | Private Equity CFOs