I'm retained by a US leader in Private Equity Consulting, with a specific focus on the office of the CFO, where they are a market leader in the United States.
As part of their global expansion, they are establishing their European HQ in London. We are leading their search for Directors for their Finance Consulting & Transformation practice.
THE ORGANIZATION
Our client is a private equity-focused financial and technology consulting firm. Rooted in a heritage of serving the office of the CFO, They work at the intersection of sponsors and management teams to maximize value.
The firm’s services span the entire CFO function – including strategic financial planning and analysis, CFO-related technology, operational and technical accounting, transaction execution, interim leadership, and turnaround & restructuring solutions. In Europe, their focus is Strategic Finance, TES, Transformation, Data & Analytics.
Across all of their services, clients are supported by deep expertise in data & analytics, CFO-specific technology and finance-led transformations. They are headquartered in New York with ten offices around the globe.
There are a lot of firms that play in their space — but our client is unique. They focus only on the Office of the CFO, they specialize in private equity, and they expand and contract based on the scope of their client’s needs. Through passion, drive, and a perfectionist attitude, they roll up their sleeves to execute the key finance initiatives that transform businesses.
As the go-to-partner to the private equity community, our consultants thrive at the intersection of sponsors and management teams – helping them measure, manage, and scale their businesses. Rooted in a heritage of serving the office of the CFO, they leverage an execution-oriented approach to maximize value.
THE FINANCE TRANSFORMATION PRACTICE
Private equity-backed CFOs are challenged with navigating a distinct and expanding landscape of issues. In addition to traditional responsibilities like forecasting and reporting, today’s strategic CFO is further tasked with identifying the levers that elevate operational and financial performance and accelerate value creation. These challenges are even more pronounced for CFOs managing lifecycle events (where a transformative operating model is imperative for continued growth). They empower CFOs to become true agents of finance-led, enterprise-wide transformation.
Our client’s Transformation Practice is comprised of a dedicated team providing strategic advice to support PE backed portfolio companies on a wide range of transactions and events, including profitability improvements, finance process optimization, liquidity enhancements and digital transformation.
They are doers and problem solvers – making sense of complexity and bolstering sponsors’ value creation thesis’s.
From digitization initiatives to modernizing finance processes to leveraging data, analytics, and insights that unlock hidden value and improve profitability, they help CFOs identify opportunities that drive and elevate performance. By combining their understanding of business processes and technology solutions, they develop a transformation program that will accelerate value creation. And they don’t just hand over a plan, they execute it – working across business units, verticals, and workstreams until the transformation initiative is complete.
PURPOSE: Why does this job exist?
This role exists to support the growth of the firm and its reputation for delivery of the highest quality consulting services to Private Equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. It will maximise their client’s value creation opportunities through fast paced, execution-oriented delivery of the highest quality outputs, across all stages of the investment lifecycle.
These roles combine a tremendous opportunity to work with some of the world’s most prestigious PE firms with a unique opportunity to participate in regional firm building for a global leader in PE consulting.
ACCOUNTABILITIES: What are the key deliverables?
The Director will contribute to the firm’s success through deliverables such as:
Client engagements that deliver real, measurable value, at pace.
High levels of client satisfaction
Projects and workstreams delivered on time and to the highest quality
ACTIVITIES: What does the jobholder have to do?
Work closely with other team members to serve clients within the office of the CFO of private equity portfolio companies in the areas of finance strategy and processes improvements such as:
- Capability and Maturity assessments
- Operating Model Design
- Technology Optimization and Roadmaps
- Design and Process Enhancement across areas including order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, record-to-report and FP&A
- Assess and recommend change management processes
- Drive initiatives to increase effectiveness, reduce costs and improve profit/shareholder value
- Develop and implement KPI dashboards and tracking tools
- Bring deep financial expertise and strong experience leading practices to engagements
- Manage multiple client engagements at the same time, ensure projects are on track, manage client expectations and perform course corrections when necessary
- Interact and build relationships with C-level personnel at portfolio company as theyll as representatives from Private Equity sponsors
- Assist in growing the firm by identifying and driving business development activities
- Identify and sponsor internal initiatives
- Regular and extensive travel across Europe to work with clients in the relevant jurisdictions
RELATIONSHIPS: Who does the jobholder have to work with?
Client leadership, management and employees
Private Equity Sponsors
Our client’s Practice leaders, Managing Directors, Directors, VPs, and Associates
Other Our client practices engaged on multi-practice projects
Internal operations colleagues
CULTURE: What are the values and ‘norms’ surrounding the job?
Our client is more than a consulting firm. It's home to a rare breed of finance professionals – people with backgrounds in private equity, investment banking, operational & technical accounting, transaction execution, and performance improvement. Together, they work as practitioners (not theorists) to empower PE-backed CFOs across their entire function.
- They have an absolute focus on delivering value creation for our clients
- They are entrepreneurial. They think like owners
- They are practitioners, not theorists. They get things done
- They are high energy, enthusiastic and resilient.
- They are passionate, they are positive.
- They are collaborators
- They challenge established thought. They take risks, they make bold decisions and bring a fresh way of thinking to our work
- They are coaches and are coachable. They lead when they can, teach what they know and learn what they don’t
- They partner with authenticity. They bring transparency and humility
- They pivot and persevere. They defy unnecessary structure, figure things out on the fly, and refuse to settle.
FUTURE: Where might the jobholder move to?
This role presents a great opportunity for development and progression to more senior roles within the firm, as it grows rapidly.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Minimum 8+ years of relevant professional experience working in a client serving role at a top-tier public accounting or financial advisory firm, and/or mix of client service and private industry experience at a senior level
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or related field. Proven experience successfully managing multiple projects at the same time, managing not only client/sponsor dynamics but internal team dynamics as well
- A strong and up-to date knowledge of strategic finance best practices specifically related to the professionalization of the finance function
- Subject matter expert in financial business processes including order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, record-to-report, FP&A, as well as other functions under the CFO purview
- Extensive expertise related to the design and implementation of strategies, processes and technology which increase effectiveness, reduce costs and improve profit/shareholder value
- Experience designing and enhancing financial processes including Finance Automation and Technology deployment
- Experience performing financial and operational assessments
- Experience driving strategic finance transformations
- Experience working with Private Equity, with an understanding of the unique requirements of the Private Equity consulting environment
- Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
WHY US?
This a great opportunity to join a rapidly growing PE backed, PE advisory business during the first phase of our expansion into Europe.
This role represents a rare opportunity for an entrepreneurial builder to join a firm with a clear, differentiated culture, whilst combining firm building with consulting for some of the world’s most prestigious Private Equity sponsors and their portfolio companies.
This is a great opportunity to fast track your career with a global leader expanding in a new region, where career development trajectory is directly linked to capability and performance, rather than time in role. When you combine this with the opportunity to excel in a high-performance culture, that will stretch your abilities and challenge your talents, this is a compelling opportunity.