Position: Chief Financial Officer
Location: Greater Kansas City, MO areas
Reports to: CEO
Company: PE-backed vehicle passenger transportation services business rapidly expanding across the United States via a roll-up strategy.
Chamberlain Advisors is currently conducting an executive search seeking a CFO for our direct client, a rapidly growing Private Equity backed provider of vehicle transportation services. As a member of the executive leadership team, you will report directly to the CEO and serve as the lead finance business partner to management, the board of directors, and private equity sponsors. The CFO will provide strategic oversight, and expertly direct M&A due diligence, and post-acquisition integration activities that support rapid platform growth nationwide. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in working with operational leaders and private equity sponsors on roll-up strategy execution within a commercial business services sector industry. This includes leading continuous improvement initiatives and post-acquisition synergy realization. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an experienced finance leader with an entrepreneurial spirit who would be excited to provide strategic finance leadership to scale a company.
Core profile: alignment with following is required to get you in the conversation.
- Chief Financial Officer of a PE-backed company: A senior executive that has managed the financial actions of a PE-backed commercial business services company and has ensured monthly, quarterly, and annual consolidated financial reports are accurate and completed in a timely manner. Accountability and strategic oversight of critical finance and accounting division operating functions to include managing cash flow, capital allocations, planning and budgeting, forecasting and analysis, treasury functions, financial integrations, growth and strategic planning.
- Significant roll-up strategy, M&A, and post-acquisition planning and execution leadership: A seasoned finance professional with deep experience leading M&A processes from LOI due diligence through post transaction integration and can easily demonstrate numerous experiences and a repeatable process of efficiently aligning and integrating people, processes, and systems post-close.
Differentiators: these will set you apart in the selection process.
- Entrepreneurial spirit and company culture alignment: The ideal candidate should have a strong desire to build, grow, and own the outcomes of a business’s success, with a continuous improvement mindset and a willingness to take a hands-on approach to achieve results quickly. They should have an authentic executive presence and be respected, relatable, and approachable across the organization. The candidate should prioritize team success over individual titles and have experience aligning corporate culture with organizational goals to create a positive and collaborative work environment. Can effectively navigate a largely blue-collar workforce.
- M&A, platform roll-up strategy experience: Experience leading overall merger and acquisition process activities for the business in conjunction with the CEO, private equity sponsors, and lenders. Ideally someone who has taken a commercial business service, or vehicle transportation sector platform from first institutional capital to exit. Roll-up strategy experience, preferably someone who has created transaction plans, directed M&A transaction accounting, QoE activities, pro forma models, and all related post close integration processes for platform acquisitions.
- Post Acquisition People, and ERP System Integrations – Has demonstrated success, thoughtfulness and empathy in business, people, ERP systems integration planning, and activities for growth at scale. Builds integration plans that ensure alignment with the growth strategy, mitigates known risks, and capitalizes on the synergies and opportunities created within the systems.
- Accounting, Financial Planning, Analysis, and Reporting – CPA level candidate preferred, who expertly leads the preparation of annual operating budgets and works closely with functional division leaders to ensure budgets are reflective of “best thinking” evaluation and assessment. Manages short-and long-range 1, 3, 5-year planning and forecasting process. Flexible and willing to assist with accounting related activities when / if necessary.
- Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement Mindset – Candidates who identify, plan, and spearheaded key business optimization initiatives following industry best practices; identifying process consolidation opportunities, process flow improvements, automations, etc. that will result in cost savings, and an overall improvement to operations, services, and customer satisfaction.
- Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving: Candidates should describe themselves as sharp, hardworking, and capable of quickly noticing issues, trends, or opportunities. Able to work upwards (to CEO, Founding Partner, Board Members, and Private Equity Sponsors) and across the business (interdepartmental, sales, marketing, operations, customers, suppliers, etc.); can “see around the corners” to add value to the business and be a strong strategic thinker.
What You Will Be Accountable For
M&A, post-acquisition planning and execution leadership:
- Leads all aspects of M&A transactions from LOI to post-acquisition integration for the company. (e.g. Net working capital adjustments, opening balance sheet accounting, contingent consideration monitoring, consolidation of financial operations, contracts, negotiations, due diligence, analysis, research, project, deal completion, etc.)
- Develops an objective, consistent, and disciplined approach to evaluating potential acquisitions and business combinations.
- Provides an independent assessment around the reasonability of financial forecasts and ensures the appropriateness of valuation ranges and all modeling assumptions.
- Leads the integration or consolidation of accounting functions for acquired entities in the U.S. and Canada.
- Directs all post-acquisition integration initiatives including but not limited to setting up new entities, obtaining new permits / registrations, bank accounts, and banking relationship transition.
- Monitors post-acquisition financial performance, trends and returns,
- Identifies synergy opportunities with potential acquisitions; creates action plans to drive synergies post close.
- Coordinates closely with various internal stakeholders to establish and agree on an integration timeline. This includes executing an immediate control assessment, in collaboration with the Controlling function, and ensuring there is an integration plan for all financial systems (payroll, invoicing/collections, payables, travel & expenses, fixed assets, ledger).
- Ensures a risk-based approach is used to manage integration priorities and raise any concerns to private equity sponsors, board, and executive leadership team members.
Finance & Accounting Function Leadership
- Sets and communicates vision and objectives, identifies and remediates people and process gaps, and improves systems, processes, and procedures to achieve goals.
- Support CEO and individual business functions, and private equity sponsors as the finance & accounting expert; provides financial and accounting expertise and makes informed recommendations to move the business forward.
- Establishes regular communication with staff, direct reports and private equity sponsors to design and implement administrative and financial processes & quality improvements required for growth at scale.
- Provides technical guidance, financial model support, and feedback as the primary finance business partner across the organization.
- Partners with and manage external audit relationships, addresses and remediates issues, while nurturing a continuous improvement mindset and culture within the organization.
- Deploys a transfer pricing strategy that minimizes tax burden for multi-national (U.S. & Canada), multi-entity, and multi-state environment.
- Oversees treasury function activities, including cash management, forecasting, and banking relationships.
Financial Strategy & Planning
- Directs the company's strategic planning initiatives and helps to build out strong practices around FP&A.
- Partners with all members of the senior management team and other company leadership on business strategy.
- Directs annual operations planning, budget & forecast processes; continuously improves process efficiencies and implements solutions to streamline tasks.
- Monitors actual vs. proposed budget; conducts variance analysis and makes recommended changes to the forecast.
- Delivers accurate and timely financial reporting packages, performance measurements and assessments i.e., board-level reporting, management & internal KPI reporting, bank reporting including covenants and other requirements.
- Shares regular strategic review insights on business performance, including P&L and KPIs.
- Ensures the accuracy and timeliness of consolidated financial reporting of acquired business entities.
What Qualifications You Need
- Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in accounting or finance. MBA or equivalent work experience is highly desired.
- Certified Public Accountant or other professional designations relevant to the position are a plus.
- Typically, 15+ years of total experience and progressive career growth within highly diverse, private equity backed organizations.
- 10+ years’ experience providing executive leadership and oversight of finance & accounting teams.
- 10+ years of budgeting, and financial planning & analysis (FP&A) experience.
- 3 - 5+ years’ of experience leading a roll-up strategy for a private equity backed company.
- Similar or equivalent experience gained through positions within corporate development; investment banking or private equity will be considered.
- Has led a business through a period of rapid growth driven by M&A. Ideally has taken a business with ~$10M in revenues to $75M - $100M in revenues over a 3-5 year hold period.
- Post-acquisition integration experience; expertise in aligning finance & accounting functions for growth at scale.
- Experience working within a company with multi-national entities U.S and Canada.
- Experience with U.S. GAAP is required. Canadian Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (ASPE), and or IFRS accounting standards knowledge is a strong plus.
