Our private equity client is searching for an exceptional, commercially oriented Chief Financial Officer to serve as the financial and strategic co-pilot to the President & CEO at one of their portfolio companies.

The CFO will own the full finance function across all subsidiaries including financial reporting, FP&A, treasury, tax, and compliance, while also serving as a key thought partner on capital allocation, M&A support and negotiation, and board-level communication.

This is a hands-on, high-accountability role that offers: (i) a financial leadership position within a dominant player in their industry (ii) the opportunity to partner directly with an engaged ownership group focused on long-term value creation (iii) the ability to shape the financial infrastructure of a growing platform business, (iv) exposure to acquisitions and capital allocation decisions, and (v) the opportunity to participate directly in long-term equity value creation alongside ownership.

Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Reporting

Full-cycle financial management: Own consolidated financial reporting across all company owned entities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable accounting standards.
Board and investor reporting: Prepare and present board-ready monthly management packages and quarterly board materials.
Financial systems management: Lead the modernization of financial systems, reporting infrastructure, and analytics capabilities to support the company’s continued growth, enhance efficiency, and allow for greater data-driven decision making.
Internal controls and governance: Strengthen internal controls, financial governance, and audit readiness across the group, with particular focus on inventory, purchasing, and cash management.

FP&A and Capital Allocation

Budgeting and forecasting: Own the annual budget and rolling forecast process across all entities, partnering with business unit leaders to set targets, track deviations, and reforecast as needed.
Capital allocation: Develop a rigorous framework for capital allocation decisions, including M&A investment, capex, and distributions, and present recommendations to the board.
Working capital optimization: Improve working capital efficiency across purchasing, inventory levels, and receivables.
M&A support: Lead financial due diligence on prospective acquisitions, construct transaction models, and lead financial integration of acquired businesses, including systems, controls, reporting cadence, and alignment to group KPIs.

Operational Finance & Business Partnership

Channel and margin analysis: Partner with operating leaders on margin analysis, pricing, and inventory economics across wholesale and DTC channels.
Operational reporting: Develop data-driven reporting to improve decision-making across purchasing, inventory management, and logistics.
KPI and performance management: Build a robust performance management framework, including KPIs, dashboards, and operating metrics that improve visibility, accountability, and decision-making across the business.
Strategic project support: Support major strategic initiatives including channel expansion, operational scaling, and systems modernization.
Capital projects and infrastructure planning: Support the evaluation of major capital investments, facility expansion, and longer-term operational infrastructure planning.

Treasury, Tax, and Compliance
Cash and debt management: Manage banking relationships, credit facilities, cash forecasting, and intercompany funding across the group.
Cross-border financial management: Oversee the financial management of the company’s Canadian and U.S. operations, including foreign exchange exposure, intercompany flows, import duties, cross-border tax considerations, and structural efficiency.
Lender strategy and capital structure: Lead lender strategy, covenant management, and financing planning to support growth, working capital requirements, and major capital investments.
Tax compliance and planning: Oversee corporate tax filings across Canadian and U.S. entities and work with external advisors to implement tax-efficient structures.
Insurance and risk: Maintain appropriate insurance coverage, identify, quantify, and monitor key financial risks including inventory obsolescence, customer concentration, FX exposure, and liquidity risk, and implement mitigation strategies.

Team and Organizational Development
Finance team leadership: Recruit, develop, and manage the finance team across all subsidiaries; assess current staffing and build toward a scalable structure.
External relationships: Manage relationships with external auditors, legal counsel, tax advisors, and banking partners.

The Right Candidate

Experience & Qualifications

CPA designation required; MBA or equivalent graduate credential an asset
15+ years of progressive finance experience, including at least 3-5 years in a senior finance leadership role
Familiarity with PE-style reporting, board dynamics, and capital allocation frameworks. Prior experience in a private equity-backed business strongly preferred
Demonstrated track record of building or upgrading finance functions and leading through organizational change
Experience with multi-entity, multi-currency consolidations (CAD / USD) an asset
Exposure to M&A - due diligence, transaction structuring, or integration - is a meaningful differentiator
Demonstrated ability to partner closely with operators and translate financial insight into practical business decisions

Personal Attributes
Exceptional analytical and financial modelling skills with a bias toward clean, decision-ready output
Strong communication skills: comfortable presenting to a board, negotiating with lenders, and working alongside operating managers
High integrity, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership style
Entrepreneurial mindset: thrives in a dynamic, resource-constrained environment with significant autonomy
Detail-oriented without losing sight of the strategic picture

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Chief Financial Officer