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Building a Finance Function for a PE-Backed Portfolio Company

Building a Finance Function for a PE-Backed Portfolio Company

After the acquisition of a founder-led business, the new private equity (PE) sponsor needed immediate financial leadership and infrastructure to support growth. We built a finance function from the ground up, bridging a critical operational gap and positioning the portfolio company for success. Within months, we helped the client produce its first budget, establish robust reporting frameworks and onboard a CFO—delivering essential capabilities to navigate the early stages of PE-backed transformation.

Challenge

The acquisition of a founder-owned business construction industry revealed a fragile financial foundation. The company had relied on a single bookkeeper and an outdated ERP system, with no formal financial planning or reporting processes in place. This left the PE sponsor without visibility into the company’s performance and exposed significant risks in growing the business. The absence of basic financial infrastructure also meant that the business couldn’t support board-level decision-making or meet reporting requirements for lenders and leadership. 

Solution

We were brought in shortly after the acquisition to serve as the company’s interim finance function and provide strategic guidance across multiple financial priorities. Key initiatives included: 

  • Establishing financial reporting: We designed and implemented standardized reporting packages tailored to board members, banks, and internal leadership—enabling consistent performance tracking and transparency. 
  • Budget development: A comprehensive, bottoms-up budget was created, marking the first time the company had a fiscal roadmap aligned to growth objectives. 
  • Interim finance leadership: Serving as the acting head of finance, we were the point of contact for lenders, sponsors and leadership, helping to stabilize operations. 
  • CFO onboarding and improvement roadmap: We guided the successful onboarding of a new CFO and delivered a prioritized set of improvement initiatives to strengthen the finance function. 

Outcome

Within months, we transformed the finance function from ad‑hoc to disciplined. A first‑ever budget and real‑time reporting now give stakeholders clear visibility and confidence in their decisions. The incoming CFO stepped into a well‑structured department—equipped with the tools, insights and roadmap to sustain momentum. These improvements culminated in the sponsor’s sale of a majority stake at an attractive valuation, affirming the company’s new finance discipline and positioning it for its next chapter of growth. 

Industry

  • Construction
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