PE sponsors see CFOs as underperforming, survey says

Should investors look beyond the obvious when looking for their next Portfolio CFO?   Investors are prioritising proven PE CFOs who can deliver under pressure. In today’s market of reduced exits, tighter debt structures and value creation hinging on cost discipline, experience offers security. A CFO who has successfully navigated similar conditions brings confidence when forecasts are missed and growth plans stall.   Yet in sectors like technology and software, the pool of PE-proven CFOs is limited. Should investors think again? Group CFOs from founder-led businesses or strong number twos from larger PE-backed organisations can be ready for the step up, bringing technical strength, commercial instinct and fresh energy. Read the full article here - https://lnkd.in/eVQ_mQpb   At Bronzegate, we help investors recognise when experience is essential and when high-potential talent can deliver. To discuss your next CFO or Finance Leader appointment, contact Thomas Guy, Partner at Bronzegate. #PrivateEquity #PECFO #PEFinance #ExecutiveSearch

Your CFO watches the balance sheet. Your investors watch the revenue line. But no one's watching the account that can determine your exit multiple. I call it the Trust Ledger. A 2025 Deloitte survey* found that 62% of failed M&A deals cited "talent loss or cultural misalignment" as the critical failure point. Not bad numbers. Not weak product-market fit. People leaving because they didn't trust the process. Here's what founders miss: Those people didn't leave during the deal. They started quietly checking out 6-18 months before - when communication went dark, when strategy became secretive, when "business as usual" became code for "we're hiding something." Michelle Mullany has seen it firsthand: the deal falls through, and due diligence reveals your best people have already checked out. That's when buyers walk, and the valuation drops with them. As Head of Deal Origination at MHA (and with 20 years at a Big Four firm), Michelle knows what most founders don't: 👉 Silence during a deal doesn't keep talent in - it pushes them out. In this edition of Proof Over Hype, Michelle shares what founders must get right: ✔️ How poor internal comms surface in due diligence and kill deals ✔️ Why ESG missteps and Glassdoor reviews now shape investor perception ✔️ The 24-month communication strategy smart founders follow ✔️ How to prep your people before the market even knows you're raising 💬 Fundraising is more than numbers. It's trust, timing, and communication. And in M&A, there's rarely a chance to explain things twice. To read, the newsletter link is in the comments. *Deloitte / The future of human capital in M&A / 22 Apr 2025

💬 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗙𝗢’𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 Investors don’t invest in financials. They invest in confidence and that confidence is built by how finance tells the story behind the numbers. A great CFO doesn’t just report figures. They translate performance into credibility, foresight, and trust. Here’s how top CFOs elevate investor confidence — beyond balance sheets: 1️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 Investors should never be decoding your numbers. They should be seeing a clear, consistent narrative: revenue growth, cash flow discipline, and sustainable margins. 🧩 Transparency isn’t about over-disclosure; it’s about coherence between strategy, performance, and reporting. 2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 Confidence builds when results align with forecasts. CFOs who institutionalize rolling forecasts and scenario models show investors that the company not only measures performance it anticipates it. 3️⃣ 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 Every investor knows risks exist. What matters is whether your finance function can quantify, monitor, and mitigate them. 💡 A CFO who communicates risk appetite and mitigation frameworks turns uncertainty into reassurance. 4️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 — 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿 When board decks, strategy memos, and investor updates all reflect one financial language, confidence compounds. The CFO becomes the translator between vision and viability, the one who shows how ambition sustains itself financially. 5️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 At the end of every investor conversation, one question lingers: “Can I trust their numbers and their judgment?” That’s where the CFO’s reputation speaks louder than any ratio. 👉 CEOs who see finance as a storytelling function not just an accounting one build stronger, longer investor relationships. 👉 And CFOs who master this balance don’t just secure capital; they sustain confidence. #CFO #InvestorRelations #FinanceLeadership #BusinessStrategy #FinancialReporting #FractionalCFO #CorporateGovernance #InvestorConfidence #InnovexConsulting #FinancialAdvisory #Leadership #CEO

🧭 When to Bring in an Interim CFO for a Capital Raise 🧭 The Smartest Time to Bring in a CFO… Is Before the Term Sheet Most business owners wait too long to bring strategic finance leadership into the room. By the time a term sheet arrives, they’re already reacting — not negotiating. Here’s the truth: The earlier you bring in a CFO-level partner, the stronger your capital position becomes. As an Interim CFO and Capital Markets Advisor, I help businesses prepare for and execute capital raises that align with their goals. Here’s when it’s time to bring in that expertise 👇 💡 1. Before You Start Conversations: - Before you meet lenders or investors, your numbers and narrative should already align. - An Interim CFO ensures your forecasts, metrics, and story communicate financial strength and readiness. ⚙️ 2. When Growth Outpaces Infrastructure - If your business is scaling faster than your finance function, that’s a signal. - An Interim CFO builds structure, cash flow visibility, financial dashboards, and KPI discipline to support credibility. 🤝 3. During Negotiation & Deal Structuring - Every clause, covenant, and fee has long-term implications. - A CFO helps you model the tradeoffs and negotiate terms that preserve flexibility and control. 📊 4. After the Raise Once capital is secured, a CFO implements post-close reporting, covenant tracking, and communication, thus ensuring investor confidence and future access. Bringing in an Interim CFO early isn’t just about preparing for a raise — it’s about owning your capital strategy. That’s how you move from reactive fundraising to proactive financial leadership. 💬 Planning a capital raise or refinancing in the next year? Now’s the time to get your financials and story investor-ready — before you start the conversation. book a call with me https://lnkd.in/gy5BaAVv or https://lnkd.in/g-W-SPYw #InterimCFO #CapitalMarkets #PrivateCredit #CFOLeadership #FundingStrategy #BusinessGrowth #MiddleMarket #InvestorReadiness

Directors can build long-term resilience through strong strategy, governance, and stakeholder alignment. Maliz Beams and Michelle Greene from the Long-Term Stock Exchange share insights on risk oversight, compensation, and investor engagement to help directors balance competing pressures. Read now. https://lnkd.in/g9nrkJBr

As investors double down on 'safe' assets across SaaS, IT Services, Business and Professional Services, demand for experienced interim finance leaders has intensified.   After a quieter summer for dealmaking, the market is showing signs of cautious selectivity. Sponsors are prioritising resilient, scalable sectors, those with recurring or repeat revenue models that promise stable growth in uncertain conditions. As a result, competition for top-tier finance talent within these industries has reached new heights.   In our latest CFO Bulletin, Matthew Ambrose-Hunt explores how CFOs and investors can act strategically to compete in this candidate-short market. From defining roles with precision to acting decisively when the right person emerges, he outlines seven steps that can make the difference between securing a proven value creator and missing out.   With exits remaining muted and risk aversion continuing to shape UK private equity, CFOs with strong M&A integration skills, data-led decision-making experience and debt management expertise are commanding a premium. Acting strategically and partnering with advisers who understand the nuances of this market is essential to staying competitive.   Read our full insights here - https://lnkd.in/euz8HGyU #PrivateEquity #CFO #Interim #PEFinance

In private equity, a strong CFO doesn’t just keep the lights on. They drive the business forward. The difference is obvious early on. Great CFOs don’t wait to be handed a strategy. They shape it. They challenge assumptions in the deal model, build trust in the numbers fast, and get the whole exec team aligned around pace and priorities. Within weeks, high-performing finance teams have: 🟥 Real-time visibility on KPIs 🟥 Automated the basics to focus on decision-making 🟥 Started pressure-testing the exit story with proper forecasting And they don’t stay siloed. The best ones connect across the portfolio to find shared opportunities, on tech, people, and ops. It’s not about running finance well. It’s about using finance to create value at every stage. This five-stage view from EY is a solid framework for how that plays out 👉 https://okt.to/zNAiof #PrivateEquity #CFOLeadership #ValueCreation #CommercialStrategy

In private equity, a strong CFO doesn’t just keep the lights on. They drive the business forward. The difference is obvious early on. Great CFOs don’t wait to be handed a strategy. They shape it. They challenge assumptions in the deal model, build trust in the numbers fast, and get the whole exec team aligned around pace and priorities. Within weeks, high-performing finance teams have: 🟥 Real-time visibility on KPIs 🟥 Automated the basics to focus on decision-making 🟥 Started pressure-testing the exit story with proper forecasting And they don’t stay siloed. The best ones connect across the portfolio to find shared opportunities, on tech, people, and ops. It’s not about running finance well. It’s about using finance to create value at every stage. This five-stage view from EY is a solid framework for how that plays out 👉 https://okt.to/JZGSOB #PrivateEquity #CFOLeadership #ValueCreation #CommercialStrategy

In private equity, a strong CFO doesn’t just keep the lights on. They drive the business forward. The difference is obvious early on. Great CFOs don’t wait to be handed a strategy. They shape it. They challenge assumptions in the deal model, build trust in the numbers fast, and get the whole exec team aligned around pace and priorities. Within weeks, high-performing finance teams have: 🟥 Real-time visibility on KPIs 🟥 Automated the basics to focus on decision-making 🟥 Started pressure-testing the exit story with proper forecasting And they don’t stay siloed. The best ones connect across the portfolio to find shared opportunities, on tech, people, and ops. It’s not about running finance well. It’s about using finance to create value at every stage. This five-stage view from EY is a solid framework for how that plays out 👉 https://okt.to/0gC2iS #PrivateEquity #CFOLeadership #ValueCreation #CommercialStrategy

The longer you stay buried in the numbers, the harder it becomes to scale beyond them. You’re leading the company, managing people, putting out fires, and still somehow reviewing financials at 10 p.m. It’s what most founders do, until it starts costing them more than it saves. Here’s what we’ve seen happen when owners wait to upgrade finance: 🚧 Deal readiness suffers. The numbers look fine… until due diligence exposes what’s missing. 🚧 Growth outpaces controls. Sales scale faster than systems and inefficiency creeps in quietly. 🚧 Team loyalty suffers. Great employees get frustrated when leadership is stretched too thin. Our Interim CFOs don’t add complexity. They remove it. They come in, stabilize operations, implement structure, and make finance a strategic asset again. And in most cases, they’re ROI-positive within the first 90 days. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to elevate your finance function, then it probably is. A short, no-pressure call can help you assess whether this move could free you up and move the business forward. #InterimCFO #FractionalCFO #FounderLeadership #ExitReadiness #CFOImpact #ValueCreation