I was just reading this article asking when’s the right time to hire a CFO in a private equity deal? The answer is on day one. Deals make for headlines, but integration is what makes value. I was on dozens of deals for one client, and if finance wasn’t a part of that deal from the jump, valuation got disconnected from reality.
As the CFO, you bridge diligence models to the day one reality. You align structure, operations, and incentives. Exit multiples mean nothing if you can’t deliver on integration. That’s exactly why CFO involvement on day one is a must in real value creation.
