The Power of Empowering
With the new normal of “working from home” in South Africa, arriving in the light of Covid 19, many organisations are being forced to transition from being an input-based time watchdog to an output-based productivity matron.
A CFO’s Life in Private Equity – Part V - Experience the Bolt-on Ride
Bolt-ons are great way to increase the value of a platform company. Often a bolt-on company can be purchased for an EBITDA multiple lower than the platform company and with the right integration and value added activities, realize the uptick in EBITDA multiple from the platform company upon sale.
A CFO’s Life in Private Equity – Part IV - Onboarding And Getting Used to a New Dance Partner
All private equity firms are in the business of generating a return with someone else’s money. The ultimate metric of that is ROIC and there is a lot of research shows that it is linked to long term value[1]. While most finance people know it is Net income / Net Assets, what makes up that metric is viewed quite differently by the private equity firm compared to the previous owners of your company. Here are the major items that you need to navigate as the finance leader in your organization.
A CFO’s Life in Private Equity – Part III - Survive The Transition
There is no rest for the weary, or at least for the finance chief in the midst of a transaction with a private equity group. Now that you know the ground rules of private equity and have learned how to get your financial house in order the fun(d) is just getting started. In Part III Kevin describes the preparation required for and the art of negotiating. Enjoy Part III with Kevin.
A CFO’s Life in Private Equity – Part II – Getting Your Financial House in Order
A lot of mid-market companies have “okay” financial processes to meet the requirements of their annual review-level financial statements for the bank. Unfortunately, annual financial statements, produced several months after year end, almost never meet the requirements of your new investors whose job is to make a return with other people’s money. You will find that they take this role very seriously and will never be satisfied with the current set of reports and analysis. There will always be more needs for analysis, insight, and reporting as the business changes and they become more familiar with your company. Further, they will ask for scenario analysis and one-off reports as they look at potential bolt-on opportunities. It can be tough for some finance professionals to live in a world of constant change and requests, especially when your current management team may be quite satisfied with what you and your team provide to them today.
