Chief Financial Officer at APPLIED COMPOSITES INC – Lake Forest, California

The CFO serves as the top financial executive of a private equity-owned manufacturing company, leading the development and execution of the company’s financial strategy to achieve corporate goals. This role is critical in driving value creation, ensuring financial transparency, and delivering results in alignment with investor expectations. Reporting to the CEO and collaborating with senior executives, private equity partners, and the Board of Directors, the CFO plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s financial direction and ensuring alignment with its strategic vision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Financial Leadership: Develop and implement financial strategies, long-range financial planning, and policies to achieve business objectives, drive value creation, and maximize shareholder returns.
• Private Equity Collaboration: Partner closely with private equity stakeholders, delivering accurate, timely financial reports and insights to meet investor expectations and ensure alignment with strategic priorities.
• Financial Oversight: Lead all aspects of financial management, including accounting, treasury, tax, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting, ensuring compliance with financial reporting standards, regulatory requirements, and private equity performance metrics.
• Governance & Compliance: Ensure adherence to legal, regulatory, and securities reporting requirements, while maintaining financial discipline and transparency.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with private equity investors, lenders, financial institutions, and auditors, serving as the primary financial liaison and spokesperson for the organization.
• Operational Leadership: Oversee the controller function, driving consistency and accuracy in accounting practices and financial operations.
• Value Creation Initiatives: Identify and execute initiatives to drive operational efficiencies, optimize working capital, and enhance profitability, ensuring alignment with private equity investment goals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with key functional leaders in operations, supply chain, and other business areas to ensure the alignment of financial and operational strategies.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate financial risks while maintaining a strong control environment.
• Exit Strategy Preparation: Play a key role in planning and executing liquidity events, such as refinancing, recapitalization, or sale, in collaboration with private equity owners and advisors.
• Additional Functions: Additional duties as required.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Proven track record as a senior financial executive in a private equity-owned manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Extensive experience in financial planning, reporting, treasury, and tax, with a focus on private equity KPIs and compliance requirements.
• Proven leadership and team management skills, with experience in building and mentoring high-performing finance teams.
• Demonstrated success working with Boards of Directors, private equity investors, and regulatory agencies, with a strong ability to build trust and credibility.
• Expertise in M&A, due diligence, and integration, with a deep understanding of value creation in a private equity context.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance big-picture thinking and attention to detail.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present financial information to diverse stakeholders, including private equity investors, lenders, and the Board of Directors.
• Comprehensive understanding of financial systems, reporting tools, and ERP platforms.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to drive initiatives and deliver results under tight timelines.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and business acumen.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field is required. Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or Finance is highly preferred.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive financial leadership experience, including experience in private equity-owned businesses, preferably within manufacturing or industrial sectors.