Chief Financial Officer

Ref: CR1140

Finatal is retained on a search for a Private Equity‑backed Tech/Software business undergoing a significant transformation journey. The business currently generates approximately c. €150m across five established businesses.

Backed by a leading global PE investor, the platform is being brought together into a standalone business with ambitious plans to scale revenues to approximately c. €300m over the next five years through a combination of organic growth and a targeted buy‑and‑build strategy. The business has a diversified revenue model. This is a rare opportunity for a hands‑on finance leader to help build a standalone software platform from the ground up, establish the finance infrastructure, support M&A activity, develop the capital structure, and ultimately help prepare the business for a future exit.

The Role

As CFO, you will be a key strategic partner to the CEO, Executive Team, and Private Equity sponsor, responsible for building and leading the standalone finance function through a period of transformation, growth, integration and value creation. Operating initially within a lean structure, the successful candidate will combine strategic leadership with strong execution capability, driving commercial finance, financial control, capital markets activity and organisational development across a complex multi‑entity software environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Finance & Business Partnering

• Act as the primary financial partner to the CEO and Board, translating strategic objectives into actionable financial plans and value creation initiatives.
• Partner closely with business‑unit leaders to improve profitability, resource allocation, pricing decisions and operational performance.
• Help drive the evolution of the business from a services‑oriented organisation towards a software‑product and recurring‑revenue operating model.
• Develop enhanced visibility of performance through improved KPIs, forecasting, reporting and decision‑support frameworks.

Finance Transformation & Standalone Build

• Design and implement the standalone finance operating model across accounting, controlling, FP&A, treasury and reporting.
• Establish scalable processes, governance structures and financial controls appropriate for a growing PE‑backed software platform.
• Build a best‑in‑class finance organisation capable of supporting both organic and acquisitive growth.
• Introduce greater accountability, cost ownership and performance management across business units.
• Create an integrated planning environment capable of supporting a multi‑entity software business operating across multiple revenue streams.

FP&A, Controlling & Performance Management

• Build PE‑grade forecasting, budgeting and strategic planning capabilities.
• Drive improvements in cost control, profitability analysis and business‑unit performance monitoring.
• Develop robust reporting around recurring revenue, software economics, SaaS metrics and cash generation.
• Enhance visibility across revenues, margins, customer economics and operational performance.
• Partner with leadership teams to identify and deliver operational efficiencies and margin improvement opportunities.

Financing, Treasury & Capital Structure

• Lead the establishment of the standalone financing structure as the business separates from the wider group.
• Develop relationships with banks, lenders, and financing partners.
• Support debt‑raising activities and ongoing capital structure optimisation.
• Ensure robust cash‑flow forecasting, treasury management and liquidity planning.
• Act as a credible counterpart to shareholders, lenders and external stakeholders.

M&A, Integration & Value Creation

• Support the assessment, execution and integration of targeted bolt‑on acquisitions.
• Lead finance workstreams across diligence, transaction execution and post‑deal integration activities.
• Develop financial frameworks to assess investment opportunities and measure acquisition performance.
• Work alongside shareholders and management to execute the growth strategy and maximise value creation.
• Help prepare the business for an eventual exit process through strengthening reporting quality, governance and financial transparency.
• Support the development of the equity story and investment case.
• Build, mentor and lead a high‑performing finance organisation aligned with the company's growth ambitions.
• Foster a hands‑on, commercially focused finance culture capable of operating effectively within a high‑growth, PE‑backed environment.

Key Requirements

• Experience within software, SaaS or technology‑enabled services businesses.
• Proven track record of building, scaling or transforming finance functions.
• Ability to establish finance processes, governance structures and operating models from the ground up.
• Experience operating within a PE‑backed or leveraged environment.
• Exposure to lenders, debt financing and capital structure discussions.
• M&A, integration and value‑creation experience.
• Exposure to carve‑outs, separations, standalone builds or complex transformation situations highly desirable.