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Eric Walczykowski​

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CFOs Play Expanding Role in Value Creation for Private Equity Backed Firms

By Nick Donlan | October 16, 2024

I recently sat down with Nick Dolan, Parter in Bespoke’s Finance practice to discuss trends his team has been seeing, and how CFOs can be a driving for across all phases of the deal cycle.

|Three Types of CFOs

Three Types of CFOs for Growing in Turbulent Times

By Nick Donlan | February 1, 2023

Today a CFO is central to strategy and execution on the value creation plan for a private equity backed portfolio company. The CFO plays a critical role in shaping the path to the private equity backer’s investment thesis by driving growth while maintaining sound financial stewardship.
Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

Nick Donlan

Nick Donlan

With a focus on CFO searches for private equity-backed software companies, Nick has placed operational CFOs who’ve driven exceptional outcomes on behalf of top sponsors including Thoma Bravo, Francisco Partners, and TA Associates. Nick has also been an integral part in building out executive teams at Quest, Imperva, Instructure, Insurity, Paycor, ABC Fitness, MeridianLink, Quorum Software, Redwood Software, and others.

During his 10+ years at Bespoke’s Austin office, Nick has orchestrated successful placements of high-impact executives for a wide spectrum of clients, from growth-oriented, pre-IPO companies to buyouts to complex carveouts and turnaround situations. He has experience placing executives in pre-IPO and recently public SaaS companies, including nCino, Paycor, Duck Creek, and Pluralsight.

Prior to joining the Bespoke team in 2016, Nick worked at GLG, where he supported private equity and venture capital firms in deal origination and due diligence efforts.

Nick graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and competed for the College’s policy debate team.