In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, I sat down with Chris Voudouris, a 3x private equity CFO who has been on every side of the table. He started at KPMG in audit, moved into transaction services where he analyzed deals on both the buy side and sell side, then jumped into PE and never looked back. He has led finance at multiple PE-backed companies and moved his family to Atlanta for his first CFO role knowing nobody in the city.
We talked about what nobody tells you before you take a CFO role at a private equity backed company. The three lenses he uses to evaluate any PE opportunity before he says yes. What to look for in your offer letter that most first-time CFOs miss. How to build trust with your CEO when you are in the foxhole together. The budget error that wiped out 15% of projected EBITDA growth and what he did the moment he found it. Why he believes relationship always trumps the issue. How to be a translator for the entire business as a CFO. The difference between healthy stress and distress in a PE environment. And his advice for anyone in public accounting thinking about making the leap.
Whether you are considering a move into private equity, already in a PE-backed role, or just want to understand how the best CFOs think about value creation and exit readiness, this conversation covers it.
Connect with Chris Voudouris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-voudouris/
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