Chief Financial Officer

A confidential, private equity-backed food distribution business with approximately $150m in revenue is seeking an experienced Chief Financial Officer to partner with the CEO and sponsor through its next phase of growth.

The company is nearly 100 years old and has a long-standing reputation in its market, serving a diverse customer base across foodservice, retail and institutional channels. Following a private equity investment approximately three years ago, the business has grown significantly and is now focused on accelerating both organic and inorganic growth, with a clear value creation plan over the next several years.

This is a pivotal leadership hire as the current CFO prepares to retire at the end of the year. The incoming CFO will inherit a strong accounting foundation and play a much broader strategic and operational role, partnering closely with the CEO, sponsor and wider leadership team to scale the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, private equity sponsor and senior leadership team.
• Drive the value creation plan through organic growth, M&A and operational improvement.
• Provide financial and commercial insight across growth initiatives, capital allocation and acquisitions.
• Partner closely with leaders across operations, procurement and HR.
• Lead the finance function across budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, working capital and financial reporting.
• Maintain strong controls, accounting hygiene, month-end close and audit processes in accordance with GAAP.
• Drive insight into inventory, receivables, margins, cash flow and operational performance.
• Lead financial reporting and communication with the private equity sponsor and Board.
• Partner with the business to drive EBITDA growth and operational efficiency across a highly transactional distribution environment.
• Support the acquisition strategy across evaluation, diligence and integration.
• Leverage data and reporting to improve decision-making and build the infrastructure required to support continued growth and an eventual exit.
• Oversee financial and operational risk management, compliance, tax and other key regulatory matters.
• Partner with leadership on California labor requirements, benefits and 401(k)-related matters.
• Lead and develop the established finance and accounting organization.
• Build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Operate as a visible member of the C-suite, building strong relationships across the organization.

Experience & Competencies

• Prior experience as a senior finance leader with the capability to lead the full finance function of a middle-market business.
• Strong distribution experience is highly preferred, particularly within food, produce or other high-volume, inventory-intensive environments.
• Strong understanding of cash flow, inventory, receivables, working capital and high-volume transactional environments.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills with the confidence and backbone to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• High integrity and the ability to operate effectively with the CEO, Board, investors and broader C-suite.
• Familiarity with California labor and regulatory requirements is advantageous.

Location

This is an in-office leadership position, with flexibility to work remotely from time to time.