Portfolio Company CFO Leadership Accelerator

Over the past 10 years, there’s been a fundamental shift in the strategic and operational rigor required to be a portfolio company CFO. With unprecedented increases in CFO turnover and hasty transitions, we continue to see the same leadership gaps impede a talented financial executive’s success in the role.

With the increasing need for portfolio company CFOs to be strategic partners in value creation, there’s no doubt that technical expertise is vital, but talented individuals need support to learn how to be effective leaders and navigate the nuances of partnering with investors.

That’s why we’ve developed the Portfolio Company CFO Leadership Accelerator, a highly customized leadership summit designed to accelerate the development of private capital portfolio company CFOs. 

Expert Advisory

Led by a faculty of world-class portfolio CFO veterans alongside leadership advisory experts, leveraging a breadth of perspectives.

In Context

Portfolio company finance executives get the opportunity to fine-tune their leadership style and develop insight into best practices for succeeding as a portfolio CFO.

Elite Peer & CFO Mentor Network

A network of peers and a cadre of portfolio company CFO mentors create an inclusive, supportive, and challenging experience.

Attendee and Firm-Specific Leadership Development

Proprietary RRA assessment and development for private capital portfolio company finance executives, customizable to the firm’s success profile.

How we’ll help finance executives develop as leaders

The Portfolio Company CFO Leadership Accelerator will guide finance executives through four modules designed to broaden their knowledge and develop new leadership skills through customized content and concrete applications.

Preparation

Before attending the program, attendees will undergo a Leadership Assessment to help better understand themselves – what got them where they are today and what the challenges on the horizon will require of them. They will explore the unique skills, capabilities, and attributes they possess, as well as any development opportunities or gaps to be addressed. Leaders may also receive robust 360 feedback from a broad group of stakeholders. Supported by experienced RRA Advisors, leaders will translate their assessment insights into a concrete Leadership Dashboard to serve as a development roadmap for the year ahead.

Module 1: Leadership via Influence

There is a direct connection between the CFO and their relationship with the CEO, private capital investor, and external stakeholders and an organization’s performance. A new CFO must quickly build stakeholder trust and position their team for success. In this session, we will explore the intricacies of stakeholder dynamics, how to engage stakeholders, garner commitment and support, and build trust.

Module 2: Establishing Finance as a Strategic Partner

Every decision a CFO makes either creates or destroys value. Leaders will gain an understanding of the principles of value creation and be able to evaluate the impact of decisions as a partner to the CEO and private capital investors. Leaders will then learn to move from strategy to impact by amplifying the talent and capabilities of the people around them through developing a best-in-class finance team.

Module 3: Impactful Leadership

Fine-tuning what type of CFO one wants to be requires intentionality in what one says, does, measures, and prioritizes. When there is alignment in the aforementioned, executives create clarity for those they lead. In this module, we’ll work back from the legacy finance executives want to leave as a portfolio company CFO, to the purpose, momentum, and owner mindset they need to curate to get there.

Module 4: Gaining Immediate Traction as CFO

With mounting pressure to deliver as a strategic partner, transitioning into a new CFO role has become an increasingly difficult task. Without proper onboarding and mentorship, newly appointed CFOs can often face a myriad of common pitfalls. Here we introduce the critical actions needed to gain immediate traction as CFO, and face common “speed traps” head-on, for example stylistic and operating cadence differences of varying CEOs and private capital firms.

Developing a Peer Network

Leaders will reconnect with a peer group from the program to support the application of learning and insights to concrete business challenges. Leaders will also have the opportunity for a follow-up coaching session with their RRA Advisor to continue to build out and refine their Leadership Dashboard.

Optional: Portfolio Company CFO Mentor

To accelerate their performance, purpose, and impact. Our extraordinary class of mentors brings a focus on people development with insights and thoughtfulness that truly enable the sharing of experiences. We carefully match mentors with mentees based on role and business context, ensuring alignment with the specific challenges they will have uncovered through the leadership summit.