The first hire by function
One recommended first hire per function, with the context that explains why that profile and not another. Selecting a mandate above pre-selects its recommended starting function — but you can review any of the four below.
The recommendations below are general in nature and intended for informational purposes only. They reflect patterns observed across PE-backed searches and conversations within our network. Actual first hire decisions will depend on the specific conditions, structure, and strategic context of each business at close.
Finance
1st hire — CFO
The finance function in a post-buyout business needs to operate at the ownership level from day one. Only a CFO has the institutional authority to own/challenge the numbers, redesign the reporting architecture, and sit in the room where the operating decisions are being made. Without that seniority in seat, finance becomes a reporting function rather than a strategic one.
Top priorities
- ·
Assess the full financial architecture inherited at close and identify where there's risk (e.g., debt covenants, vendor dependencies, cost structures that don't survive scrutiny, etc.).
- ·
Establish the reporting infrastructure and cadence that gives ownership a real view of financial performance from day one.
- ·
Build credibility and trust with key financial stakeholders (lenders, auditors, board, etc.). That means proactive outreach, transparent reporting, and a clear point of view on the financial trajectory of the business.
"The CFO is the number one, first leadership role we hire for when we're building out the finance function. Without someone in seat, you can't have a real-time snapshot of where the business stands and without that, you're running blind. It's also one of the roles where the impact shows up most clearly at exit. Get it right and it's reflected in the multiple."
— Chief Operating Officer, Supply Chain & Logistics Private Equity Firm
Eng & Tech
1st hire — VP, Product
Without product direction, engineering doesn't stop. It just starts making its own decisions. A more senior technical hire is built to scale an engineering organization that already knows what it's building. In the first 90 days, that clarity doesn't exist yet and a VP of Product is just the role to create it.
Top priorities
- ·
Assess the gap between what the product currently does and what the thesis requires it to do; then, determines the real scope of the mandate.
- ·
Make the build-vs-buy calls that have likely been deferred since close, before they calcify into the default operating model.
- ·
Establish a roadmap prioritization framework that engineering can actually execute against.