The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection What Two PE Exits Taught James About Winning as a CFO
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Mar 3, 2026 James Carver, an experienced CFO with two private equity-backed exits and a background in investment banking and FP&A, walks through his journey from trading desks to scaling businesses. He discusses M&A complexities, building SOPs and quote-to-cash processes, value-creation levers like territory expansion and inventory efficiency, and the role of advisors and cultural respect in acquisitions.
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Running an ESOP Sale From Inside
- James led a medical equipment distributor from about $30M to $65M and ran the company's first liquidity event when approached by a PE-backed strategic buyer in 2022.
- The company was an ESOP so James managed valuation, employee voting, a July 2022 close, and post-close integration while reassuring staff three to four weeks before close.
Do Build SOPs Before Hiring A CFO
- Do build standard operating procedures and process infrastructure before hiring a CFO so the CFO can focus on strategic growth rather than daily fires and spreadsheets.
- James says SOPs plus strong finance relationships with functional leaders free the CFO for the three to five initiatives that actually move the business.
Map Quote To Cash First
- Map the quote-to-cash process and customer experience first to identify the few actions that maximize customer lifetime value and ROI.
- James uses quote-to-cash as the blueprint for SOPs and to align functional leaders around improving lifetime customer value.