We place Controllers and CFOs in private-equity backed portfolio companies who can move fast, build financial operations and deliver value across Denver, Austin, Portland, and California
Private equity and venture capital environments demand finance leaders who understand both sides of the equation — the business and the balance sheet. Whether your portfolio company is newly acquired and adapting to investor ownership or entering its next growth cycle under a second fund, having the right finance leadership is critical to sustaining and accelerating value creation.
As a boutique firm focused exclusively on private-equity portfolio company accounting & finance recruiting, Pacific Executive Search (PES) moves with speed and precision. We understand the nuances of both situations.
For first-time PE-owned companies, the challenge often lies in helping long-standing finance leaders transition from managing the business personally to managing it as an asset — driving cash flow, executing against KPIs, and communicating results with investor precision.
For established portfolio companies, it's about building the next phase of capability: upgrading finance leadership, optimizing systems, or adding technical depth to support a rollup or upcoming exit.
We've guided this transition countless times across our core markets — Denver's aerospace and energy sectors, Austin's fast-moving tech ecosystem, Portland's innovation-driven manufacturing and sustainability companies, and California's diverse entertainment, technology, and consumer brand landscape.
PES identifies and places finance and accounting professionals who have already succeeded in capital-backed environments — leaders who move decisively, communicate clearly, and operate with the urgency and accountability private equity demands.
Whether you're standing up your first finance function post-acquisition, scaling across multiple entities, or preparing for exit, PES delivers professionals who don't just maintain enterprise value — they multiply it.
From senior executives to technical specialists supporting rollup and growth strategies in private-equity environments.
Deep Local Expertise Across Key Capital Markets
• Denver, Colorado: Aerospace, technology, telecommunications, energy, and outdoor economy enterprises. Denver's diverse mix of high-growth sectors demands finance leaders who can combine strategic agility with deep technical expertise in capital-backed environments.
More Than a Recruiting Firm — A Partner in Portfolio Performance
Pacific Executive Search has extensive experience across private equity, venture capital, and family office–backed environments. We've supported portfolio companies through every phase of the investment cycle — from initial professionalization to acquisition integration and pre-exit transformation.
We understand the difference between building for scale and optimizing for return. That's why we align every search with your investment thesis, growth horizon, and exit strategy — ensuring the leaders we deliver are both technically exceptional and strategically aligned.
With PES, you get more than resumes. You get leaders who have already made the leap — finance professionals who think like investors, act like operators, and deliver measurable results in capital-backed environments.
Below are the most common questions we receive when private-equity backed portfolio companies begin their recruitment of finance leaders.
Hiring a finance leader in a PE-backed company means selecting someone who can move fast, handle high accountability, and align with the investor's value-creation plan.
At Pacific Executive Search we focus on candidates who understand PE timelines, have experience in scaling financial operations, and can deliver on metrics under pressure — rather than just steady-state corporate finance roles.
Because we specialize exclusively in accounting and finance leadership for PE/VC-backed companies, we typically deliver shortlists in under 14 days rather than weeks or months.
Our active pipelines, repeat searches, and deep relationships in the finance talent market mean that once scoping is complete, we can hit the ground running — accelerating your time-to-fill and reducing disruption.
Boutique recruiters focused solely on accounting and finance for PE/VC portfolios offer tighter specialization, faster execution, and incentive alignment — you pay only when you hire.
Large retained firms often bring broad generalist practices, slower processes, and up-front retainers; our model eliminates those friction points so you're not locked in and your search gets prioritized.
The most frequent roles include Controller, CFO, VP Finance, Director of Accounting, and heads of FP&A or Technical Accounting.
Because portfolio companies operate under aggressive growth, integration or exit timelines, they often need finance leaders who can build or revamp systems quickly, drive performance metrics, and lead high-stakes audits or roll-ups.
We work on an outcome-driven model — you pay only when you hire the candidate we've presented who meets your selection criteria and accepts the role.
This model aligns our success with yours, ensures prioritization of your search, and reduces risk compared to traditional retainer-based engagements.
A successful finance leader in that context thrives on speed, decisiveness, high-visibility metrics, and alignment with investor expectations.
We look for candidates who have worked under private-equity owners, understand reporting cadence, can handle dynamic change, and lead teams in environments where time to value creation matters as much as technical accounting expertise.
Schedule a confidential consultation and connect directly with a PES headhunter specializing in portfolio company leadership.
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See how our specialized approach compares to traditional recruiting methods for accounting and finance roles.
Staffing firms prioritize speed and volume — we focus on alignment, long-term value, and impact.Our search process is calibrated for quality, not just availability. We don't fill seats — we find problem-solvers.We specialize narrowly in Accounting & Finance, which means we can assess nuance staffing firms often miss.Because we actively source and re-engage known candidates, we deliver faster without compromising fit.
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