PE CFO Playbook: First 100 Days, Data-First | Keboola

You close. The lenders want a covenant report in 45 days. Your finance team is running on spreadsheets, three ERPs, and a shared folder nobody has cleaned since 2019. This playbook is the week-by-week plan for exactly that moment — written for incoming CFOs, interim CFOs, and the Operating Partners who place them.

What’s Inside

• The Covenant Clock — why the lender reporting deadline (typically 45–60 days after close) defines your entire data priority stack from Day 1
• Phase 1: Discover (Days 1–14) — the five diagnostic questions that tell you what you have, what you’re missing, and what will burn you in Month 2
• Phase 2: Build (Days 15–60) — how to connect disparate ERP systems, automate consolidation, and deliver your first board pack without replacing a single source system
• Phase 3: Lead (Days 60–100) — from reactive firefighting to forward-looking dashboards your Operating Partner actually wants to see
• The Day 100 Sign-Off Checklist — a crisp definition of done, so you know when you’re out of the woods and ready to hand it over
• P3 Logistic Parks case study — 100+ man-days saved monthly, up to 60% faster month-end close, first standalone board report within 5 weeks of close

This Is For You If

• You’re an incoming or interim CFO at a PE-backed company with a board review in the next 60–90 days
• You’re an Operating Partner who places CFOs and wants a structured 100-day data framework you can hand off with every new acquisition
• Your first board meeting is approaching and the consolidated P&L is still in Excel

What PE CFOs Are Achieving

It propelled us to the next level, enabling our business leaders to have forward-looking, business-relevant information at their fingertips.

— Thilo Kusch, Group CFO, P3 Logistic Parks

100+ man-days saved monthly · Up to 60% faster month-end close · First standalone board report within 5 weeks of close

The Bottom Line

The first 100 days as a PE-backed CFO aren’t about strategy — they’re about survival. The covenant clock starts ticking the moment the deal closes. This playbook gives you the week-by-week framework to get your data house in order before the board asks why you don’t have it. Download free alongside the companion 8–12 Week PE Financial Data Foundation Framework. No sales call, no demo required.