Service Area: Interim Executives (CFO and COO)
Client Type: Family-Owned Business
Service Provider Type: Specialized Interim Executives
Industry: Industrial Distribution and Services
A multi-generation family-owned business faced significant challenges due to declining financial performance and market dynamics. The company also suffered a cyberattack that exposed weaknesses in its IT infrastructure. Recognizing the need for help, ownership sought external expertise to guide them through a comprehensive turnaround.
The business grappled with challenges related to its profitability and internal capacity. The cyberattack highlighted the urgency of implementing an effective IT infrastructure and strengthening the leadership team. An outside advisory board, hired by the family, immediately recommended that a multifunctional team with interim CFO and COO turnaround skills was crucial. The objective was to streamline operations, reduce costs and create a sustainable foundation for renewed growth in order to rebuild value for the family and company stakeholders. Trusted advisors introduced the family to BluWave.
BluWave sprung into action, first taking time to understand the unique situation and the factors needed for success. BluWave then swiftly matched the family business with a highly experienced interim CFO and COO duo from the BluWave Network who understood the complexities of the company’s industrial markets and possessed a background in turnaround and operational performance improvement. Because of the ready-to-go nature of the PE-grade, pre-vetted Business Builders’ Network, BluWave was able to introduce the perfect fit executives to the company’s family ownership within a single business day.
The transformative efforts led by the interim CFO and COO turnaround team resulted in significant improvements in profitability and operational efficiency. The company quickly took action to stabilize and reinvigorate revenue and optimize human capital, which increased EBITDA from approximately breakeven to more than $10 million in less than 18 months. The cultural shift toward performance and accountability empowered the employee base, enabling them to rise to the challenge and drive positive change throughout the organization. The family was then sold the business to a top private equity firm at a nine-figure valuation.
The collaborative partnership between the family, the interim CFO and COO combo and BluWave facilitated a comprehensive turnaround, leading to increased profitability, operational efficiency and a transformed organizational culture. The company continues to thrive under new leadership, supported by the foundation laid during the turnaround engagement. In fact, the current full-time CFO and the former turnaround interim CFO connected by BluWave keep in touch to this day.
There had to be a tremendous amount of change within the leadership team because we were driving a culture of change toward performance and profitability. They were invigorated by the accountability they saw and the opportunity, and they rose to that challenge.
-Turnaround Interim CFO
