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Ryan, CFO at Compass Diversified: Advize Career Interview
A career in finance offers exciting opportunities for high-achievers. Compass Diversified's CFO details a multifaceted role involving financial reporting, leadership, extensive investor relations, and strategic planning.
This demanding but rewarding position requires strong communication, problem-solving, and the ability to "tell the story" of a unique company.
Success hinges on securing equity capital, navigating a dynamic industry, and building strong relationships.
The path to such a role involves either a traditional accounting track or investment banking, followed by a graduate degree and private equity experience.
Networking and avoiding burned bridges are critical, with leadership roles in college providing invaluable communication training.
This career thrives on intellectual collaboration with top talent and the fast-paced, transaction-driven environment.
The interview reveals a journey fueled by ambition, strong interpersonal skills, and a knack for captivating audiences—a compelling model for aspiring finance professionals.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ryan Faulkingham
CFO
Compass Diversified
Lehigh
Fordham MBA
Accounting
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
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Career Path of a CFO at Compass Diversified
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, describes a multifaceted role encompassing accurate financial reporting for 10 subsidiaries ("first and foremost, the most important part of the job"), leadership, and extensive external engagement with capital markets, shareholders, and media. This includes "non-deal roadshows" to attract institutional investors and managing enterprise-wide risk.
Main Responsibilities of a CFO at Compass Diversified
Ryan's role as CFO at Compass Diversified involves significant communication—"I get paid to talk"—with internal teams, investors, and capital markets, alongside strategic planning and resource allocation. A significant part of the day-to-day also includes addressing unforeseen challenges—"putting out fires"—across the company's diverse portfolio, while simultaneously acting as a company advocate, "selling Compass and selling the story."
A Day In The Life Of A CFO At Compass Diversified
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, highlighted communication and listening as the most crucial skills in their daily routine, emphasizing the need to "communicate clearly, effectively" with diverse stakeholders and "listen to team members' concerns." This underscores the importance of strong interpersonal skills for senior leadership roles in navigating complex organizational dynamics.
Most Important Skills For A CFO At Compass Diversified
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, most enjoys "telling the story" of this unique, publicly traded company, which lacks a comparable peer group. This involves engaging with investors, highlighting the successes of their ten subsidiaries—even the "problem children"—and conveying the overall investment opportunity.
Biggest Challenges of Being a CFO at Compass Diversified
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, identifies securing "equity capital" as the biggest challenge, a difficulty stemming from the company's status as a "small cap, somewhat unknown business" in a risk-averse market where institutional investors are hesitant to allocate funds to smaller companies due to factors such as potential recession and geopolitical instability. This necessitates Ryan dedicating significant time to convincing investors of Compass Diversified's potential.
Biggest Benefits of Being a CFO at Compass Diversified
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, finds the greatest professional reward in working alongside "some of the smartest people I think, on the planet," individuals with top-tier academic backgrounds and extensive experience in investment banking and private equity, which allows for high-level intellectual collaboration in a competitive industry. This caliber of "human capital talent" is what Ryan enjoys most.
Favorite Parts Of Working In Private Equity As A Chief Financial Officer
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, describes successful professionals in this industry as "go-getters" and "type A people" who excel in "transaction-based" and "deal environments," embracing the unpredictable nature of the work for the excitement and camaraderie it fosters. The work's transactional nature means a less predictable schedule than a traditional nine-to-five, but this dynamic environment builds strong relationships and offers unique experiences.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Investment Industry, According To A CFO At Compass Diversified
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, advises aspiring finance professionals to develop their own authentic communication style when "selling the story," rather than mimicking others. The importance of proactive risk management and building a team with the ability to identify key risks is also crucial, as "without the proper people... you could run into big trouble."
What A CFO At Compass Diversified Wishes They Knew Before Entering Finance
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, suggests two entry-level paths: a traditional accounting route, starting with "audit firms" for broad exposure, or an investment banking path involving "two years in investment banking" followed by a graduate degree and private equity experience. Both routes, according to Ryan, can lead to a C-suite position.
Entry-level Career Advice for Aspiring Chief Financial Officers
Ryan's most significant career lesson is "never burn bridges," emphasizing relationship-building as crucial for career advancement. This strategy, coupled with seeking opportunities at large companies to maximize networking potential, led to many subsequent roles where "every job I had...was because I knew somebody."
College Experiences That Helped a CFO at Compass Diversified Succeed
Ryan's most significant career lesson is "never burn bridges," emphasizing relationship-building as crucial for future opportunities. This strategy, combined with seeking roles at large companies to maximize networking potential, has led to career progression through referrals such as "they would call me and say, 'Hey, we got this awesome opportunity for you.'"
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