THRIVE FINANCE COUNCIL
A Private Finance Council for Leaders Building Careers in Private Equity
For CFOs and senior finance leaders operating in private equity–backed companies.
Join a peer-level forum for CFOs and rising finance leaders working in or pursuing roles in PE-backed companies. Meet every other week for practical conversations on succeeding in private equity, navigating career moves, and growing as a finance leader in high-performance environments.
Facilitated by Andrew Gormley and Susanna Madden, with occasional guest operators sharing real experience from PE-backed companies.
WHY THIS COUNCIL MATTERS
The CFO Role in Private Equity Is Different
Finance leaders in PE-backed companies operate in a fundamentally different environment. Expectations are high, timelines move quickly, and the role often expands far beyond traditional finance responsibilities.
The First 100 Days
Understanding sponsor expectations, stabilizing reporting, and quickly building credibility with leadership and investors.
Sponsor Communication
Learning what private equity partners actually want to see in board materials, reporting cadence, and strategic discussions.
Prioritizing Growth
Evaluating where finance should focus first and how to support growth initiatives without losing operational discipline.
Acquisition Integration
Integrating acquisitions, aligning systems, and building scalable financial infrastructure while still running the day-to-day finance function.
Exit Preparation
Understanding what sponsors expect from finance leadership as a company moves toward a future transaction.
Growing Into Bigger Roles
Developing the judgment and leadership presence required to move from strong operator to trusted PE-backed CFO.
HOW THE COUNCIL WORKS
A Practical, Peer-Level Forum for Finance Leaders
The Thrive Finance Council is designed to create high-value discussion in a focused, confidential setting. Sessions are structured enough to be useful, but flexible enough to address the real issues finance leaders are navigating in PE-backed environments.
Meet Every Other Week
Join live 1-hour sessions every other week to stay connected to practical discussion without adding unnecessary burden to your calendar.
Small-Group Format
The council is intentionally designed for meaningful discussion, not passive attendance. Members benefit from a more candid, peer-level environment.
Real PE Finance Topics
Sessions focus on the issues that matter most in PE-backed companies — sponsor expectations, the first 100 days, acquisition integration, growth prioritization, and exit preparation.
Facilitated Discussion
Andrew Gormley and Susanna Madden guide each conversation to keep it practical, relevant, and grounded in real operator experience.
Peer Learning
Members learn not only from the facilitators, but from the shared experience, judgment, and perspective of other finance leaders navigating similar environments.
Built for Application
The goal is not theory. It is to help members leave each session with better judgment, stronger perspective, and ideas they can apply immediately.
FIRST THREE SESSIONS
What We’ll Be Discussing
The Finance Council begins with sessions designed to address the real challenges finance leaders face when stepping into and operating within PE-backed companies.
Finance Leadership in a PE-Backed Company
Understanding how private equity sponsors evaluate finance leaders, what signals credibility with investors, and how the CFO role differs from traditional corporate finance environments.
The First 100 Days
How new finance leaders should diagnose the organization, stabilize reporting, and establish credibility quickly while aligning with sponsor expectations and board priorities.
Execution Discipline & Initiative Prioritization
How finance leaders evaluate growth opportunities, sequence initiatives, and balance strategic priorities while maintaining operational discipline.
MEET THE FACILITATORS
Learn From Leaders Who Understand the PE Finance Environment
The Thrive Finance Council is facilitated by leaders who bring both operating experience and deep exposure to the private equity talent and portfolio company landscape.
Andrew Gormley
PE Finance Leader | Former Certara Finance Executive
Andrew Gormley is an accomplished finance leader with deep experience in private equity-backed environments. At Certara, he helped lead major acquisition activity, finance transformation, and the company’s path through significant growth and successful exits.
Earlier in his career, Andrew built a strong foundation in investment banking and corporate finance, with experience across firms including Deutsche Bank, Piper Jaffray, KPMG Corporate Finance, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
He brings a rare combination of sponsor-facing perspective, M&A experience, and practical finance leadership insight into what it takes to succeed inside PE-backed companies.
Susanna Madden
Founder, Thrive Resources
Susanna Madden is the founder of Thrive Resources, a private equity talent platform focused on helping operators and executives build and advance their careers inside PE-backed portfolio companies.
Through Thrive’s executive search work, leadership platform, and operator community, Susanna works closely with CFOs, finance leaders, and portfolio company executives navigating the realities of private equity environments.
She brings a market-level view of what firms are looking for, how finance leaders differentiate themselves, and what it takes to grow into larger roles across the PE landscape.
WHO THIS COUNCIL IS FOR
Designed for Finance Leaders Navigating Private Equity
The Thrive Finance Council is built for finance professionals operating in, or preparing to step into, private equity-backed environments.
CFOs of PE-Backed Companies
Finance leaders responsible for sponsor reporting, acquisition integration, and scaling finance infrastructure inside portfolio companies.
VP Finance & Controllers
Senior finance operators preparing to step into CFO roles within private equity-backed organizations.
Finance Leaders Entering PE
Corporate finance leaders looking to transition into portfolio company leadership roles and understand what success looks like in PE environments.
Operators Scaling With PE
Finance leaders navigating growth, acquisitions, and operational complexity inside private equity-backed businesses.
This council is designed for experienced professionals and is not intended for early-career finance roles.
JOIN THE NEXT COHORT
Advance Your Career in PE Finance With a Peer-Level Council Built for Real Operating Challenges
The Thrive Finance Council is designed for CFOs and rising finance leaders who want practical insight, stronger perspective, and candid discussion around what it takes to succeed in private equity-backed companies.
Participation is intentionally limited to support meaningful conversation and peer-level discussion.
