Boutique consulting for PE portfolio companies
ForrestVane seats experienced operators inside the deal—from diligence through close and post-close— delivering interim leadership, audit readiness, systems, and practical AI aligned to the investment thesis. We focus on PE-backed companies in construction, field services, manufacturing, and aerospace & defense.
Focus industries
PE portfolio companies in four verticals where operations and finance have to keep pace with the deal.
Services
We work where sponsors and portfolio company leadership need credible hands on the work— not slide decks that sit unused after kickoff.
Diligence, close, and post-close support scoped to the deal. We pressure-test the quality of earnings story, stabilize Day-1 finance, and stand up the reporting cadence sponsors expect—so leadership can focus on integration and growth.
CFO, controller, and functional leadership when a gap appears or a transition cannot wait. Our operators step into the seat quickly, protect continuity, and leave the function stronger than they found it.
Clean books, clear support files, and a controlled close process before auditors arrive. We tighten controls, close open items, and reduce the noise that slows PE-backed companies at critical reporting windows.
ERP, FP&A, and finance-stack projects designed for middle-market reality—not enterprise theater. We map processes, manage vendors, and drive adoption so the system actually improves visibility and control.
One operating rhythm for the full change agenda—integration, finance stand-up, systems, audit readiness, and ops initiatives—tied to the investment thesis. We govern priorities, dependencies, and decisions so workstreams move together instead of competing for the same leadership bandwidth.
Practical AI applied to finance and operations inside PE-backed companies—forecasting, close acceleration, exception monitoring, and workflow automation. We prioritize use cases with measurable lift, not experiments that distract the team.
AI roadmaps
Most PortCos don't need more AI pilots—they need a sequenced plan. We build AI roadmaps that start from how the business actually runs, target the decisions and costs that move value, and get leadership to faster answers with less spend.
Map core processes, data quality, and systems—ERP such as NetSuite, FP&A, and field and operations tools—to see where time, cost, and decision lag sit today.
Score use cases on EBITDA and cash impact, effort, and risk, so investment goes to what supports the thesis—not to whatever demos well.
Lead with quick wins on tools the company already owns, then sequence larger initiatives—with clear owners, data controls, and governance from day one.
Run delivery through the PMO cadence and track results against the baseline, so sponsors see what each phase delivered before funding the next.
Outcomes we target
Approach
Post-close and in transition, PortCos rarely fail for lack of projects—they stall when workstreams collide. ForrestVane runs a holistic PMO: one cadence that connects finance, operations, systems, and leadership decisions to what the deal is supposed to deliver—then seats operators to execute it.
One roadmap, one status language, and one decision log spanning integration, finance stand-up, systems, audit prep, and operational initiatives—visible to sponsors and PortCo leadership alike.
Every workstream is ranked against value creation and risk to the investment case. We cut noise, sequence dependencies, and protect the few moves that actually advance the thesis.
PMO is not a slide factory. We assign clear owners, meeting rhythms, and escalation paths so finance, ops, IT, and commercial teams pull in the same direction under one operating rhythm.
Governance sits next to doing the work—closing books, standing up controls, driving system adoption, and bridging leadership gaps—so the PMO accelerates delivery instead of adding overhead.
We scope quickly, clarify the mandate, and place capable people where the work happens. No prolonged discovery cycles that burn runway after close.
Reporting, priorities, and decision rights are framed around the investment thesis and board cadence. Portfolio company leadership gets a partner who understands both the operating reality and the sponsor lens.
We do the work inside the company—closing books, leading teams, implementing systems, preparing for audit— not advising from the sideline.
Engagements are sized to the situation: stand up a holistic PMO, bridge a leadership gap, harden finance for exit, or execute a defined workstream. When the objective is met, we transition cleanly.
Who we serve
ForrestVane partners with private equity sponsors and with CEOs and CFOs of PE portfolio companies in construction, field services, manufacturing, and aerospace & defense—teams who need execution support without the overhead of a large generalist firm.
Deal teams and operating partners who need trusted capacity on diligence, post-close finance, interim seats, and value-creation workstreams that stay true to the model.
Operators who need experienced reinforcement—whether stabilizing the finance function, preparing for audit, upgrading systems, or bridging a leadership transition.
Why ForrestVane
We concentrate on private equity-backed middle-market companies. That focus shapes how we scope work, communicate with sponsors, and measure progress against the thesis.
Leadership seats and defined workstreams under one roof. You get continuity of judgment— whether the need is a CFO in the chair or a tightly scoped systems and audit program.
Technology is not a side practice. We treat systems implementation and practical AI as tools that amplify finance and ops—improving visibility, speed, and control where it counts.
ForrestVane is accountable for outcomes, not resume volume. We place people we trust, stay close to delivery, and keep engagements lean, clear, and execution-first.
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