The Private Equity Turnaround Playbook for CFOs with Ashley Dafel

What does it really take for a finance leader to step into a private equity-backed company and turn it around fast?

In this episode of The Next Moves, Joe Diubaldo sits down with Ashley Dafel for a candid, high-level conversation on what senior finance leaders need to assess before accepting a PE-backed role and what separates successful operators from those who get stuck in execution. If you are a CFO, finance leader, operator, or executive considering a PE-backed opportunity, this episode is a must-listen.

Ashley breaks down the importance of understanding the private equity firm’s mandate, evaluating governance, clarifying your role beyond the spreadsheets, and building alignment across ownership, leadership, and the board. He also shares real examples from turnaround situations where cash was tight, teams lacked critical capabilities, and major decisions had to be made quickly. From customer profitability to leadership vulnerability, this episode is a practical playbook for leaders navigating high-stakes change.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:01 Why the mandate comes first

03:09 What to assess before taking a PE-backed role

06:23 How urgency changes in private equity

09:05 Walking into a turnaround crisis

12:10 The first priority: cash flow

15:29 Missing capabilities inside struggling teams

20:35 Customer profitability changes everything

25:49 How fast a turnaround can happen

29:38 From CFO to Chief Business Officer

37:05 Why alignment matters across leadership and ownership

49:33 Vulnerability, trust, and stepping into bigger roles
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Watch the full interview and subscribe for more conversations with the operators behind the world’s most resilient businesses.

Connect with guest Ashley Dafel on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-dafel

Connect with Host Joe Diubaldo on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joediubaldo/

Read the Full Blog Summary ➡️Before You Touch the Spreadsheet: Ashley Dafel on What Actually Decides a PE-Backed Turnaround - Clarity Recruitment

🔔If this conversation resonated with you, like the episode and subscribe to stay up to date on future conversations with founders and operators.

Joe Diubaldo, host of The Next Moves and Founder of Clarity Recruitment, has made it his life to help people build better careers and better companies. Along the way, there’s been one lesson that always stands out… We all get stuck. The Next Moves podcast has been curated to help you get unstuck; to help you plan the next move and then the move after that.