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Former C-Suite Automotive Executive (CFO/COO) – Strategic Debt & Operational Due Diligence
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Former C-Suite Automotive Executive (CFO/COO) – Strategic Debt & Operational Due Diligence
Summary
Client Overview
The client is an alternative investment manager seeking independent, operational-level intelligence to support its due diligence on target acquisitions within the European automotive supplier and manufacturing sector. Recognizing that traditional, static sell-side credit reports are insufficient for high-stakes underwriting, they require ground-level validation from an experienced corporate leader to pressure-test target assumptions, assess commercial contracts, and evaluate realistic borrowing structures.
Role Overview
We are seeking a Former C-level Executive (CFO, COO, or Divisional Managing Director) with extensive operational experience inside Tier-1 or Tier-2 automotive supplier companies. This role is designed for an industry operator who has managed corporate balance sheets, negotiated debt facilities, and structured supply chain financing from the borrower’s perspective.
This is not a role for a financial sector credit analyst. We need someone who has been on the factory floor, led actual OEM contract negotiations, and can immediately identify whether a target's pricing, Capex, and working capital projections are realistic in practice.
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Location: Remote / European focus.
Engagement Model: Flexible, project-based advisory mandate.
Key Responsibilities
- Pressure-Test Working Capital & Debt Assumptions: Evaluate the target company's borrowing capacity, inventory cycles, and liquidity management based on real-world supplier treasury experience.
- Commercial Contract Evaluation: Review major OEM and Tier-1 contracts to assess actual negotiation leverage, margin structures, inflation-pass-through clauses, and tooling financing.
- Challenge Financial Projections: Review the target's operating model to identify unrealistic pricing or margin assumptions (providing direct feedback like: "this is not how we negotiate these clauses" or "this margin is completely unrealistic given OEM pressure").
- Validate Capital Expenditure (CapEx): Assess whether projected CapEx for production line setups, automation, or retooling is accurate and sufficient to support projected growth.
- On-the-Ground Risk Assessment: Help the investment team avoid over-conservatism by identifying latent operational efficiencies, supply chain optimizations, or consolidation plays that standard financial analysts overlook.
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Essential Skills and Experience
- Former Automotive C-Suite Executive: 15+ years of experience, having served as a CFO, COO, or CEO within a Tier-1 or Tier-2 automotive supplier or manufacturer.
- Corporate Borrowing & Treasury Mastery: Direct, hands-on experience structuring corporate debt, managing bank facilities, navigating covenants, and utilizing supply chain finance/factoring from the corporate operator side.
- Real-World Negotiation Experience: Proven track record of personally leading major commercial negotiations with global OEMs and key suppliers.
- Operational Grounding: Deep understanding of automotive production cycles, supply chain bottlenecks, and the true cost of manufacturing operations.
- Language Skills: Professional working proficiency in English; additional European languages are highly advantageous.
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