Challenge
- Following the announced acquisition of SouthernCarlson, Truelink Capital retained Finatal to hire a new CFO to support SouthernCarlson’s transition to a standalone, PE-backed business and next phase of growth.
- Truelink carved SouthernCarlson – a leading industrial distributor – out of Kyocera Corporation, a global Japanese conglomerate.
- Mandate: Deliver a proven finance executive with deep distribution experience, strong sponsor and board exposure, and a track record of professionalizing reporting, enhancing FP&A, and acting as a true partner to the CEO.
Action
- Engaged immediately (pre-deal close), partnering closely with the SouthernCarlson CEO, alongside Truelink’s deal and value creation teams, to define the brief and build a targeted scorecard aligned to the investment thesis.
- Executed an accelerated, 8-week search – combining market mapping, AI-enabled research, and Finatal’s network to identify and calibrate against top CFO talent across distribution and industrial supply businesses in the U.S.
- Prioritized candidates with proven PE experience and track records of success; rigorously filtered for functional fit, credibility, scale, industry relevance, and timing.
- Delivered a tightly managed shortlist of 8 candidates, enabling rapid alignment and decision-making through diligence and close.
Impact
- Successfully placed Trae Fletcher as CFO ahead of deal close, ensuring continuity from day one. Trae’s first day with SouthernCarlson was February 2, 2026.
- Under Trae’s leadership, the business has improved KPI visibility, embedded a more rigorous, data-driven operating cadence, and is better positioned to accelerate EBITDA growth and execute against Truelink’s value creation plan.
Aytaç Yaraneri, Principal, Truelink Capital, said:
“We partnered with Mark and the Finatal team on a critical CFO hire for SouthernCarlson, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. They took the time to truly understand the business, the investment thesis, and the type of leader we needed at this stage.
Their process was structured, efficient, and highly targeted – resulting in a strong shortlist of candidates who were both technically excellent and culturally aligned. We ultimately hired Trae Fletcher, who has already made a meaningful impact on the business.
Mark and his team were thoughtful, proactive, and highly commercial throughout. I wouldn’t hesitate to partner with them again on future leadership hires.”
Trae Fletcher, CFO, SouthernCarlson, said:
“I had an incredibly positive experience working with Finatal. The process was smooth, transparent, and well run, and the team was clearly focused on long-term fit rather than just getting something done quickly.
Appreciate them bringing this opportunity to me, and excited to now have joined the SouthernCarlson executive leadership team.”
The search was led by Mark Sattin, CEO, North America, and Natalie Brendsel, Head of Delivery, at Finatal.