CFO - PORTFOLIO SEARCH - FIRE & SAFETY- USA

November 19, 2025

The Appointed Executive

Chief Financial Officer

Heather Robertson brings an exceptional track record of success in Private Equity-backed environments. Over a 17-year tenure at her previous firm, she led 26 add-on acquisitions and navigated four separate exit cycles with four different Private Equity sponsors. Her leadership supported revenue growth from $700M to $4.3Bn in the commercial and residential services space.

Heather is highly detail-oriented and process-driven—critical strengths that complement the more visionary and commercially focused CEO. This balance was a key consideration in her appointment. Alex Rawlings described Heather as a “rockstar profile and the absolute ideal fit for SFS,” expressing strong confidence in the CFO-CEO partnership as they drive towards a high-value exit in a fast-growing, M&A-rich fire life and safety services sector.

4x

Exit cycles with 4 different Private Equity firms

Revenue Growth

From $700M to $4.3Bn

Alex Rawlings

Founder and Managing Partner

THE REASON FOR THE SEARCH

Blackford Capital had recently acquired a fire safety services platform with no permanent CFO in place. An interim CFO had been managing key milestones, but the business needed a full-time financial leader to support immediate integration efforts, professionalize the finance function, and drive growth through organic and acquisition strategies.

THE PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM

Blackford Capital

THE PORTFOLIO COMPANY

SFS, is a commercial fire safety platform delivering design, engineering, installation, and servicing of fire protection systems—including sprinklers, alarms, and inspections. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Coppell, Texas, it serves commercial sectors such as healthcare, municipal, hospitality, multi-family, retail, and industrial facilities—primarily through public contracts.

THE SEARCH REQUIREMENTS

CFO or senior finance leader in Private Equity-backed businesses
M&A execution and integration
Construction or commercial services sector experience
Strategic planning, cost accounting, and risk management
10+ years leading finance functions
ERP implementation and process optimization
Experience navigating diverse teams from blue-collar to boardroom
Strong financial acumen with hands-on leadership

THOUGHTS ON THE CANDIDATE

Heather is a rockstar profile and the absolute ideal fit for SFS. I am so excited about the fit here—not just with the business, but particularly with her experience in:

Commercial/Residential services
Revenue growth from $700M to $4.3Bn
26 add-on acquisitions completed
17 years at the business
4 exit cycles with 4 different Private Equity firms

Additionally, Heather fits incredibly well with the CEO partnership. She brings a very detailed and process-driven skill set, which is critical given the CEO’s lack of strength in this area. I am incredibly bullish on this appointment and look forward to reviewing a successful exit with this CEO and CFO partnership in a high-interest and M&A-active fire life and safety services sector.

Alex Rawlings, Founder & Managing Partner, Raw Selection

Get in Touch

Raw Selection favors a meticulous approach to talent research. Our process for selecting the right talent means we can boast a 100% success rate for all our retained and engaged C-Suite clients, with 96% of placed candidates still in their roles after 12 months.

If you are looking for new talent, contact us now.