Corporate Vision Issue 3 2018

CORPORATE VISION / Issue 3 2018 5 NEWS , An online car ga- rage and repair marketplace has revealed that the number of female mechanics working in the UK has risen by 125% since 2011, and now accounts for almost 10% of the workforce. The site will be launching a female me- chanic awareness scheme in partnership with its garages, to celebrate International Wom- en’s Day, and encourage more women into the field. A site connecting car garages and repair centres with drivers has re- leased internal data, which shows a 125% increase in the number of females working as mechanics since 2011. WhoCanFixMyCar.com asked its garage network if they employed any women as mechanics, and if so how many. Almost a tenth (9%) of the garages and repair centres answered that they employ a fe- male mechanic, compared to just under 4% in 2011. 93% of garages surveyed indi- cated a positive impact from their female mechanic team, demon- strating the value of female me- chanics. In response to the survey results and to coincide with International Women’s Day on the 8th March, WhoCanFixMyCar.com will be launching an awareness scheme for young girls and women, by working with its network of 11,000 garages to find them opportuni- ties. Budding female mechanics con- sidering a move into the industry can register their interest with WhoCanFixMyCar.com here: https://www.whocanfixmycar . com/female-mechanic-signup WhoCanFixMyCar.com is an on- line car garage and repair market- place connecting 11,000 garage and repair centres with drivers around the UK. The site has 1m users and recently processed more than 155,000 quotes through the site in one month. Alistair Preston, Co-Founder of WhoCanFixMyCar.com, said, “A recent statistic showed that there are now more female driv- ers on the road than male in the UK, so I’m not surprised to see that the number of female me- chanics is also growing – it’s something we’re delighted to see and it should be actively encour- aged. “We also see time and time again that key decision makers with- in these businesses are female. They are helping support and grow these businesses as much as anybody. “What our research shows is that change is happening. There is absolutely no reason why women can’t forge a great career within the industry, they just need the opportunity and encouragement, which is why we’re working with the garages on our platform to employ female apprentices. “We’re confident that with this approach, in another couple of years we’ll see the number of fe- male mechanics increase again”. On the 1st March, private equity firm focused on the fi- nancial services and healthcare sectors, Flexpoint Ford, LLC (“Flexpoint”) announced the completion of the sale of their stake in CFGI to The Carlyle Group, a global alternative asset manager. CFGI is a specialised accounting and financial consulting firm that provides a range of routine and complex solutions to corporate CFOs nationwide. Founded in 2000 by former “Big Four” professionals, Nick Nar- done and Shane Caiazzo, CFGI is an established industry leader with the resources to success- fully navigate today’s complex accounting, reporting, tax, and compliance landscape. An as- semblage of top-flight profession- als with in-depth public account- ing expertise, CFGI is able to fulfil a variety of client needs without the restrictions of auditor independence. Representative projects for CFGI include IPO readiness, implementation of new accounting standards, tax advisory among many other com- plex accounting solutions for cli- ents in all industry sectors. Over the past several years, CFGI has rapidly expanded its team of professionals and geographic footprint as it has built a national advisory business focused on the most pressing needs of CFOs. Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Nick Nardone and Shane Caiazzo, commented, “Flexpoint has been a collaborative and value-added partner to CFGI. During our time with Flexpoint, we’ve grown from a largely regional business to a Rise of The Female Mechanic: Industry Sees 125% Increase Since 2011 rapidly expanding national plat- form with offices on both coasts and clients nationwide. We thank Flexpoint for their support and their shared dedication to the quality and expertise that define the CFGI offering. We are proud to move forward with The Carlyle Group as our new partner and excited for the relationships and resources that we expect to come with the Carlyle global network. Our focus for the firm is to aggressively work each and every day to become the go-to partner for all CFOs, CAOs, and Controllers across the nation.” Chris Ackerman, Managing Director of Flexpoint, said, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Nick, Shane and the CFGI Partner group and watch the evolution of the company over the past four years; we thank the CFGI team for their tireless effort and drive during this period. By executing their office expansion and growth strategy, CFGI has become the go-to solution for thousands of CFOs and Control- lers on a nationwide basis and has delivered an excellent return for our investors, exceeding our high expectations. We are confident that CFGI will continue to strengthen what is already a world-class consulting firm and that their new partnership with Carlyle will position the company for future growth.” Robert W. Baird & Co. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company served as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP served as legal advisor to CFGI on the transaction.