Shabir Rahim

About Shabir Rahim

Private equity-backed CFO with 20+ years of experience leading finance organizations within engineered products, industrial, and nutraceutical cGMP manufacturing platforms.I operate as a hands-on financial leader in PE sponsor-backed environments, driving EBITDA growth, strengthening cost and margin discipline, professionalizing financial reporting, and building finance infrastructure capable of supporting scale. My experience spans leveraged middle-market companies, public industrial platforms, and founder-led businesses transitioning to institutional ownership.I partner closely with CEOs, PE sponsors, boards, and lenders to:• Improve profitability through pricing discipline, cost analytics, and operational finance rigor• Implement standard cost accounting and margin governance in complex manufacturing environments• Strengthen liquidity management, covenant compliance, and 13-week cash flow forecasting• Build scalable finance teams, internal controls, and ERP systems• Support strategic initiatives including acquisitions, integrations, recapitalizations, and exit preparationMy approach combines transaction fluency (investment banking and private equity background) with operational execution, aligning financial strategy, capital allocation, and operational cadence to maximize enterprise value.I am particularly experienced in situations requiring structure, transparency, and financial discipline within growing or evolving organizations.Interested in platform-scale manufacturing environments pursuing disciplined organic growth, along with M&A and long-term value creation, where applicable.

Experience

1. Chief Financial Officer

   Lief Labs

   Sep 2024 — Present · Los Angeles, CA, US

   Private Equity-Backed Commercial Manufacturing Platform (~$80M revenue)Lead finance, accounting, FP & A, and treasury for leveraged sponsor-backed manufacturing business.• Stabilized leveraged capital structure and managed lender covenant compliance• Institutionalized 13-week cash flow forecasting and liquidity governance• Introduced unit economics / SKU-level profitability and refined quoting/pricing models across a high-mix product portfolio, improving margin accuracy and cost visibility• Improved working capital performance through AR discipline, AP management, and operational alignment• Strengthened close processes, reporting rigor, and audit readiness• Partner to CEO, PE sponsor and Board on capital strategy and enterprise value preservation

Education

• USC Marshall School of Business

  MBA, Corporate Finance and Investments

  2004

• UCLA

  Accounting Certification

  2006 — 2007

• University of Southern California

  MS, Mechanical Engineering

  2002

• University of Southern California

  BS, Mechanical Engineering

  2000