David Park
- Prepared for
- Meridian Equity PartnersSara Mendel, Operating Partner
- Delivered via
- BCT StaffingJason Raclaw, Managing Partner
Across three references with non-overlapping vantage points — direct manager, audit oversight, former direct report — David presents as a CFO who builds judgment into the operating cadence, not just into the close. The signal worth pricing in: he disagrees on paper and in advance. The watch-item: he holds the FP&A pen longer than the seat warrants — fixable with one senior hire in the first quarter.
Strengths
3 themesCapital allocation discipline under uncertainty
Highlights
- Retired ~$42M in working-capital debt through 2024 while preserving R&D headcount.
- Restructured the cap table ahead of Series D; references credit him with avoiding two down-rounds that peers in the sector accepted.
- Builds three-scenario forecasts (downside / base / stretch) as a default — referenced by all three sources without prompting.
In their words
He doesn't tell the board what they want to hear. He shows them what they need to look at next quarter and explains why. It's been the single most useful thing about working with him.— Daniel Okafor — Audit Committee Chair, Sentry BioLabs
Operator partnership, not finance partition
Highlights
- Co-led the Series D pricing committee at Sentry alongside the CEO and Head of Commercial.
- References cite specific instances of pushback (terminating a $14M China JV pre-LOI; pulling forward a layoff timeline by one quarter) — each tied to a written analysis circulated 48 hrs prior.
- Treats finance as a service function with a point of view, not a gatekeeper.
In their words
He'll disagree with you. He'll do it on paper, and he'll do it twenty-four hours before the meeting so you have time to read it. That's a hard thing to find at this level.— Margaret Liu — Former CEO, Sentry BioLabs
Board fluency under pressure
Highlights
- Sent board pre-reads ≥72 hours ahead as standard practice; references called this rare for a sub-$500M co.
- Recognized for landing the going-concern conversation at Sentry in Q3'24 without triggering reserve-builds at the lender.
Improvement Areas
2 themesCommunication cadence with non-finance peers
Highlights
- Forecast revisions are rigorously documented but unevenly broadcast to commercial and product leadership.
- Priya: at the next stage, would expect a standing 30-minute weekly read-out to non-finance ELT peers.
In their words
If you wanted to know what David was thinking about Q4, you could always find it. But you had to walk to his office to find it. That's a thing he can change.— Priya Raghavan — VP Finance, Aldera Therapeutics
Delegation depth on FP&A modeling
Highlights
- References point to two model owners on his team who could absorb more — both named and credible.
- At Meridian's portco scale, this is the lever to watch in the first 90 days: hire / elevate a Director, FP&A early.
Rehire Eligibility
3 referencesWould hire again without hesitation for a CFO role at Meridian scale.
"I'd take him on my next company in a heartbeat."
Top decile CFO — board would welcome him back to any portfolio company.
"Unequivocally yes."
Strong yes for a transformational role; would want to understand the mandate first.
"Depends on the brief — he needs to be building something."
Behavior Examples
3 examplesKilled the $14M China JV pre-LOI
Authored a 14-page downside memo, walked the board through it, and pulled the partnership before any commitment was signed.
Pulled forward a layoff timeline by one quarter
Modeled three scenarios and circulated written analysis 48 hours before the strategy meeting.
Landed the going-concern conversation in 20 minutes
Brought three numbers, no theatrics, no extra meeting. Described as 'top decile' by the audit chair.
Transcripts & audio
3 calls · 27 min totalEach reference call is available in full as audio and transcript. Click any reference to read excerpts or play back the source recording.