Armanino has named Bryan Graiff as the head of its private equity practice, which works with more than 600 investment firms worldwide.

Armanino is one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S. with annual revenues of more than $400 million. Similarly to bigger rivals such as EY and PwC, the company is also active outside the accounting market in areas such as IT consulting.

As the name implies, Armanino’s private equity practice focuses on advising private equity firms. Those are investment firms that make money by buying companies that aren’t doing as well as they could, optimizing their business operations and then selling them at a higher price.

Before becoming Armanino’s top private equity executive, Graiff led its transaction advisory business. That business provides companies assistance with selling subsidiaries and buying other firms.

Besides M&A expertise, Graiff also boasts extensive accounting know-how. The executive has worked in accounting-related roles for more than a quarter century at both public and private companies.

At various points in his career, Graiff worked as chief financial officer and financial controller. He also oversaw numerous corporate acquisitions in his executive roles before making the jump to consulting.

“As a former controller and C-suite executive at multiple companies involved in private equity, IPOs and acquisitions, Bryan understands the distinct needs of our clients on both the buying and selling sides, which gives him a great advantage in setting the strategic direction of our practice,” noted Armanino CEO Matt Armanino.

Under Graiff’s leadership, Armanino’s private equity practice will assist clients with a broad range of business tasks.

Before a private equity firm buys a company, it needs to ensure that the company’s books are in order. Armanino can manage that process, which is difficult for investors to perform on their own.

Private equity firms increase the value of the companies they buy using a variety of methods. They might implement new software to make workers more efficient, launch additional products or sell off underperforming assets.

Armanino can assist with all those tasks. It can also help private equity firms with more day-to-day activities, such as ensuring a portfolio company’s accounting and cybersecurity and processes are working as intended.

“Armanino is one of the only firms that has the scale and knowledge to provide outsourcing support for any stage of a company in the private equity lifecycle,” Graiff commented.

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