Jeff Brink-led, private equity-backed Big Language Solutions (BIG) has named finance expert Dave Perlman as Chief Financial Officer. Perlman stepped into his role at Atlanta-based BIG on October 21, 2019. He reports to CEO Brink. Filling the CFO role is key at a company whose strategy relies on growth by acquisition.
Based in Atlanta, Perlman has over 17 years of finance and leadership experience under his belt, gained at such companies as Dell (SecureWorks) and General Electric. He previously served as CFO of a USD 400m division at Australia-listed Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB), where he led the carve-out and sale of the business to a private equity firm. Most recently, he was CFO at Atlanta-based, device trade-in company Phobio.
Perlman told Slator, “BIG presented a unique opportunity to be more than just a global CFO, but to also be a partner to Jeff Brink, lead M&A and integration, and build a global brand.” Perlman said he had worked before with Brink’s backer, MSouth Equity Partners, and “I can’t speak highly enough about my experience with them as a sponsor.”
Speaking at SlatorCon San Francisco in September 2019, MSouth Partner Charles Stubbs pointed out that, even in the face of impending technology disruption, more traditional LSPs, such as ProTranslating, still have a “sufficient moat” around them over the typical time horizon of an investor and “the next owner of the business we build will [still] do quite well.”
According to new CFO Perlman, “ProTranslating has exceeded early expectations and is humming along nicely. Luis de la Vega (son of the company founder) and his management team are doing an outstanding job.”
Asked about additional acquisitions on the horizon, Perlman would only say that they are “currently very active in the marketplace.”
Read MoreValue creation in a successful buy-and-build strategy is highly correlated to the success of the integration”
— Dave Perlman, CFO, Big Language Solutions
