Governance Framework for a PE-Backed D2C Brand

This reflects the type of challenge our consultants are built to solve, drawn from real industry experience. A PE firm had invested ₹45 Cr in a fast-growing D2C brand but found that decision-making was entirely founder-driven, with no audit committee, no board-approved risk appetite, and no formal investor reporting structure. The 100-day post-investment period required a full governance uplift. The PE partner's specific concern was that two prior portfolio companies had experienced founder-investor conflict within 18 months of investment, both traceable to unclear decision rights.

A board committee structure was designed with three committees, audit, compensation, and risk, each with a charter tailored to the company's stage, not copied from a template. Decision rights were mapped across four dimensions: what the founder decides alone, what needs the CFO, what needs board notification, and what needs board approval. A monthly investor reporting pack was built, piloted for two months with the finance team before going live. A risk register was created and populated across five operational areas.