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Cornerstone

Senior-level financial, operational, and strategic leadership for private equity firms and alternative asset managers, from emerging manager to established institutional platform.

Execution first

We do not deliver reports or high-level recommendations. We step in as operators, design and implement solutions, and remain accountable for results.

Our team has served as the primary owners of these functions, rather than outside advisors.

We partner with sponsors and management teams to build institutional-quality finance functions, enhance governance and reporting, and support growth, transactions, and scale.

Our engagements are tailored, hands-on, and execution-oriented, drawing on decades of experience building, operating, and scaling finance platforms in complex and high-growth environments.

Experience at every stage, from the ground up.

Our team has built and operated finance and operations platforms through the stages your firm is likely to face.

  1. 1First fundraises

    Standing up the finance and operations a new manager needs to raise, close, and run its first fund.

  2. 2Regulatory registration

    SEC registration, examinations, and the compliance programs that come with being a registered investment adviser.

  3. 3Audits and valuation

    Management company, fund and GP accounting, audit, and valuation processes, including valuation committee governance.

  4. 4LP diligence

    Serving as the primary finance contact through LP operational due diligence across successive fundraises.

  5. 5Institutional scale

    Building the operations and finance functions that carry a platform from inception to institutional scale.

Ten disciplines. One accountable team.

Select an area of expertise to see what it covers and the practice it sits within.

Finance & accounting

CFO Consulting

Fractional CFO leadership and institutional-grade reporting.

Practice areas

Accurate records, credible reporting, and the capital cycle run on time.

Strategic FP&A and forecasting
Financial models, budgets, and performance forecasts to assist fund managers in strategic decision-making and value creation.
Financial record management
Overseeing the accurate recording of fund and management company transactions, and supporting the annual external audit and tax processes.
Audit coordination
Acting as the primary liaison for external auditors, ensuring all documentation is ready and the annual audit process is smooth.
Treasury and liquidity advisory
Optimizing cash flow management and banking relationships, and ensuring appropriate liquidity for current and future investment needs.
Risk assessment and mitigation
Identifying, evaluating, and mitigating financial and operational risks across funds’ operations.
Capital management and distributions
Managing the processes, logistics, and calculations for capital calls and the subsequent distribution of profits, accurately and on time.
Investor relations reporting
Preparing professional investor communications, including DDQs, PPMs, quarterly reports, and specific data requests.
Performance measurement
Calculating and validating key metrics such as IRR and MOIC for transparent investor reporting.
Fee and expense verification
Independently calculating management fees and carried interest, and verifying fund expense allocations against fund agreements.

When something needs fixing now

Special situations and remediation. We step in as operators, take ownership of the problem, and remain accountable until it is resolved.

  • Interim CFO
  • Reporting fixes
  • Audit failures and restatements
  • Backlog cleanups
  • Control failures
  • Failed implementations

For managers at every stage of growth

Across asset classes:

  • Private equity
  • Credit
  • Real estate
  • Multi-asset
GP-stakes and platform investors seeking institutional-quality operations
  1. Stage 1LaunchEmerging managers launching first funds
  2. Stage 2ScaleScaling GPs with multiple funds or strategies
  3. Stage 3ModernizeEstablished managers modernizing legacy infrastructure

Clients engage Cornerstone when experienced leadership is needed, without the cost, risk, or delay of building a full in-house team.

  • Operational gaps
  • Growth demands
  • Upcoming fundraises

Operators, not outside advisors

years of combined experience reviewing, developing, and leading private equity operations
50+

What we have owned, directly, inside private equity firms.

  • Former C-level executives
  • Built and scaled finance, operations, technology, and compliance infrastructure from inception to institutional scale
  • Direct ownership of management company, fund and GP accounting, LP reporting, audit, and valuation processes
  • Multiple fundraises, serving as primary finance contact in LP operational due diligence
  • Managed SEC registration and examinations as a registered investment adviser
  • Deep expertise in fees, carry, waterfalls, allocations, SPVs, and complex fund structures
  • Oversaw fund administrators, capital calls, distributions, allocations, and credit facilities
  • Designed and governed valuation processes and chaired the valuation committee
  • Built and managed budgets, forecasts, and firm-wide business planning
  • Recruited, built, and managed finance, admin, and operations teams

Leadership

Former private equity C-suite executives who built and operated management companies and fund platforms from the ground up.

Portrait of Brian Motechin

Brian Motechin

Founder

More than two decades of experience in private equity and alternative asset management.

  1. 1998–2002Deloitte & Touche
  2. 2002–2005Baker Capital
  3. 2005–2008TowerBrook Capital Partners
  4. 2008–2024ZMC
  5. 2012–PresentPrivate Equity CFO Association, New York Chapter
  6. 2025–PresentCornerstone
Portrait of Jay Rosenberg

Jay Rosenberg

Technology and operations

Senior technology and operations executive with more than two decades partnering with private equity firms and portfolio company leadership teams.

  1. EarlierFinancial services firms
  2. 2000–2024Castle Harlan
  3. 2025–PresentCornerstone

Build your firm on a stronger foundation.

Operational gaps, growth demands, or upcoming fundraises? We help clients reduce risk, improve credibility with LPs, and free investment teams to focus on generating returns.