Business Development Leader Chicago

Business Development | Chicago | Full-time

About The Role
Private capital firms are on a clear path to becoming AI-native over the next five years. While most firms have begun experimenting with AI, many remain behind the curve because their data, documents, and analytics are not ready for AI at scale.

CFOs know this gap exists. They also know they need to act now.

Equiforte partners directly with CFOs at mid-market private capital firms managing $10B+ in AUM to bridge this gap — identifying the highest-value finance workflows that can be infused with AI without disrupting existing processes.

Our finance and AI experts implement agentic AI as an extension of the finance team, enabling instant, accurate answers across firm-wide, fund, and portfolio data so finance teams can focus on value creation.

We are looking to partner with a senior business development leader to drive business development in Chicago with their existing network of C-suite executives at mid-market capital markets firms including private capital, venture capital, and private credit.

This partnership is ideal for someone who has worked in a financial role within private capital, understands how CFOs think, and has a strong network of mid-market C-suite executives or CFOs.

Responsibilities

Lead Equiforte's capital markets CFO go-to-market strategy in Chicago

Leverage your existing CFO and C-suite network to originate new clients at private capital firms

Act as a trusted partner to CFOs, helping them identify the highest-value finance workflows for AI adoption

Own relationships end-to-end — from initial conversations through implementation and long-term success

Partner with Equiforte's finance and AI experts to translate CFO needs into implemented agentic AI solutions

Support onboarding and adoption to ensure accuracy, trust, and measurable ROI

Develop repeatable playbooks, case studies, and implementation frameworks for scaling your vertical

Provide direct feedback to founders on product direction, messaging, and CFO‑specific use cases

You Might Be a Fit If

You have previous experience in a financial role within private capital

You have a trusted network of mid-market private capital C-suites, ideally GPs or CFOs

You are at a point in your career where you want to be an entrepreneur rather than an employee

You are credible in CFO conversations around reporting, forecasting, data integrity, and value creation

You understand the realities of capital markets finance teams — tight timelines, imperfect data, and high expectations for accuracy

You have been involved in technology, automation, analytics, or AI initiatives within finance functions

You enjoy blending business development with hands‑on execution and client success

You thrive in an early‑stage environment and want real ownership and influence

Application Questions

Tell us about your network of private capital CFOs and how you built it.

This is a partnership opportunity where we provide the AI platform, domain expertise, and delivery team — you bring your relationships and credibility with mid-market private capital CFOs. How does this align with your current goals?

Please give an example of 3 specific firms where you have strong CFO relationships and how you would approach conversations about AI adoption.

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