100-Day Operator Brief — Jay Elliott | JEC Advisory

Operator Brief  ·  Confidential
100-Day Stabilization
& Value Acceleration
Target Context: Avanos Medical  ·  Post-Close PE Environment
Jay Elliott
Interim CEO  /  PE Operator
EMBA  ·  Georgia Tech Scheller
US Army Veteran
Atlanta, GA  ·  jec-advisory.com
4Full M&A Cycles 30+Global Sites Led 40%Cycle Time Reduction $40BRevenue Environment

I operated inside Avanos Medical from spin-off through stabilization and into acquisition readiness, supporting enterprise systems, operating cadence, and global execution across 30+ sites. This brief reflects observed patterns from that experience and where execution typically degrades or accelerates in the first 100 days post-close.

Section I
Likely Post-Close Friction Points  ·  Days 0–90
01
Operating Cadence Breakdown
  • Misalignment between legacy public-company rhythm vs PE execution tempo
  • Decision latency increases due to unclear authority lines post-close
02
EBITDA Visibility Gaps
  • Reporting exists, but not decision-grade
  • Lagging indicators dominate vs forward-looking operational drivers
03
TSA Dependency Risk
  • Hidden reliance on former parent systems and services
  • Cost leakage + operational fragility if not aggressively unwound
04
SAP S/4HANA System Friction
  • Platform is capable — but not optimized for speed
  • Workarounds and manual processes slow execution velocity
05
Leadership Layer Misalignment
  • Strong functional leaders, but not all aligned to PE-style accountability
  • Need for clearer ownership of outcomes vs roles
  • Cultural shift from public-company governance to PE operator pace
  • Single-threaded ownership model must be installed early

Section II
100-Day Stabilization Priorities
Weeks 1–4
Re-Establish Operating Rhythm
  • Weekly exec cadence tied to cash, EBITDA, and ops drivers
  • Standardized KPI stack across all sites
  • Authority matrix clarified at every level
Weeks 2–6
Build Real-Time EBITDA Bridge
  • Operations → financial impact daily/weekly
  • Identify leakage: inventory, throughput, service levels
  • Shift monthly → weekly performance management
Weeks 1–8
TSA Compression Strategy
  • Map top 20% dependencies driving 80% of risk/cost
  • Accelerate separation where feasible
  • Eliminate cost leakage on legacy contracts
Weeks 3–10
SAP Acceleration Layer
  • Remove bottlenecks in OTC and P2P workflows
  • Restore inventory visibility across sites
  • Activate dormant analytics chains
Weeks 4–12
Accountability Reset
  • Single-threaded owners: EBITDA drivers
  • Single-threaded owners: working capital
  • Site-level performance owners assigned

Section III
Immediate EBITDA Levers  ·  First 2 Quarters
◈
Working Capital Release
Inventory rationalization across global sites. Improve forecast accuracy via data governance and demand signal integration.
◎
Throughput Optimization
Identify constraints in manufacturing and fulfillment. Align scheduling with live demand signals to reduce idle capacity.
▣
Cost Structure Visibility
Eliminate redundant vendor spend common post-carve-out. Rationalize IT and service contracts for measurable run-rate savings.
◆
Decision Velocity
Reduce reporting lag for faster corrective actions. Shift performance management cadence from monthly to weekly cycles.

Section IV
What Most New Owners Underestimate
The Platform Is Stable — But Value Is Trapped
The platform is stable — but not fast. Speed must be engineered in.
Systems exist — but decision intelligence is not fully activated.
Data fragmentation prevents real-time visibility at the board level.
Process inconsistency across sites creates margin variability.
Ownership ambiguity slows corrective action when it matters most.
$800K+ quarterly EBITDA is unlockable from dormant analytics alone.

Section V
Where I Contribute — Operating Inside the Deal
100-Day Execution Support

Hands-on operating presence from day one — not advisory. I own the cadence, own the action, own the outcome.

EBITDA Visibility & Operating Cadence

Build decision-grade reporting that replaces lagging indicators with real-time operational drivers aligned to PE board expectations.

SAP-Enabled Performance Acceleration

Deep working knowledge of the Avanos SAP S/4HANA environment — I know exactly where the value is locked and how to unlock it.

Cross-Functional Alignment

Proven ability to align Ops, Finance, and IT around a single operating model through three ownership changes without operational collapse.

TSA Design & Compression

Built and executed the TSA framework at Avanos. I know the dependencies, the risk vectors, and the fastest path to clean separation.

Management Team Build-Out

Identify and close leadership gaps that create volatility. Build operating discipline not dependent on any single executive.

Jay Elliott
Interim CEO  ·  PE Operating Partner  ·  JEC Advisory
Emailjamel850@gmail.com Phone(850) 508-7484 Webjec-advisory.com