For many mid-sized, privately held, and family-owned businesses, the finance department is built for compliance, not for strategy. It’s equipped to track expenses and report past performance, but it often falls short of providing the forward-looking, strategic financial leadership needed to navigate today’s unpredictable economic landscape. A critical gap emerges between simply reporting on cash and actively managing it.
In my career, I’ve consistently worked as an “operational CFO”—a leader who understands how financial numbers translate into business realities and can create the “story behind the numbers”. This approach is essential for any business seeking not just to survive, but to thrive. If your business is struggling with unpredictable cash flow, persistent inventory problems, or inefficient financial processes, it’s a clear signal that strategic financial leadership is needed.
The Operational Mindset: Connecting the Numbers to Reality
A traditional CFO focuses on the books. An operational CFO, however, focuses on the business. My unique background means I don’t just report on the numbers; I understand the day-to-day operations that create them. This integrated perspective is crucial for identifying cost-saving opportunities and ensuring financial strategies support efficient operations.
For example, I’ve used this mindset to identify and eliminate waste and inefficiencies within a system, which has saved companies tens of millions of dollars. This requires looking at the entire business, from supply chain and manufacturing to administrative processes. It involves asking the tough questions and working collaboratively to find solutions that drive profitability. My experience as a CFO/COO means I can seamlessly integrate financial and operational strategies, ensuring that every cost-reduction initiative has a tangible, positive impact on the bottom line.
The Art of the Deal: Navigating M&A with Financial Acumen
For many privately held and family-owned businesses, the ultimate goal is a successful exit. Without the right financial leadership, this process can be fraught with risk, and you may fail to maximize the company’s true value. As a seasoned executive who has led M&A transactions totaling over
$2 billion in deal proceeds, I bring battle-tested expertise to the table. My experience includes leading a company’s sale to a publicly traded entity for $330 million.
As the only person on the management team with prior M&A experience, I led the entire process, from preparing the business for sale to facilitating the complex due diligence and legal negotiations. The M&A market is constantly evolving, with private equity firms increasingly looking for companies that have strong financial controls and clear growth trajectories. This means that getting your financial house in order is not just a “nice to have”—it’s a critical step toward attracting the right buyer and securing the highest possible valuation.
The Technology Advantage: Bringing Order and Insight to Your Systems
Outdated financial systems are a major roadblock to strategic growth. They often make it impossible to get real-time, accurate financial data, which means you can’t make informed decisions. Investing in and upgrading financial technology is not an expense; it’s a necessity for future-proofing your business.
I have firsthand experience in leading these projects, having overseen the implementation of critical systems like a pricing software called Pros and a business intelligence software. My background also includes overseeing a major upgrade of the JD Edwards ERP system, which had been neglected for years. These projects were essential for improving financial reporting, internal controls, and overall efficiency. The rise of AI in finance is transforming everything from forecasting to fraud detection. By implementing these solutions, a fractional CFO can help your company reduce overhead and ensure your financial house is in order.
The Final Piece: Building a Strong Financial Foundation
Without robust financial reporting and internal controls, it’s impossible to make confident strategic decisions. A key role of a strategic CFO is to establish a strong financial foundation by developing robust internal controls and improving the financial reporting process. I have experience fostering strong relationships with auditors and fiscally-focused legal teams, which is essential for ensuring transparency and compliance. I understand the importance of making financial data accessible and understandable to all levels of the organization, a capability that allows me to provide “excellent analysis, which any level of employee can understand”. This is how a CFO can empower an entire organization, turning financial data from a bureaucratic requirement into a tool for growth.
Your Financial House, in Order
The challenges of unpredictable cash flow, inefficient processes, and complex transactions are real. But they are not insurmountable. The right financial leadership can bring order, insight, and a clear path to profitability. A fractional CFO engagement offers the precise level of support you need to solve these problems without the overhead of a full-time executive. My experience as an operational CFO who has driven enterprise value, led M&A transactions, and implemented critical financial technologies makes me uniquely positioned to help.
If your business is at a critical juncture and needs strategic financial leadership to optimize cash flow, mitigate risk, and maximize profitability, let’s talk.
