Sam McQuade CFO of Panterra Finance discussing benefits for startups employing a flexible CFO today: Every business is built on a simple model – invest, create, earn. Businesses invest capital and resources to create value-added products or provide services and receive payments in return. At its heart, every business is a simple cash-in, cash-out cycle. If one end of this cycle is affected, it’s only a matter of time before the entire cycle is destabilized. The CFO, or the Chief Financial Officer, can then be thought of as the very beating heart of every business that keeps the vital bloodline of finance flowing through the business’ veins so that it can sprint, leap, and achieve great things.
A fractional CFO helps determine how to get you from where you are to where you want to go. Growing a business requires strategic use of capital. For many fractional CFOs, one of their most important contributions will be providing a financial forecast that will act as a blueprint to achieve the growth in the most efficient, accelerated, and sustainable way possible. With a short-term (next 90 days), mid-term (rest of this year), and long-term (next 3-5 years) view of the business, a company can better anticipate its trajectory and cash position or requirements. It can make it easier to manage through the lean times, help determine when and how to secure loans or investments, anticipate future owner compensation, and help plan and prioritize future business decisions such as staffing, production, geographical expansion, etc.
In these early years of creating innovations in the corporate C-Suite, Sam McQuade nurtured and created a maverick approach to new finance operations for Stryker as it broke through to the lucrative emerging markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)). While approaching the markets in the growing economies of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Romania, Sam McQuade was recognizing the need for Interim and Fractional CFO’s for the avalanche of incubators and startup companies in these underdeveloped economies that were on the cusp of being integrated into modern International Finance systems and markets. Find more information on Sam McQuade.
The CFO function is evolving at lightspeed. With digital transformation and societal changes, the CFO role is rapidly turning into one of a “Chief Fiduciary Officer”, which is going beyond the traditional financials to look towards the future and lead long term value creation in a world of many unknown risks. Storytelling is a very powerful tool to engage and energize teams about value creation and potential pitfall areas. The traditional path of CFO usually starts with a solid foundation based on technical knowledge and then after about 15 years, the great leaders earn the coveted title.
CFOs are the most senior financial officers in an organization. They report directly to the CEO and work closely with the board of directors. While the CEO occupies a higher-level position from an org-chart standpoint, in high-functioning companies, the CFO and CEO work closely and collaboratively, with CFOs serving as sounding boards, strategists and risk mitigators. A financial controller is a CPA (certified public accountant) and often holds an MBA. Financial controllers are responsible for preparing financial reports and analyzing financial data. The financial controller is generally in charge of the accounting function in an organization and reports to the CFO. A controller may be part of a team that includes bookkeepers, accounts receivable/payable clerks, payroll specialists, tax preparers and accountants.
Forecasting: Importantly, CFOs don’t only report what is — a significant part of their value to an organization is their ability to accurately predict likely future outcomes. That includes financial forecasting and modeling based not only on the company’s past performance but on internal and external factors that may affect revenue and expenses. The CFO is tasked with making sense of the various departmental level forecasts to create profit projections for the CEO and shareholders.
To make you understand it in simple words, let me explain it with an example. Suppose there is a website that allows people to buy and sell products. This website has a smart contract that governs how the transactions will take place. When someone wants to buy a product, they will send a request to the smart contract. The smart contract will then check if the person has enough money to buy the product. If they do, then the transaction will take place, and the product will be sent to the buyer. If the person doesn’t have enough money, then the transaction will not take place.
As independent internal auditors, we compile in-depth audit reports that convey insights on both known and unknown risks and vulnerabilities in order to protect your business. We hold a niche in capital project auditing and in assisting start-ups with outsourced Internal Audit services.
The last two to three decades have seen a paradigm shift in the lives of almost everyone. The Internet and the web particularly have given a whole new meaning to the way we communicate and interact with each other. Web1.0 was all about connecting people and devices. Web2.0 was all about connecting people with each other. Recent years have seen the development of Web3.0 which is an entirely different ball game. Web3.0 is all about connecting people with machines and devices to create a more efficient and trustworthy internet. This new web is built on the back of blockchain technology which allows for decentralization, transparency, and security. One of the most exciting applications of this technology is the DAO or decentralized autonomous organization. With everything Web3.0, some concepts are harder to understand than others for now. With increased adoption, they will enter the mainstream sooner.
The CFO is responsible for effective and efficient financial operations including accounting, financial reporting, cash management, budgeting, maintaining controls and issues such as capital structure, investor relations, and financing. The CFO is also involved with strategic planning and financial analysis related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, as well as providing expert financial and operational guidance to business owners to maximize cash flow, minimize business risk, and increase the value of the enterprise.
Do you want to hire your very first CFO or wanting only some interim coverage? We offer solution CFOs for urgent very short term objectives and longer term engagements. Customizable with fair pricing so you cover your business and don’t have to rush into a potentially bad solution and costly full time hire. In disrupting the traditional contracted title of CFO, Panterra Finance innovatively offers all its clients thought leadership based on international financial market experiences. Panterra Finance offers a unified international approach to businesses in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Eight centrally located offices in the USA, Switzerland, the Middle East, and the emerging African Continent, offers global enterprises Fractional and Interim CFO services backed by a team with a grasp of dynamic world trends. Read additional details on Sam McQuade CFO of Panterra Finance.
