Fractional executive search

A Chief Financial Officer, for exactly as long as the numbers demand

Senior financial leadership embedded in your business: cash flow under control, the board well informed, and a funding round properly prepared. A fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from our collective brings vetted senior finance leadership, matched to your stage and sector.

350+Vetted leaders
30–60%Vs full time
2–3 weeksTo embed
A fractional CFO at work in a Seattle business setting
Proven leadership

Our fractional CFOs have owned the numbers at

Goldman Sachs
HSBC
PwC
KPMG
Deloitte
EY
JPMorgan
Standard Chartered
When it matters

When a chief financial officer is the right call

A fractional CFO earns their place at a specific moment. You usually know which one you are in.

01

When a funding round is coming

Investor-ready model, clean data room, and a narrative that survives diligence. The CFO runs the process alongside you.

02

When cash flow has become the constraint

A rolling forecast you trust, collections that hold, and the runway clarity to make the next decision with confidence.

03

When the board needs more than bookkeeping

Management accounts, KPIs and reporting that turn the monthly close into a basis for decisions, not a backward glance.

04

When compliance is outpacing the team

Corporate tax, statutory filings and transfer pricing handled properly, with the controls a growing business needs in place.

Is it the right fit?

Where a fractional CFO fits, and where it does not

Best for

  • A funding round where the model and data room have to survive diligence
  • Cash flow that has become the constraint on every other decision
  • A board that needs real management accounts, not just bookkeeping
  • Corporate tax, controls and reporting outpacing the finance team
  • A capable but junior finance function that needs senior oversight

Not for

  • Basic bookkeeping or routine transactional accounting
  • A one-off tax return with no wider finance need
  • Businesses not yet ready to share the numbers openly
  • A junior finance hire to process the day-to-day
What the CFO owns

Financial leadership, measured on outcomes

A fractional CFO does not advise from the sidelines. They take the finance function and the decisions inside it.

Cash flow and working capital

Forecasting, collections and supplier terms managed so liquidity stops being the thing that keeps you up at night.

Funding and investor readiness

Model, deck and diligence pack built to raise, then the round run end to end.

Reporting and board cadence

A timely monthly close, clear KPIs and reporting the board can actually act on.

Tax, controls and compliance

Corporate tax and statutory filings handled, segregation of duties enforced, and risk kept on the register.

The model

Senior leadership, on terms that fit the business

Business to business, scaled to the engagement, and free of the cost and liability that come with a permanent hire. One leader embeds, with the whole collective behind them.

1 monthNotice, either way
B2BCompany-to-company engagement
30–60%Less than a full-time hire, on our engagements
A senior leadership team in a Seattle boardroom
The comparison

A fractional CFO, a full-time hire, or a consultant

Three ways to bring in financial leadership. They are not the same.

Fractional

Full-time hire

Consultant or agency

Commitment
Fractional

Business to business, scaled to the engagement, one month’s notice.

Full-time hire

Salary, benefits, insurance and severance exposure.

Consultant or agency

A scoped project or retainer, with a defined end.

Cost
Fractional

Our engagements typically run 30 to 60% less than a full-time hire.

Full-time hire

A senior package whether the workload justifies it or not.

Consultant or agency

Day rates or project fees that add up fast for anything ongoing.

Time to impact
Fractional

Embedded within weeks, with the collective behind them.

Full-time hire

A search, a notice period, then onboarding before any output.

Consultant or agency

Fast to start, but external and rarely embedded in the business.

Accountability
Fractional

Owns the finance function and the decisions in it.

Full-time hire

Owns the function, but as a permanent fixed cost.

Consultant or agency

Advises or delivers a defined scope, then hands back; the work stays with you.

Best for
Fractional

A finance leadership gap that needs an owner, not just a report.

Full-time hire

Permanent, full-load finance capacity you can keep busy.

Consultant or agency

A defined advisory or delivery project with a clear finish line.

How it works

From the brief to the match, in weeks

Tell us where you need leadership and we handle the rest. The guided brief takes a couple of minutes and makes the first conversation more useful.

01

Tell us the moment

Share where you need leadership and what good looks like.

02

A conversation

We talk through the brief and sharpen the requirement together.

03

The match

We search our collective of 350+ curated executives for the closest fit.

04

Deployment

You choose, and your leader embeds within weeks to make an immediate impact.

Common questions

The questions founders ask first

A fractional CFO (Chief Financial Officer) is a seasoned finance executive who provides strategic financial leadership to your business on a flexible basis. Growing SMEs need CFO-level expertise to navigate tax and regulatory requirements, manage cash flow, prepare for funding and build financial systems that support growth, all without the cost of a full-time executive that most businesses cannot justify.

A full-time CFO carries a substantial total cost once salary, benefits and insurance are counted, often more than most businesses can justify. Our fractional CFO service provides the same senior expertise at typically 30 to 60% less than a comparable full-time executive appointment, depending on scope, with flexible arrangements from 4 to 24 hours a week. You get senior financial leadership, compliance expertise and strategic guidance, without the full-time commitment that only larger enterprises can justify.

A fractional CFO covers cash flow forecasting and management, financial planning and budgeting, investor-ready reporting, US tax planning and compliance, accounting system optimisation, financial controls, and KPI tracking and decision support. The result is a stronger financial position and more sustainable growth for Seattle SMEs.

Investment preparation needs professional financial documentation, realistic projections and clean accounting systems. A fractional CFO builds investor-ready financial models, puts proper controls in place, prepares due diligence documentation, develops credible growth projections and sets up management reporting, keeping you compliant with US financial regulations. They work directly with your investors and advisers throughout the process.

Consider a fractional CFO once finance starts shaping your big decisions. That usually means cash flow pressure, US tax compliance needs, expansion or fundraising ahead, or financial management taking more than 20% of your time. The earlier you build proper financial foundations, the smoother the growth.

Bookkeepers and accountants record transactions and handle basic compliance reporting. A fractional CFO provides strategic financial leadership: cash flow forecasting, financial planning, investor relations, tax strategy, risk management and executive-level oversight. Bookkeepers tell you what happened; a fractional CFO helps you decide what should happen next and builds the financial structure to get there.

A fractional CFO complements your existing team, adding strategic oversight and mentorship. They set financial policies, improve processes, train your people on best practice, keep you compliant with US regulations, and build reporting that gives you clear visibility into performance. Your team keeps handling day-to-day transactions while the CFO focuses on strategy, compliance and growth.

No. A CFO consultant advises from the outside and hands back a recommendation; a fractional CFO embeds in the business, owns the finance function and the decisions inside it, and is accountable for the outcome. The seniority is the same, but the engagement is very different.

Related

Where a fractional CFO makes the difference

The moments this role is most often brought in for. See how the engagement works for each.

Explore the practices

One role, or a blended leadership setup

Many engagements start with one executive and grow, and some reach the board, where we place non-executive directors from the same collective. See the full range of C-suite practices and specialised appointments, or tell us the moment and we will help you choose.

Get started

Tell us what is putting pressure on finance.

Cash flow, a raise, reporting gaps or margin. Outline it in the guided brief and we will scope the right level of CFO support and where the fastest wins are.

Scope my CFO requirement