Ascendant CFO provides expert fractional CFO services to help founders and business leaders overcome growth and business performance challenges, and guide your financial strategy to make a meaningful impact, giving you the freedom and time back in your life

Manufacturing & Supply Chain

The Digital Revolution has forced Manufacturing and Supply Chain Companies to reinvent themselves for increase agility and flexibility from changing demand and shorter lead times.

The following Automation principles are key ingredients for success:

Performance: shortening lead times, reducing product development costs while increasing operational efficiencies.

Innovative Capacity: Supply Chain Optimization, additive manufacturing, value stream optimizations, and centralized monitoring and diagnostics.

Resiliency: Fostering collaboration, visibility, and resiliency with agility across the entire value chain to support rapid decision making.

Medical Devices

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Medical Device manufacturers can leverage intelligent automation to develop innovative and cost effective products with speed to market.

Digital transformation technology provides an opportunity to control costs, enhance product design, and make better business decisions.

Benefits of leveraging Intelligent Automation include: reduce downstream risk and inventory shortage and automated contract digitation with IQ Bot.

Financial Services

Top business continuity processes impacting the financial sector that are being automated:

Payment deferrals, fraud monitoring and investigation, loan application and loan restructuring processes.

The following Automation principles are key ingredients for success:

Resiliency: Building digital resiliency and streamlining manual processes to respond to changing market dynamics

Innovative Capacity: Advancement from rule based to real time intelligence decision making at scale

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

The BPO Segment is prioritizing investments to build resilient processes and operations with minimal disruption with customer interactions.

BPO companies can deploy RPA remotely to monitor the productivity and availability of remote employees working from home.

These Bots can generate reports on the agent's productivity and distribute dashboards to managers.

Some benefits of leveraging Intelligent Automation include: Enabling real-time customer billing for services delivered as well as gaining visibility and productivity of remote employees.

Our Fractional CFOs help you:

Drive Growth Strategy: We partner with you to chart the course for scalable growth. This includes strategic financial planning and business modeling to expand into new markets, launch products, or open new locations. We analyze revenue streams and customer economics to ensure your growth is sustainable and attractive to future acquirers. Our CFOs act as strategic advisors, aligning your financial roadmap with your big-picture business objectives and exit timeline.
Boost Profitability: Ascendant CFO digs into your P&L to identify ways to increase margins and optimize costs. From pricing strategies and product line profitability to expense control and process improvements, we implement changes that improve EBITDA and cash flow – key drivers of valuation. We’ll help you streamline operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and unlock hidden profits, so your company is running at peak financial efficiency when it’s time to impress investors or buyers.
Optimize Cash Flow: Cash is the lifeblood of your business, especially in the final stretch before an exit. We implement robust cash flow forecasting and management practices, ensuring you can meet obligations, fund growth, and avoid surprises. Our team will establish or refine 13-week cash flow forecasts, implement working capital controls, and secure credit facilities so you’re never caught off guard. By keeping a close eye on liquidity and optimizing your cash conversion cycle, we increase your financial stability and reduce stress for you and your stakeholders.
Maximize Valuation: We focus on the metrics that matter to valuation. Our CFOs help improve your financial KPIs, such as gross margin, customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), inventory turns, and other industry-specific drivers that sophisticated buyers examine. We’ll also clean up your financial statements, documentation, and reporting to withstand due diligence scrutiny. The result is a business that not only performs better but also tells a compelling financial story – one that commands a premium price in the market.
Ensure Exit Readiness: Preparing for an exit involves more than just strong numbers. We get your business “exit-ready” by developing a clear exit strategy and timeline, identifying potential gaps or risks, and making sure you have the right processes and team in place for a transition. Whether your goal is an acquisition, management buyout, or IPO, we guide you through succession planning, due diligence preparation, and buyer/investor negotiations. From creating polished financial packages for investors to coordinating with your legal and banking advisors, we make sure you approach the finish line with confidence and a plan to maximize your outcome.

Flexible Engagement Models:

We understand that every company’s journey is unique, so we offer flexible service structures to fit your needs and budget:

Fractional CFO Retainer: Ideal for ongoing strategic support, this option gives you a dedicated CFO on a part-time basis (e.g. a few days per week or month). We become your long-term financial partner, attending leadership meetings, managing finance staff, and continuously steering your company toward its growth and exit goals.
Benefit: Consistent guidance and deep involvement without the full-time salary overhead.
Project & Milestone Based: If you have a specific financial project or milestone, we engage for the duration of that initiative. Examples include preparing for a fundraising round, implementing a new financial system, performing a financial diagnostics assessment, or leading an M&A transaction. We’ll define clear deliverables (such as an investor-ready financial model, a due diligence report, or an exit-readiness plan) and execute them to completion.
Benefit: Intensive expertise exactly when you need it, ensuring critical events (a capital raise, audit, or sale process) are handled expertly.
Hourly Strategic Advisory: For companies that need on-demand financial advice or a second pair of eyes, we offer hourly or as-needed consulting. This is perfect for early-stage startups or busy founders who might not need continuous CFO involvement but want expert input on strategy, unit economics, budgeting, or ad-hoc challenges.
Benefit: Ultimate flexibility – tap into seasoned CFO wisdom in a cost-efficient way, whether it’s a one-hour call on pricing strategy or a day’s work reviewing a potential acquisition opportunity.

No matter the engagement model, you can scale services up or down at any time – we’re here to grow (or wind down) alongside your needs. There are no long-term lock-in contracts; our goal is to add value every step of the way and earn your trust through results. And rest assured, we collaborate seamlessly with your existing team – from bookkeepers and controllers to CPAs and attorneys – ensuring everyone is working in sync toward your company’s success.

Our Process:

Discovery & Assessment: We start with a deep dive into your financials, business model, and goals. This often includes a complimentary assessment or financial health check, where we identify key areas of improvement or risk (akin to the “Sherpa” approach used by leading CFO firms to chart your path forward). You’ll receive candid insights on where your business stands and what it will take to reach your target valuation or exit timeline.
Strategic Roadmap: Next, we develop a customized financial strategy roadmap. This plan covers budgeting, forecasting, cash management, growth initiatives, and exit planning. Think of it as your company’s financial playbook for the next 6–24 months. It’s designed to match your strategy with your numbers and map out the climb ahead – so you always know what’s coming and how to prepare.
Execution & Optimization: Once the plan is in place, we roll up our sleeves and get to work. Your fractional CFO will work closely with you and your team to implement the plan, set priorities, and establish reporting rhythms. We monitor performance, provide monthly or quarterly reviews, and adjust tactics as needed. During this phase, we’re not just planning – we’re actively managing finances, mentoring your staff, and troubleshooting issues in real time.
Exit Preparation & Transition: As your target exit draws near, we shift into high gear to ensure due diligence materials are ready, potential deal obstacles are mitigated, and your business is presented in the best possible light to investors or buyers. We coordinate with investment bankers, lawyers, and other stakeholders on the financial aspects of the transaction. We aim to make the due diligence process smooth and to negotiate from a position of strength, backed by solid numbers and a compelling growth story. When the day comes to sign a deal, you’ll have a seasoned CFO by your side, looking out for your interests.

Industries & Expertise: Our breadth of experience means we can hit the ground running in a variety of industries. We have guided a SaaS software startup on tightening its recurring revenue metrics, helped an e-commerce retailer optimize inventory and cash cycles, advised a franchise chain on multi-unit expansion strategy, and prepared a healthcare services company for acquisition by improving compliance and reporting. We understand the nuances of manufacturing (from automotive to aerospace), know the key ratios that matter in professional services and consulting, and are adept in the fast pace of technology and digital businesses. This cross-industry expertise allows us to bring best practices and fresh perspectives to your company, while tailoring our approach to fit your unique situation.

At Ascendant CFO, we don’t offer one-size-fits-all solutions – we offer the right solution for your business’s stage, sector, and goals. Our fractional CFO services give you clarity, control, and confidence in your finances, empowering you to focus on what you do best: driving your vision forward and planning your next big move (whether that’s a new market launch or a landmark exit).