Scott has extensive experience working with high growth businesses in many capacities. He finds that a solid foundation in accounting and operations helps him better guide the financial planning and decision-making process. He has consulted with a number of different service and manufacturing businesses helping with capacity planning, incentive plans, business plan development, and developing driver-based rolling forecast processes.
Assumed ownership of the financial process of a startup digital subsidiary of an established business, eventually merging it into the parent’s operations through the development of a shared service center.
Reduced month end close process from five days to three days, establishing a best practice for the company.
Worked extensively with external consultants to restructure the organization and reduce the run rate by 20%.
Implemented a twelve-month rolling (metrics and driver based) forecast process integrating both Opex and Capex into one cash flow forecast.
Developed an integrated monthly reporting package for the executive leadership team and board.
Managed the consolidation and communication of monthly forecasts, variance reports, and annual budgets.
Directed design and development of improved revenue forecasting tools.
Restructured commission plan to reduce volatility while keeping the alignment to corporate goals intact.
Developed territory assignment and metrics to better evaluate and monitor effectiveness of sales staff, increasing productivity in excess of 30%.
Worked with business owners to turn around product line by providing forecasts, analysis, and reports to drive decisions, making it contribution margin positive.
For young companies, the value of a full-time CFO is hotly contested. At the debate’s core, is the trade-off between the sheer expense of an experienced CFO at such an early stage (not cheap), and the value said individual posits to confer where growth, strategy, fundraising, and operations are concerned.
Borrowing elements from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and adapting them for this purpose, Toptal Finance Expert Scott Brown introduces a unique framework for how startups might go about thinking through and making this decision.