Eileen Doody

Great post! Making critical gaap accounting choices early is so helpfull to all stakeholders, especially investors who want predictable results.

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📉 How do you protect your company from a bad acquisition? It starts with deal structure. We’ve seen founders obsess over valuation and ignore deal terms—until the earnout misses or post-close claims eat into their headline number. Let’s talk escrows—the unsung heroes (or villains) of M&A. 🔐 Typical Escrow Clauses – General reps & warranties: usually 10–15% of purchase price – Tax-specific escrows: carve-outs for known risks or indemnities – Litigation or regulatory escrows: situational, but material if they exist 📆 Timing? – Standard general escrow lasts 12–18 months – Tax escrows can run up to 3–5 years, especially with IRS/state exposure – Escrow holdbacks (vs. third-party escrows) are less secure—use sparingly 🎯 Negotiation tactics we use with clients: – Break out specific escrows to isolate risk, instead of bloating the general bucket – Push for cap limits and materiality thresholds – Ask for escrow releases in tranches (ex: 50% at 12 months, rest at 18) – Use insurance (RWI) to reduce escrow size while still protecting buyers Escrows aren’t sexy—but they protect millions. cfocloser.com #M&A #StrategicFinance #Negotiation

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As a CFO, I’ve participated in board meetings that meaningfully moved the company forward and others that fell short of their potential. The difference is rarely the quality of the board itself; it’s how management prepares for and uses the meeting. In this article, I outline practical ways leadership teams at venture-backed companies can turn board meetings into a real operating advantage accelerating decision making, sharpening strategic alignment, and elevating the overall board experience.

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The quiet reason fractional CFO work often disappoints is rooted in differing expectations. Many fractional CFO engagements lose momentum—not due to talent or a lack of commitment from the business, but because stakeholders enter with varying assumptions about the role. Companies often believe a CFO's primary value lies in tidier financials, such as: - Organized books - Polished dashboards - Cleaner historical data - Sharper monthly reports While these elements are useful, they are not transformative. When the focus is on fixing the past, the CFO often becomes an extension of the accounting team, engaged in untangling entries and rebuilding models to make imperfect data work. This is important work, but it is not strategic. A CFO's real impact is seen in the decisions leadership makes about the future. Key questions include: - What’s the smartest place to deploy capital? - How much volatility can we absorb? - What scenarios threaten our runway? - Are we scaling profitably or just scaling activity? Fractional CFO relationships that truly succeed share a common trait: a solid foundation. Accounting owns accuracy, while finance owns direction. When these lanes are clear, the CFO is not stuck repairing yesterday; they are helping to design tomorrow.

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🚨 CFOs: If your finance tech can’t continuously surface vendor overcharges, revenue leakage, or risky entries before they escalate—you’ll always be playing defense. In this episode of CFO THOUGHT LEADER, our CFO Matthias Steinberg shares how MindBridge helps leading enterprises flip the script—using AI not just for automation, but for financial decision intelligence. ✔️ Continuous audit in action  ✔️ 20–30% productivity gains with the right AI tools  ✔️ Real-world ROI on financial intelligence He also shares lessons from IPO prep and scaling AI across the enterprise—with sharp insights for finance leaders building high-performance teams. 🎧 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/gGBV_PkV #MindBridge #CFO #FinancialIntelligence #AIinFinance #ContinuousAudit #DigitalTransformation

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Modern software is built very differently than it was a decade ago. Today, a large portion of enterprise applications rely on open source components, often layered across dozens of dependencies. While this accelerates innovation, it also introduces new challenges around visibility, governance, and risk management. I had the opportunity to discuss these dynamics recently on the CFO Thought Leader with JACK SWEENEY 🎙, where we explored how organizations are thinking about the software supply chain and why managing it with greater discipline is becoming increasingly important. At Lineaje Inc, we’re focused on helping enterprises bring transparency and operational rigor to the software supply chain so they can innovate faster while managing risk more effectively. Thank you to JACK SWEENEY 🎙 for the thoughtful conversation and for highlighting this important topic. 🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gdPwwct3 #SoftwareSupplyChain #OpenSource #EnterpriseSoftware #CFO #CyberSecurity

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Sat down with Enda Cahill to unpack the six lessons from my experience leading high-growth businesses over the past 15+ years: 1️⃣ ARR ÷ FTE is the heartbeat—push it past $200k by ~$10M ARR 2️⃣ Nail your ICP & product POV—shiny objects and distractions kill focus 3️⃣ Accounting cracks first—fix CoA + close process before it’s urgent 4️⃣ Be “data-room ready” on early—diligence and trust building from stakeholders is easier when you can show command and control 5️⃣ Teams must level-up in lockstep with revenue—coach, upskill, and welcome fresh expertise as the business grows 6️⃣ AI has raised the efficiency bar—investors expect more with less Grab the full playbook from our chat if you’re scaling a SaaS 🚀 

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"𝑵𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒔." That's Kevin Appleby from GrowCFO talking about the CFO transition. His insight? The shift from finance director to CFO is far bigger than most people realize. New CFOs must quickly move from internal-facing technical work to external strategic partnerships with investors, boards, and cross-functional leaders. The finance leaders who structure their first hundred days intentionally gain credibility faster. 🎧 Discover how to navigate your CFO transition on CFO Weekly. Apple: https://hubs.la/Q03_tNwR0 Spotify: https://hubs.la/Q03_tLyV0 YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q03_tLYb0 #cfoweekly #cfotransition #financeleadership #newcfo #careeradvancement

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Finance leaders say they’ve automated. The data says otherwise. • 98% of CFOs say they have invested in automation. • 41% say only a quarter or less of their processes are truly automated. • Just 1% have automated 75% or more. The gap? Partial automation. Digitisation, scanning invoices, and using OCR aren’t automation. Without end-to-end integration, from supplier onboarding to payment execution, teams are still stuck in manual workflows. True AP automation delivers: • Seamless ERP integration for accurate, real-time data. • Unified workflows from invoice to payment reconciliation. • Time back for finance leaders to focus on strategic decisions. Partial automation creates more tools, more complexity, and more workarounds. End-to-end automation creates efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. It’s time to reassess: Is your finance team fully automated or just partially there? Read our President Robert Israch's latest article with Business Reporter here: https://lnkd.in/gVmd_yyS

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Manual workflows steal what SMBs can't afford to lose: time. Ariege Misherghi, SVP & GM of AP, AR, & AC at BILL, points out that 90% of finance leaders call W-9 collection their biggest tax compliance headache. Time on manual coding and compliance is time not spent serving customers or building your business. The shift isn't just digital. It's strategic. 💡 Watch the full Hiline podcast hosted by Matt Gardner: https://bit.ly/44Y04b1

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Thinking about bringing on a Fractional CFO?   The first 90 days set the foundation for long-term financial clarity and growth. From establishing reporting rhythms to identifying hidden risks and opportunities, this is where the real impact begins.   In our latest article, we break down exactly what you should expect in those first 3 months — and how the right CFO partner can transform your business trajectory.   https://lnkd.in/dcc_n5Yh   #FractionalCFO #FinancialStrategy #BusinessGrowth #FirstCXO

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The 2026 Guide to Scalable Fractional CFO Services for Mid-Sized Businesses Scalable fractional CFO services help mid-sized businesses improve cash flow, financial forecasting, and exit readiness cost-effectively in 2026, offering tailored expertise, automation, and strategic growth support....

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💼 Your CFO or controller isn’t just a “numbers person.” They could be your biggest untapped asset for business growth, innovation, and smarter decision-making. In our latest article, we break down how strategic finance leaders can help you: 🔹 Build smarter business plans 🔹 Streamline outdated practices 🔹 Drive innovation with data-backed confidence The modern CFO is no longer stuck in the back office — they’re at the core of operational agility and growth strategy. If you're still using finance leadership only for compliance and budgeting, you’re missing a critical opportunity. ➡️ Read now: https://lnkd.in/eZxWQtgF 📊 CFOs and controllers aren't just bookkeepers — they're business builders. #CFOservices #FractionalCFO #FinanceStrategy #BusinessGrowth #ControllerSupport #Innovation #StrategicPlanning #ProcurisConsulting

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Disarray at the top. Misaligned forecasts. Fragmented finance. No clear path forward. That’s where one $125 million PE-backed SaaS company found itself—until Highspring placed an interim CFO who, in just 90 days: ✔️ Collected $1.2 million in past-due revenue ✔️ Unified reporting across FP&A and controllership ✔️ Tightened expense controls and margin strategy ✔️ Rebuilt trust with the C-suite and board What began as a stopgap became a strategy, and the interim CFO was made permanent. For PE firms, the right interim leader doesn’t just stabilize the business. They reset it. 👉 Read the full case study: https://lnkd.in/gvtqnYhT #PrivateEquity #InterimLeadership #SaaS #FinanceTransformation #AgilityAtWork #Highspring

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Many CFOs are freezing spend in response to market turbulence, but does it actually save money?   In CFO Dive, CEO of Oak Point Partners Eric Linn breaks down why budget cuts can cost your business more in the long run — and why monetizing your Remnant Assets might be a better alternative.   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e6XrpJpy

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A message to our CFO friends. If your cash management strategy lives in a 500-tab spreadsheet, it’s putting you at risk for: 🚩 Fraud 🚩 Compliance failures 🚩 Costly reporting mistakes Virtual Account Management (VAM) isn’t just a tool; it’s a competitive and protective edge. It helps CFOs streamline treasury functions and cut operational risks while boosting efficiency. Ditch the outdated tools and level up your financial operations today. 🔗 Discover why VAM is the solution for modern finance leadership in our latest blog. http://bit.ly/4kT6HkI #FinancialEfficiency #VirtualAccountManagement #FutureOfFinance

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CFOs are cutting costs – just not where you think. CFO Brew recently covered how finance leaders are prioritizing tech investments while scaling back in other areas, citing insights from our 2025 CFO Perspectives Report. It’s part of a broader shift of reallocating spend toward modernization and transformation. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eaVpVqS6 See our full findings: https://lnkd.in/er5pkVta #CFOPerspectives #DigitalTransformation

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CFO turnover is at a decade high. In this article former chief financial officers share their advice on what matters most today for securing the top job in finance. CFOs must possess experience and skills that go well beyond traditional expertise in budgeting, planning, and risk mitigation. CFOs now serve as board advisers. “The job is hard, so you have to have a passion for it,” says Karen McLoughlin, former CFO of Cognizant Technology Solutions. #CFO #leadership #executivesearch #boardmembers https://loom.ly/PCwqkHU

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Across finance roles, the pattern is the same. Controllers want a close that doesn’t break. CFOs want numbers they can trust. Teams want fewer manual fixes holding everything together. This is what finance teams are working through, and how many are starting to bring control back inside NetSuite. See how teams are approaching it: https://hubs.la/Q047139d0

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