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Family office CFO

Outsourced CFO services for the decisions ahead.

Ongoing CFO leadership — planning, forecasting, cash flow, and decision support — scoped around your business and the decisions management needs to make. And because the books, the taxes, and the payroll can run on the same Numera team, the forecast and the filed numbers never tell two different stories.

Operating cadence

Where the work happens

Monthly

Review performance

Management reporting, variance analysis, cash visibility and action items.

Quarterly

Update the plan

Forecasts, scenarios, priorities, capital needs and performance targets.

As decisions arise

Advise leadership

Financing, hiring, pricing, expansion, transactions and other inflection points.

What it is

What is an outsourced CFO?

An outsourced CFO is an external financial leader who works with owners, executives and finance teams on planning, reporting and high-stakes decisions. The engagement can cover a regular operating cadence, a specific growth stage or a defined period of change. You'll hear three names for this work — they answer three different questions.

Outsourced CFO

Describes the service model: CFO leadership is provided by an external firm instead of an employee.

Fractional CFO

Describes the level of commitment: an experienced CFO serves the business for a portion of their working time.

Virtual CFO

Describes delivery: CFO support is provided primarily through a remote working relationship.

Scope of support

What your CFO team can take on.

The exact scope depends on the maturity of your finance function and the decisions in front of the business. These are the areas most engagements draw from.

01

Financial planning and modeling

Integrated budgets, forecasts and scenario models that connect operating assumptions to financial outcomes.

02

Cash flow and liquidity

Cash forecasting, working-capital visibility and planning for upcoming obligations, investments and funding needs.

03

Management reporting and KPIs

Reporting packages, dashboards and performance measures designed around how leadership runs the business.

04

Budget-to-actual performance

Regular variance review that identifies the drivers behind performance and the actions available to management.

05

Board, lender and investor reporting

Clear financial narratives, reporting materials and preparation for stakeholder questions.

06

Capital and strategic decisions

Financial analysis for pricing, hiring, entity structure, expansion, financing, acquisitions and other significant decisions.

07

Finance function leadership

Guidance for the internal team, close process, reporting calendar, financial controls and systems priorities.

08

Accounting, tax and payroll coordination

Coordination across bookkeeping, accounting, tax planning, payroll and financial systems so the finance function operates as a connected whole.

How the roles differ

Three layers of the finance function.

Bookkeeping records, accounting reports, and the CFO decides. Most businesses buy the three layers from three vendors — then spend the month reconciling their disagreements. When Numera runs the layers together, the forecast, the close, and the tax plan come from one set of numbers. We can also lead your existing team; the layers still connect, someone just has to own the connection.

01 / RECORD

Bookkeeping

Records transactions, reconciles accounts and keeps the underlying financial data current.

Explore bookkeeping
02 / REPORT

Accounting

Closes the books, prepares financial statements and maintains the reporting and control framework.

Explore accounting
03 / DECIDE

Outsourced CFO

Uses the financial picture to plan ahead, evaluate tradeoffs and support management decisions.

Who leads the work

Bill Shenkin, Family Office Leader and Partner at Numera

Bill Shenkin, CPA

Family Office Leader & Partner · 35+ years as CFO to families and businesses

Bill has spent more than 35 years as a hands-on CFO to families and their businesses — from family enterprises to organizations like the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres — leading forecasting, financing, and the decisions that move the number. Clients know him from CeFO, the practice he leads, now part of Numera.

Meet Bill

Fit criteria

Choose the level of support the role requires.

An outsourced model works well when the business needs recurring senior judgment and a defined operating cadence. The criteria below can help leadership choose the right starting point — including the honest cases where this isn't the service to start with.

Outsourced CFO is a strong fit

Leadership needs senior financial capacity now.

  • The business needs better forecasts, cash visibility or management reporting.
  • Growth has made financial decisions more frequent and more consequential.
  • A board, lender or investor expects a stronger financial narrative.
  • The internal accounting team needs executive-level direction and support.
  • Management wants a flexible scope before committing to a full-time executive.
Another starting point may fit

The immediate need sits elsewhere in finance.

  • The day-to-day bottleneck is transaction processing and reconciliations.
  • The close, financial statements and controls need an owner.
  • A defined diligence or transaction question is on the table.
  • Daily internal leadership of a large finance organization may call for a full-time CFO.

How the engagement works

From current state to an operating rhythm.

We establish the financial baseline, define what leadership needs to see and build a cadence that supports ongoing decisions. Scope is defined — and priced — before the engagement starts.

01

Assess the current state.

Review reporting, systems, forecasts, cash visibility, team responsibilities and near-term priorities.

02

Define the CFO agenda.

Agree on the decisions, deliverables, meeting cadence and stakeholders the engagement needs to support.

03

Build the working model.

Create or refine forecasts, dashboards, reporting packages and financial processes.

04

Run and adapt.

Review performance, advise leadership and adjust the scope as the business and its priorities change.

Arriving from CeFO?

You're in the right place. The family office and CFO services previously described on the CeFO site are now offered through Numera — in most cases by the same people. Contact us with the service or team you were looking for, and we will route you to the right person.

Numera serves businesses nationwide. Denver-area clients can also connect through our Englewood office.

Frequently asked questions

Outsourced CFO services, explained.

What does an outsourced CFO do?

An outsourced CFO provides senior financial leadership through an external service relationship. Typical responsibilities include forecasting, cash flow planning, management reporting, KPI design, budgeting, stakeholder reporting and financial analysis for major decisions.

What is the difference between outsourced, fractional and virtual CFO services?

“Outsourced” describes an external service model. “Fractional” describes a part-time level of commitment. “Virtual” describes remote delivery. A single engagement can be all three.

Can an outsourced CFO work with our existing bookkeeper or accounting team?

Yes. The CFO can lead and support an existing internal or external accounting team. Numera can also provide connected bookkeeping and accounting support when the business needs a broader finance function.

When should a business consider outsourced CFO support?

Common triggers include rapid growth, limited cash visibility, new board or lender requirements, fundraising, an acquisition, a major operating change, or a need for stronger planning and reporting before hiring a full-time CFO.

What is included in an outsourced CFO engagement?

The scope is tailored to the business. It may include a financial assessment, forecasts, cash flow planning, dashboards, management meetings, board or lender reporting, decision analysis and ongoing leadership of the finance function.

How are outsourced CFO services priced?

Pricing depends on the complexity of the business, the condition of the finance function, the deliverables required and the working cadence. Numera defines the scope before proposing an engagement.

Bring the next decision into focus.

Tell us what is changing in the business and what leadership needs from the finance function. We will help define the right level of CFO support — with the scope and price set before work begins.

Talk to the CFO team
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