Do You Need a Strategic CFO?
Why Most Companies Wait Too Long
Does your CFO help you build relationships with investors and guide your capital-raising strategy? Have they helped you refine pricing, clean up your chart of accounts, or reposition your company for a stronger multiple? If not, you may already be behind.
Many companies wait until they're raising capital or until they’re in trouble before hiring a Strategic CFO. But at that point, it's often too late to shape the outcome.
Most companies with which we interact try to hire a Strategic CFO too late.
This article explains why a Strategic CFO, not just a traditional one, should be one of your first scaling hires and not a Band-Aid when your company is facing challenges.
The Capital Leadership Ladder
To bring clarity to finance leadership, MSC developed the Capital Leadership Ladder. It is Marion Street Capital’s framework for evaluating the maturity of a finance function.
| Stage | Title | Focus | Risk if Delayed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Bookkeeper | Record transactions | Hidden errors, zero visibility |
| Level 2 | Controller | Accuracy & compliance | Missed reporting deadlines, audit issues |
| Level 3 | CFO | Operational oversight | Mismanaged cash flow, weak investor materials |
| Level 4 | Strategic CFO | Capital strategy & growth ops | Dilutive raises, undervaluation, missed exits |
Where are you on the ladder, and where do your goals require you to be?
Real World Examples of a Strategic CFO Adding Value
The Marion Street Capital team played an influential role in companies’ growth stories. Our clients reaped the benefits of having a strategic CFO by their sides.
When Marion Street Capital served as Strategic CFO of a Consumer Products company, the company doubled annual revenue to $50MM within one year. We helped the founders sell it to its largest customer.
When Drew Tulchin served the Strategic CFO function for Meow Wolf, he led the company to raising $125MM+ in investment over 3 years and helped grow the organization from 50 to 400+ employees.
When Marion Street Capital served as Strategic CFO of a Healthcare Organization, it directed the financial strategy to grow the company from $0 to $50MM in annual revenue in 3 years.
Why the Letters After a CFO’s Name Matter
Credentials shape how a CFO thinks about your company. A CPA and CFA are not interchangeable.
| Credential | Strengths | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| CPA | Audit, compliance, internal controls | Steady-state or audit-heavy businesses |
| CFA | Valuation, capital strategy, modeling | Fundraising, M&A, high-growth scaling |
A CPA stabilizes the foundation while a CFA builds your capital roadmap.
5-Point Strategic CFO Readiness Test
Ask yourself:
Are you preparing to raise capital within the next 12 months?
Do you rely on your controller for investor conversations?
Has your pricing, burn, or model not evolved in 12+ months?
Do you lack a board-ready dashboard or data room?
Are investors asking questions you can’t answer confidently?
If you answered “yes” to two or more, you're likely overdue for strategic financial leadership.
Free Resource: The Strategic CFO Toolkit
To help you take action, download our Strategic CFO Toolkit, built from firsthand experience helping companies grow preparing companies for their next raise.
What’s inside:
Self-Assessment: Evaluate Your Company’s Financial Health
Self-Assessment: Audit Your Business
How-To: 10 Steps to Secure Growth Capital
Template: Data Room
Template: Pitch Deck