Interim CFO and Interim Controller Case Studies

Interim financial executives at The Brenner Group® serve Silicon Valley technology companies in every sector and at every stage of evolution. Most of our clients are venture capital backed, and our CFO’s and Controllers have expertise in managing the finance and accounting functions effectively and affordably for these companies with a clear understanding of venture investor expectations.

Our overall mission for our clients in every engagement is to be the financial voice on the management team and champion all finance, accounting, and administrative functions, so the leadership team can focus on the essential value creation elements: product, technology, and customer acquisition.

The following are typical assignments:

Assist an Entrepreneur with a Start-up

The keys to success with a start-up assignment are to collaborate with the Founder to clarify the business vision and strategy, and then develop and solidify a plan including capital requirements that will resonate with investors. These first steps then lead to an executive summary and an investor presentation, followed by a short list of target investors. The Brenner Group then often assists companies, as a member of the founding team, in making presentations to prospective investors. This is typically a CFO level assignment.

Support an Early Stage Company that has raised Series A

Our imperative with newly funded companies is to properly set up the accounting, administration, and controls to ensure: a) basic accounting and bookkeeping systems are in place, b) cash is being tightly managed, c) the company has constructed an annual operating plan and is tracking to its monthly targets, and d) the many administrative tasks that need attention are efficiently handled. By so doing the CFO allows the CEO and core team to focus on essential milestones without distraction. An overlooked dimension of this assignment is helping the CEO work with the Board. Many CEO’s have limited or no experience with venture backed corporate governance, and our CFO’s put high priority on ensuring board meetings and communications are well managed. These assignments often include both a CFO and Controller from The Brenner Group. The Controller manages the accounting and bookkeeping tasks and the CFO provides strategic and finance oversight for the CEO and Board.

In Revenue Private or Public Venture Backed Companies

More seasoned companies with revenue and customers have a variety of needs which can range from full time interim assignments to short term projects. All of our CFOs and Controllers have deep operational experience with venture backed technology companies and are comfortable stepping into an interim role. Our CFOs expect to take charge of the outward facing elements of the finance and accounting arena as the right hand of the CEO and accountable to the Board. They focus on smooth Board and executive staff interaction, strategy development, major vendor negotiations, bank relations, business and long term planning, legal, and overall corporate governance. Our Controllers routinely manage the accounting functions and orchestrate internal dashboards and Board packages, compliance and audit, cash management, IT/ERP decision-making and systems implementation.

Financial Advisors for Strategically Stalled Companies

The Brenner Group has significant experience in restructurings, reorganizations, and workouts for strategically stalled companies. These engagements can lead to either a restart with fresh capital or, for more distressed companies, an ABC or out-of-court shutdown or formal bankruptcy may be needed. As part of this process we often engage in private placements or asset sales to either raise capital for the reorganized company or prompt disposition of valuable assets. We are very experienced and hands-on in managing the windup of company operations, if required, as part of any scenario.