Savio Fernandes

“Hit the ground running.” That phrase kills more finance searches than comp gaps. The best CFOs and Controllers don’t start fast. They start smart. They assess systems, pressure test assumptions, and ask uncomfortable questions. They don’t accept process just because “that’s how it’s always been done.” If you want someone who’ll nod along and not touch a thing - hire a temp. If you want someone who’ll overhaul your close, revamp reporting, and challenge stale workflows - expect friction. Transformation doesn’t happen on Day 1. It happens because the right person asked, “Why are we doing it this way?”

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Another great insight from Secret CFO in the latest newsletter. Great CFOs don’t hide behind financial statements; they connect them. Because a P&L that looks strong can still mask a weak business. You can post record profits while your balance sheet is bloated with inventory that’s quietly bleeding cash. Warehousing costs go up. Discounting eats margins. And suddenly, what looked like “profit” turns into future losses. That’s why the best CFOs think in systems, not silos. They know every decision flows through all three statements: income, balance sheet, and cash flow. Revenue without cash is vanity. EBITDA without liquidity is fiction. And growth without working capital discipline is a ticking time bomb. The real game is integration: 🧩 The P&L tells you what happened. 📊 The balance sheet shows you what it’s doing to your future. 💸 The cash flow reveals how much oxygen you have left to play offense. That’s the essence of The CFO Effect: connecting the dots to create long-term value for shareholders. 💬 How do you make sure your team connects the three statements in practice, not just in theory? #StrategicFinance #CFO #FPandA

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✅ What a Great Controller Can Do in the First 90 Days A strong Controller doesn’t just manage the numbers, they create confidence, clarity, and momentum. Here’s what we’ve seen great Controllers accomplish in just 90 days: 📉 Shorten the close from 15+ days to under 10 📊 Build a usable cash flow forecast and train leadership to trust it 🧩 Clean up the chart of accounts making reporting faster and more meaningful 🗂️ Organize audit prep, before year-end panic hits 🤝 Win trust across departments not just in the finance team 📈 Start telling the story behind the numbers, not just tracking them The right hire doesn’t just take work off your plate, They make better decisions possible across the company. If you’ve experienced a game-changing hire, you know: 90 days is enough to see the difference. #HiringWins #Controller #FinanceLeadership #Accounting #BusinessGrowth

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Lease accounting under ASC 842 isn’t just a compliance exercise—it’s a test of how well your finance systems actually work together. From tracking lease data to keeping calculations audit-ready, manual processes leave too much room for errors (and late nights). This guide breaks down what ASC 842 really requires and how automation helps finance teams stay compliant without the chaos. 👉 Read the guide: https://lnkd.in/g8pc8xTG #ASC842 #LeaseAccounting #FinanceAutomation #AccountingCompliance #CFOInsights #FinanceLeadership

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Does the CEO elevate the CFO… or does the CFO elevate the CEO? Weak finance departments create weak companies. I spent more than a decade and a half in banking looking at hundreds of companies. And there’s one pattern that is one hundred percent correlated. Every...Single...Time. CEOs underestimate the power of finance. They think finance is reporting. Compliance. Budget updates. Keeping the books clean. No. That’s the bare minimum. A strong finance function does something completely different: It becomes the steward of the strategy. It guides execution. It educates every department on how to win. It allocates capital with intention. It builds the runway for growth. It shapes decisions before they become problems. It keeps the CEO honest. It holds the entire company together. You want to know the real limiter of a company’s performance? The relationship between the CEO and the CFO. If the CEO treats finance like an afterthought… If the CFO gets trapped in reporting mode… If finance is only brought in at the end of decisions… If the CFO is not a co-pilot… Then the company hits a ceiling. Always. And that ceiling shows up in the financials long before anyone admits it. The best companies, the ones that scale from $50M to $500M and beyond, all have one thing in common: A strategic CFO who thinks like an operator. And a CEO who knows they can’t fly the plane alone. This is the limitation of the CFO: What the company is vs what the company could be. Most companies never reach their potential. Because the CFO is operating at $50M thinking… when the business requires $500M thinking. And you feel the difference everywhere. #CFO #FPandA #StrategicFinance

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What’s Actually Attracting Finance & Accounting Talent Right Now in the “Job Hugging” job market I’ve been having a lot of conversations lately with finance & accounting talent across South Florida, and a few things keep coming up. The candidates who are still taking calls aren’t looking just to make a change for a small raise in compensation. They’re looking for the right environment to build their careers. Here’s what’s consistently moving the needle: In 1st place: Stability + Profitability People want to know the business is healthy. The roles getting traction are with companies that are profitable, growing organically and through acquisitions — but not overly leveraged or playing financial gymnastics. It’s one of the questions I get most when I say that a company is private equity backed the first thing they think of is how heavily leverage is the business. In 2nd place: Hybrid Flexibility. A couple of days in the office and flexibility the rest of the week is the sweet spot. The “4–5 days in” mandates are turning off a lot of top performers. In 3rd place: Strong Benefits. Healthcare matters again. With rising costs, a solid benefits package is often the deciding factor between two offers. My advice is make sure that you know what they’re currently paying and how it stacks up to your companies offerings as you need to look at everything holistically not just what increase they’re getting on a base salary. They could actually be taking a loss if the healthcare cost are higher. Last place: Mission & Culture Fit. Candidates are being intentional. They’re asking, “Do I believe in this place?” When the mission, culture, and leadership style line up with their values, they lean in. When it doesn’t, they pass. This market isn’t about dangling the biggest comp number anymore. It’s about building trust and showing candidates a stable, aligned, flexible environment where they can grow. The companies that get this are quietly winning the talent war. #SouthFlorida #HiringTrends #ExecutiveSearch #FinanceJobs #CFO #AccountingTalent #Leadership #RecruitingStrategy

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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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My thoughts on the hiring market in Accounting and Finance within the manufacturing space. This is not an all encompassing market post. I am aware that unemployment is higher than it has been in years and there are a lot of talented people looking for work right now. This has been the most interesting market I have seen in my almost 7 years of recruiting. It is neither client driven (less jobs, more candidates) or candidate driven ( more jobs, less candidates) With the tariff situation unfolding this year a lot of manufacturers were impacted one way or another. A LOT of my clients went into hiring freezes, which impacted the first half of the year greatly. The second half of the year, hiring picked up. But candidates have started taking the reigns. Anytime there is uncertainty in the market, candidates become more hesitant to make a move. It better be a damn good one. We are in that middle ground right now where clients are still in control, but candidates are taking the control back - it makes for interesting conversations, more declined offers and more negotiating/competition to attract top talent. With that being said - scary trends that make this feel like spooky season instead of the holiday season! - A scary amount of accountants cannot perform basic excel functions. (We have had multiple clients have to let people go recently due to this) - Microsoft TEAMS is still a bear for people to figure out to use on an interview - People are starting to use AI on video interviews!!!!! This is really scary and hiring managers notice big time. 2026 has the beginning signs of being a very strong market, but I am not an economist, I am just a guy. Happy Holidays everyone! Appreciate the partnerships we have made along the way this year and continuing to build on them moving forward!

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You can tell a lot about a PE firm by looking at its CFO. Every number tells one story. Every CFO tells another, usually about the partner they work for. After years of recruiting finance leaders, one pattern keeps showing up: the PE CFO starts to mirror the partner. Calm, methodical partner? You’ll see a CFO who plans two quarters ahead. Reactive, deal-chasing partner? That CFO’s running on Slack and caffeine. It’s not good or bad. It’s human. Two people share pressure long enough, and they sync up. That’s why “fit” in a CFO search isn’t about resume lines. It’s about wavelength. Does this CFO thrive under intensity, or burn out from it? Does the partner value process, or pace? The best pairings see the echo and adjust before it becomes noise. If you’ve lived this dynamic, what makes a CFO/partner pairing work? (And when it doesn’t, what cracks first?)👇 #PrivateEquity #CFO #Leadership #Finance #ExecutiveSearch #PEBackedCompanies #CFOLeadership

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CFO confidence took a 21-point hit this quarter—but finance leaders aren’t standing still. Despite tariffs, labor concerns and market uncertainty, 78% still expect profit growth. How? By doubling down on tech, rethinking costs and optimizing supply chains. In uncertain times, those focusing on long-term results while managing short-term challenges will come out ahead. How is your company adapting? Download our Q1 2025 CFO survey report for actionable insights and strategies. https://gt-us.co/3DUpDzq #FinanceLeaders #CFO #DigitalTransformation #TechInvestment #BusinessGrowth

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Manufacturing accounting isn’t just about numbers - it’s about understanding manufacturers' unique challenges. Learn how the right accounting team can help your manufacturing business thrive in our latest article written by Partner Joe Gubic: https://lnkd.in/eYTZuxi7 #Manufacturing

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Building a strong accounting team isn’t just about filling roles, it’s about finding the right people for the job. But here’s the challenge: 📉 The CPA pipeline is shrinking. 🔻Niche roles like technical accounting and FP&A are harder to fill. 🚨Competition for top talent is tougher than ever. So, how do you overcome these hurdles? From upskilling your current team to rethinking your hiring strategy, there are ways to stay ahead. This article breaks it all down. https://lnkd.in/gZJM8V7d #AccountingTeams #FinanceLeadership #TalentSolutions

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CFO, Controller, or both? Many executives and owners struggle to determine which one they need. Here are some guide posts: CFO: - Thinks strategically - Secures financing - Improves margins - Ensures the company scales properly Controller: - Ensures accurate financial reporting - Manages compliance - Keeps costing and cashflow in check - Provides meaningful insights on past financial performance Growth often means needing both, but timing is everything. Hiring a CFO too soon might be overkill, but too late could cost millions. So do you need someone looking forward or backward? #constroller #cfo #hiring

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Maximize Tax Savings on Matsuura Machines Before Year-End The OBBBA, signed July 4, 2025, gives U.S. manufacturers big tax advantages when investing in advanced equipment. ✅ Up to $2.5M Section 179 write-offs ✅ 100% bonus depreciation in year one ✅ Full expensing of R&D costs If you are considering a Matsuura mill, palletized automation system, or even a LUMEX hybrid metal 3D printer, this may be the most cost-effective time to act. #MatsuuraUSA #Matsuura #LUMEX #Section179 #TaxSavings #InvestInTechnology

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Finance doesn’t need more data. It needs better questions. Today’s CFOs aren’t just closing the books. They’re scanning for risks, spotting anomalies, and acting fast. But to do that, they need real-time answers—not static spreadsheets. AI is changing finance—not by replacing people, but by freeing them to focus on what matters. #BlackLine’s approach is explainable, auditable, and built for action. No black boxes. Just smart insights, delivered fast. ��� Swipe through the carousel to see how AI is reshaping the Office of the CFO.

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Good vs. Great: The PE-Backed CFO Difference Most PE-backed CFOs focus on hitting yearly numbers—thinking that’s what sponsors expect. But data says otherwise. A recent Accordion survey found that 2 out of 3 sponsors actually prefer CFOs to prioritize long-term equity value over short-term gains. The takeaway? The best CFOs think beyond the year ahead—they strategize for the exit from day one. 🔍 Click below to read how CFOs can shift their focus and create lasting value! #PrivateEquity #CFO #Leadership #ValueCreation

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