Introduction

In this blog post, we will be discussing an interview with Chris, who has over 17 years of experience in accounting, finance, FP&A, and financial leadership, primarily focused on the high-growth industry. He started his career in public accounting and has worked in various roles, including leading central laboratories in Annapolis, Geneva, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. He has also built and led finance organizations in startup companies and a marketing platform company. Chris is now the founder of Fresh FP&A, which offers various services to organizations, including fractional CFO services, finance transformation, thought leadership, and product marketing.

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Moving from Accounting to Finance

Chris started his career in public accounting, like many others, working with Fortune 1000 companies in Indianapolis. However, he quickly realized that he was not made for automated work and did not want to be a number spellchecker. Chris's desire to work in a high-growth industry led him to join a startup company, where he continued to work in accounting. After gaining experience in this startup, Chris moved into FP&A leadership in a pharmaceutical drug development company that was publicly traded. He then moved back to a startup company, where he built the entire FP&A organization from scratch. Chris enjoyed the scrappiness of small-medium-sized companies and the opportunity to shape finance organizations.

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Starting Fresh FP&A

After building and shaping finance organizations in different companies, Chris found himself at a crossroads. He had to choose between continuing down the CFO route or starting his own business. Chris decided to start Fresh FP&A with the intention of bringing a fresh perspective to finance, people, and value. He started Fresh FP&A as a side hustle while working full-time in a finance leadership role. Chris then went at it full-time, and it has been a year since he started Fresh FP&A.

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Services Offered by Fresh FP&A

Fresh FP&A offers four different service lines, including fractional CFO services, finance transformation, thought leadership, and product marketing. The first service line is the traditional fractional CFO, where Chris and his team lead the finance organization for high-growth businesses, such as SaaS, retail, and technology. The second service line is helping organizations transform and scale and build their finance transformational roadmap. The third service line is thought leadership, where Chris does webinars, podcasts, and conferences in the finance, FP&A, and CFO space. The fourth service line is product marketing, where Fresh FP&A helps companies understand what it means to be a modern or fresh CFO.

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Fractional CFOs

Fractional CFOs are becoming a trend in the industry, and Fresh FP&A offers this service to high-growth businesses. Fractional CFOs are outsourced CFOs who work with multiple companies at the same time, providing them with the expertise and guidance they need to succeed. Fractional CFOs are a cost-effective solution for companies that do not need a full-time CFO or cannot afford one. Fractional CFOs offer a wide range of services, including financial planning and analysis, cash management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.

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Conclusion

Chris's journey from accounting to finance to founding Fresh FP&A is an inspiring story. Chris's experience in building and leading finance organizations in high-growth industries has led him to offer various services to organizations through Fresh FP&A. Fresh FP&A's services, including fractional CFO services, finance transformation, thought leadership, and product marketing, offer a fresh perspective on finance, people, and value. Fractional CFOs are becoming a trend in the industry, and Fresh FP&A is a cost-effective solution for high-growth businesses that need expertise and guidance to succeed.

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