Fractional CFO
Fractional CFO. The real numbers, before the bank asks.
A fractional CFO in Milan, Rome or anywhere in Italy gives a company the finance function it actually needs: a monthly close on a fixed date, cash forecast thirteen weeks out, margin by customer, and a credible counterpart for banks, funds and shareholders.
Short answer
A fractional CFO is a part time finance director who builds management reporting, controls cash and owns the relationship with banks and investors, without the cost of a full time hire. The typical commitment is one to two days a month, with written objectives and reporting delivered on a fixed date.
At a glance
| Role | Part time finance director with authority over reporting, cash and banking |
|---|---|
| Typical commitment | 2 days a month at the start, 1 a month once running |
| Rate | 2,000 euro per day, invoiced on days actually worked |
| First deliverable | Monthly reporting and 13 week cash forecast within 60 days |
| Company size | From 3 million euro revenue, earlier with debt or a raise ahead |
| Coverage | Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Italy and Europe |
What a fractional CFO does that your accountant does not
Accountants certify the past and satisfy tax obligations. A CFO decides the future: whether the next investment holds up, how long cash lasts in the downside case, which customers quietly destroy margin, and what to tell the bank before the bank asks. Two different jobs, both necessary.
- Monthly P&L by business area, closed by the fifteenth.
- Rolling thirteen week cash forecast, refreshed weekly.
- Margin by customer, product and project.
- Bank pack and covenant tracking ahead of every deadline.
- Annual budget with three scenarios and a quarterly reforecast.
When a company needs a part time CFO
The trigger is uncertainty, not size. If the owner cannot say by Wednesday how much cash there will be in ten weeks, or if margin per customer is a feeling rather than a figure, the finance function is missing. Cost comparison against a full time hire sits on the fractional manager cost page.
- Fast growth burning cash faster than it produces profit.
- Bank debt to renegotiate or covenants under pressure.
- A funding round, a new shareholder or due diligence ahead.
- The finance lead leaving with no successor in place.
- Accounts that no longer explain where money is made or lost.
Want to know if a fractional manager is actually right for your company?
Let's talk →How the mandate is structured
2,000 euro per day, days agreed at the start of each month, invoiced on actual days. No payroll, no severance, no exit cost. The first sixty days build the reporting; after that the rhythm drops. Objectives are written down before the first day and reviewed every quarter.
When this is the wrong choice
- Companies looking for bookkeeping: that belongs with an accounting firm.
- Businesses under one million in revenue with no debt and no investors.
- Owners who want numbers that confirm a decision already made.
Fractional manager in Milan, Rome, Italy and Europe
Management consulting and fractional manager services for companies in Milan (Milano), Rome (Roma), Turin, Bologna and across Italy (Italia). If you need to hire or find a fractional manager, a part time CEO, CMO, CRO or COO, or a fractional Chief Executive Officer in Milan, Rome or Italy, this fractional manager and consultant works with clients in Lombardy, Lazio, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Tuscany, Liguria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino, Marche, Campania, Puglia and Sicilia. Fractional consulting mandates also across Europe: EU, Northern Europe, UK, EMEA. The fractional manager and part time chief executive officer travels from Milan to Rome, Turin, Bologna, Padua, Verona, Florence, Genoa, Naples, Bari and other leading Italian and European cities. Senior management consulting brings operational leadership in Italy without the cost of a full time chief executive officer.
Frequently asked questions
01What does a fractional CFO actually do?
Builds management reporting, runs a thirteen week cash forecast, owns the relationship with banks and investors and closes the month on a fixed date. It is forward looking work: the accountant certifies the past, the CFO decides the next quarter.
02At what revenue does a fractional CFO make sense?
Usually above three million euro in revenue, or earlier when the company is growing fast, carries meaningful bank debt or is preparing a raise. Below that a solid controller plus an external firm is normally enough.
03What does it cost?
My day rate is 2,000 euro. A typical CFO mandate runs two days a month while the reporting is being built and one day a month afterwards, so 2,000 to 4,000 euro monthly with no payroll, severance or exit cost.
Want to know how much cash you will have in thirteen weeks? Write to me and we start there.
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