Glossary
Fractional CFO
What a fractional CFO owns, why the search is large, and why it is a finance hire rather than a growth hire.
The full comparison, including when the search is really a growth problem, is on the fractional CFO page.
A fractional CFO is a part-time chief financial officer. The role owns cash, management reporting, forecasts, unit economics, and the financial story a board or investor can rely on. “What is a fractional CFO” is one of the largest searches in the fractional-executive market. The intent is usually informational: people want the definition before they hire.
What a fractional CFO is for
A company brings in a fractional CFO when the books are real, the founder is still the only person who can explain the numbers, and a full-time finance executive is more than the company needs. The work is finance. It is not pipeline, messaging, or the weekly growth meeting.
Why this site is not a fractional CFO
Steven is not a fractional CFO. He does not take finance, fundraising models, or audit work. A company that needs both a cleaner commercial system and a cleaner set of numbers often needs two different people.
If the constraint is pipeline, ownership, or sales and marketing working to different plans, the relevant role here is a fractional chief growth officer. If you already have a finance lead and need a sharper growth decision, start with business growth consulting.
Also defined: B2B pipeline, Business growth consultant, Chief growth officer, Fractional chief growth officer