Fractional CFO · Brisbane-based · Australia-wide · International experience

Complex finance,
made clear.

A part-time CFO for owner-led businesses from $2m to $50m — the numbers you need to run your business, and the plain words to act on them.

Gavan S. Porter, fractional CFO, seated in a jacket

Certified · Accredited · Award-winning

  • Certified Chair — Advisory Board Centre
  • Certified Fathom Advisor
  • Virtual CFO Association member — Award Winner 2022
  • ADSS five-star accredited

The gap

You've got the numbers. You're still flying blind.

Someone runs the day-to-day accounting — payroll, invoices, reconciliations. That's the floor, not a finance function. Above that line there's usually no one: no forecast, no management accounts, no idea what cash looks like in three months.

So the big calls — hire, invest, borrow, hold — get made on gut and a bank balance. Growth only makes it worse. A full-time CFO fixes it, but most businesses your size can't justify the salary. That's the gap I fill.

The offering

A fractional CFO, sized to your business.

Senior finance at the level you need. A part-time, outsourced CFO, not a full-time hire.

  • 01

    See the future in numbers

    Forecasts, budgets and a rolling cashflow forecast, tied to your goals.

  • 02

    Cash & funding

    Enough cash to trade and grow — and the right debt or equity when you need it, with introductions to specialist business-finance brokers who review the options that suit your situation and size.

  • 03

    Management accounts that mean something

    On time, accurate, and read for decisions — not filed and forgotten.

  • 04

    Board-ready reporting

    The story behind the numbers, for banks, boards and investors.

  • 05

    Benchmarks & accountability

    Metrics that keep you and the team on track, month after month.

  • 06

    Finance systems audit & optimisation

    A review of your software, apps and processes — and a clear plan to make month-end faster and the numbers more reliable.

  • From a day a month to a day a week.

    Flexed up or down as your business needs.

How we work together

Four ways to work with me.

Same CFO — different intensity.

Start here

Finance Systems Audit & Optimisation

A close look at how your finance runs today — accounting software, add-on apps, processes, reporting and controls. You get a clear report on what's working, what's costing you time and money, and a prioritised plan to fix it.

Best if month-end takes too long, your systems have grown messy, or you don't fully trust the numbers.

Steady growth

Ongoing CFO

Strategic finance, month after month — the calls on cash, growth and funding, and a steady hand on the plan. The management accounts run underneath.

Optional extras

  • Bookkeeping
  • Payroll
  • Management accounting

One point of contact for your whole finance function. BAS and payroll lodgements go through your registered BAS or tax agent.

Best if you're growing and want a finance partner every month.

One-off job

Project work

One defined job, done properly. A system move, a historical rebuild, funding, budgets, or getting the business ready to sell.

Best if you have a specific job that needs senior finance for a few months.

Selected results

The work, in numbers.

Renewables (wind) · AUD

$7M → $28M · 15% profit

Rebuilt the finance function through a restructure — and took the owners to a clean sale.

  • Came in after bad debts forced a restructure. Fixed the cashflow, the reporting and the bank funding.
  • Went from breaking even to $28M in revenue at 15% profit, then guided the owners through the sale.

Contract IT services · AUD

1 week to fund payroll

Put a distressed, growing business back on solid ground — and kept it trading.

  • A growing business with old tax debts, overdue suppliers and no finance expert in-house.
  • Found the payroll shortfall early and had finance in place within a week, then, with the business's tax agent, moved a $400k+ ATO debt onto a $20k-a-month payment plan.

E-commerce · US · USD

24 months of accounts, rebuilt

Gave a fast-growing US seller numbers it could trust — and the systems and funding to scale on.

  • A large US online retailer growing fast, but without reliable monthly accounts.
  • Rebuilt two years of figures to show profit by sales channel, cut card-payment fees, set up stock systems and arranged growth funding.

Who I am

20+ years in the finance chair.

I've sat where you sit — and I make complex finance simple, from the boardroom to the shop floor.

  • 01

    Management Accountant to CFO — across Australia and internationally: Brisbane, Mackay, Melbourne, London.

  • 02

    12 years as CFO and Company Secretary inside a $50m+ family business — I've made the calls, not just advised on them.

  • 03

    30+ businesses supported over the last three years — industrial, manufacturing, wholesale, retail and not-for-profit.

  • 04

    I sit on boards and finance & risk committees, and chair advisory boards.

Earlier, in the chair full-time

  • Steered a $50m+ family business through a downturn that halved its revenue — and kept it alive.
  • Completed a $10m debt restructure with a new lender — more cash to work with and lower interest.
Book a 20-minute call

The team behind the numbers

A finance function — not a single point of failure.

Behind the strategy sits a dedicated team: senior and intermediate management accountants, plus contract CFOs at my level. AI-trained and built on modern tech stacks, so the routine work runs faster, cleaner and at lower cost — and the numbers underneath your decisions stay reliable.

Common questions

Fractional CFO questions, answered.

What is a fractional CFO?

A fractional CFO is a senior chief financial officer who works with your business part-time — from a day a month to a day a week. You get forecasting, cashflow management, funding advice and board-ready reporting without the cost of a full-time CFO.

How is a fractional CFO different from my accountant or bookkeeper?

Your bookkeeper records the transactions and your accountant looks after tax and compliance — mostly looking backwards. A CFO looks forward: cash forecasts, funding, pricing and growth decisions, and reporting to banks and boards. I work alongside your existing accountant and bookkeeper, not instead of them.

Who do you work with?

Owner-led businesses with revenue from $2m to $50m — including industrial, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, e-commerce and not-for-profit organisations. I've supported 30+ businesses over the last three years.

Do you only work with businesses in Brisbane?

No. I'm Brisbane-based and work with businesses Australia-wide, and I bring international experience.

How much of your time will my business need?

Usually between a day a month and a day a week, depending on the size of the business and what's going on. Project work and turnarounds are scoped separately, around the job that needs doing.

What is a finance systems audit?

A review of how your finance function runs today — accounting software, add-on apps, processes, reporting and controls. You get a clear report on what's working, what's costing you time and money, and a prioritised plan to fix it. It's a good first step if month-end takes too long or you don't fully trust the numbers.

How much does a fractional CFO cost?

It depends on your business, so the first step is a free discovery call and a short diagnostic. As a guide, ongoing CFO support is typically $2,500 to $6,000 a month for businesses under $5 million in revenue, $5,000 to $9,000 from $5 million to $25 million, and $7,000 to $14,000 from $25 million to $100 million, plus GST. Projects typically run from $3,000 to $25,000. See the full cost guide.

What qualifications do you have?

I'm a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA), a Chartered Manager (CMgr) and Associate Fellow (AFIML) of the Institute of Managers and Leaders, a Certified Chair with the Advisory Board Centre and a member of the Governance Institute of Australia, with 20+ years in finance roles from management accountant to CFO.

How do we get started?

Book a 20-minute call. We'll talk through where the business is, what's keeping you up at night, and whether ongoing CFO support, a project, a turnaround or a finance systems audit is the right fit.

Gavan S. Porter, smiling

Let's talk

Let's talk about your numbers.

I help owners do two things: reach their financial goals, and understand how money really moves through their business. Worth a quick 20 minutes to see if it's a fit?

Based in Brisbane, QLD · Australia-wide · International experience

I'll reply personally, usually within one business day.