>>> Principals

Stephen C. Messner

Steve Messner has over 30 years of experience in finance, general management, operations, and strategy. He works with the top management of small and medium-sized companies to help them define their goals; develop and implement plans to achieve them; and improve profitability and cash flow, typically as a part-time CFO.

His current work includes serving as the:

  • Part-time CFO of a $15m professional services firm whose bank brought him in after the company ran into severe financial problems.
  • Part-time CFO of a $3m testing lab.
  • Part-time CFO of a $2m SaaS vendor.
  • Outsourced strategic planning department of an $80m security company and as a member of its board of directors.

Other recent representative engagements include:

  • Serving as the part-time CFO of a $5m telemarketing company facing severe financial challenges. The firm was sold for 75% of revenue in June 2022 and is continuing to operate under the new ownership.
  • Serving as the turnaround CFO of a $20m professional services firm that was on the verge of bankruptcy when he started with it.

Earlier, he was COO of the Ambit Group, a $5m government contractor growing at 100% per year. At Ambit, he managed cash flow in a cash-constrained situation; selected and managed the firm’s outsourced IT and HR/benefits/payroll vendors; handled all contract and legal matters; and obtained a GSA IT Schedule 70.

Before that, he was CFO of the Touchstone Consulting Group, a $24m government contractor. While there, he obtained the funding to support its 100% annual growth; redesigned the billing and collections process to cut days sales outstanding 32%; and established a blanket purchase agreement through which it ran over 50% of its business.

Earlier, he was an SVP of Aquilent, a $20m government IT systems development firm, where he led its biggest project, growing revenues 20% and motivating a demoralized team. He also served as a financial advisor to management during its buyout of the company and created the firm’s incentive compensation and stock option plans.

Before that, he co-founded two management consulting firms and worked for Mercer Management Consulting, IDC, Lehman Brothers, and Bain & Company.

Steve received a BA and an MS in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, an MS in Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Intelligent Strategies. Successful Ventures.