Overview

Stan Alhadeff is the author of Run the Business, Don’t Become It and principal of Business CFO for Hire, a boutique fractional-CFO practice serving owner-led small and mid-sized businesses. Over more than 30 years as a CFO, he has led companies through turnarounds, acquisitions, insurance recoveries, fundraising, and four successful exits across manufacturing, SaaS, distribution, and professional services, with clients from $1M to $100MM+ in revenue. Stan holds an MBA from Henley Business School and a Masters and Bachelors in Accounting, Auditing and Taxation from the University of South Africa. He helps founders stop being the bottleneck and build companies that run and sell without them.

What to expect

• Plain English, not accounting. No jargon, no lecture. Real client situations (anonymized), real numbers on the screen, and the decision that followed.
• Worked examples, live. A margin, a cash cycle, or a pricing decision, shown moving in real time. People remember the math they watched happen.
• Interaction by design. Live questions from the floor, and a talk that adapts — no two audiences have the same pain.
• A takeaway they can use Monday. Owners leave able to look at their own business honestly and take the first step toward clarity.
• Zero pitch. He’s there to be useful. The business development takes care of itself.

Signature topics

• Run the Business, Don’t Become It — breaking founder dependence before it breaks your valuation
• The Six Numbers Every Owner Should Know (and why most dashboards measure the wrong things)
• Cash Flow Is a Decision, Not a Report — the 13-week forecast that prevents surprises
• Exit-Ready by Design — building value years before you plan to sell
• AI in the Back Office — what actually works in SMB finance, and what’s marketing
• Pricing, Cost, and the Margin You’re Giving Away Without Knowing It

Content is tailored to your audience — manufacturing, construction, distribution, and professional services groups are all welcome.

About Stan

Stan Alhadeff is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer, author, and founder of Business CFO for Hire, a boutique fractional CFO firm that partners with growth-focused companies to deliver financial clarity, strategy, and transformation. With more than 30 years of international financial leadership across startups, private equity-backed firms, and public companies, Stan is known for being more than “just a numbers guy” — he’s a hands-on problem solver who thrives on helping businesses unlock value, navigate complexity, and scale sustainably.

He is the author of Run the Business, Don’t Become It, a practical guide for owners who have become inseparable from their companies. Stan extends that thesis through his podcast, Going Beyond the Balance Sheet, where he interviews operators and advisors on how finance connects to the day-to-day realities of running a company.

Throughout his career, Stan has led companies through pivotal transitions, including turnarounds, acquisitions, insurance recoveries, and four successful exits to date. His client engagements span manufacturing, technology, services, retail, and distribution, with revenues from $1M to over $1B. Known for his creative thinking, dry humor, and unwavering integrity, Stan is a trusted advisor to CEOs and boards who value candor, results, and a broad-minded view of business.

AV & staging: Stan presents from the floor (not a lectern) and works a whiteboard for live examples. Full technical rider — sound, lighting, projection, and room setup for keynote or workshop format — available on request.