Fractional & Embedded CFO  ·  Proven at $95M Exit

Built to Stabilize. Scale. Exit.

Fractional CFO services for founder-led and PE-backed companies. I make the economics of a growing business visible... which products, customers, and contracts are building enterprise value and which are quietly consuming it... and then take the seat to fix it. Equal parts strategy and execution, for the founders and CEOs facing the decisions that define a company. The same approach that carried Medicx Health from three months of cash to a $95M acquisition.

The Medicx Arc
3 mo
Cash on hand when I joined Medicx Health in 2019. Stabilized in 90 days.
$15M→$40M
Revenue scaled from declining base through stabilization and growth phase
20%+
EBITDA margin, scaled from break-even post-stabilization
$95M
What the first three made possible. Sale of Medicx Health to OptimizeRx (NASDAQ: OPRX), October 2023.
Exit Readiness Capital Strategy Financial Transformation M&A Diligence FP&A Build-Out Pricing & Unit Economics AI & Data Leverage Board & Investor Relations Exit Readiness Capital Strategy Financial Transformation M&A Diligence FP&A Build-Out Pricing & Unit Economics AI & Data Leverage Board & Investor Relations
Who I Help

A narrow focus. The right kind of work.

I work with a small number of CEOs, founders, and PE operating partners at companies where finance has to do more than report... it has to lead. Most arrive having already said one of three sentences out loud. This work starts to pay for itself past the point where a controller and a spreadsheet can carry the decisions... a company with real revenue, real complexity, and a board, lender, or buyer asking questions the current reporting cannot answer.

01
The Economics Problem

“Revenue is growing, but I don't trust the economics.”

Pricing evolved opportunistically, products multiplied, and no two customers or contracts earn the same money. The work is making the economics visible... product-level P&Ls, customer and contract profitability, pricing discipline... so leadership can tell which growth is building enterprise value and which is quietly consuming it. Ten free questions will tell you which way yours is running.

02
The Infrastructure Problem

“Our financial infrastructure hasn't grown up with us.”

The company reached real scale while still running on reporting, forecasting, and decision habits built for a much smaller business. Intuition stopped scaling. The work is FP&A that matures alongside the company... credible forecasts, KPI architecture, board-grade reporting, and systems that hold up under a lender, investor, or buyer.

03
The Enterprise Value Problem

“We need to increase enterprise value before a capital event.”

A sale, recapitalization, or raise is on the table, and a company is not transaction-ready simply because someone wants to transact. Whether the first 90 days are about stabilizing cash, margin, or covenant pressure, or the next 36 are about exit prep, the work runs on the same foundation... EBITDA quality, margin durability, clean data, and a financial story that holds up when a buyer's diligence team rebuilds it.

Trigger Moments
  • EBITDA lags despite top-line growth
  • Pricing and discounting lack discipline
  • Cash pressure is building under growth
  • Forecasts no longer feel reliable to leadership or investors
  • Board reporting has become reactive, not strategic
  • The CEO has become the de facto finance function
  • Diligence, a capital raise, or an exit is on the horizon
  • Covenant or lender pressure is building
  • The numbers would not survive a buyer's diligence team
Margin & Mix Pricing Discipline Product-Level P&L
Outgrown a Controller FP&A Maturity Board-Grade Reporting
Raise or Exit on the Table Turnaround Diligence-Tested
Industry Expertise
Deep operator experience across healthcare, technology, insurance, services, and pharmacy benefit management (PBM). Comfortable with both regulated and unregulated complexity, payor and provider economics, subscription and transactional revenue models, and the data infrastructure required for each.
Problems We Solve
Outcomes. Not functions.
What the engagement actually delivers... not what the org chart says.
01
Where the Money Is Actually Made
Making the economics visible, then acting on them.
  • EBITDA ExpansionMargin discipline through pricing, mix, and operating leverage
  • Pricing & Unit EconomicsSegmentation, price realization, and discount control
  • Product-Level P&LFully loaded margin by product and service line
  • Customer & Contract ProfitabilityWhich accounts earn their keep, and which do not
02
Finance That Scales With You
The infrastructure a company needs once intuition stops scaling.
  • Forecasting & KPI InfrastructureDriver-based models leadership and investors can trust
  • Cash Flow Visibility13-week and long-range cash, with covenant and runway management
  • Board & Investor ReportingStrategic packages that move conversations forward
  • Finance Team ScalingFrom founder-built to institutional-grade finance org
03
Value Built Before the Event
Work built backward from the moment outsiders rebuild your numbers.
  • Strategic PlanningMulti-year operating plans tied to capital strategy
  • Transaction ReadinessDiligence prep, banker management, equity story
  • EBITDA QualityAdd-backs and a bridge that survive a QofE rebuild
  • Data Room & DocumentationThe evidence set a buyer asks for, ready in advance
Retainer tiers & pricing → Project engagements & pricing →
The Arc of the Work

One foundation. Three horizons.

The work changes with the moment... but every stage stands on the same financial foundation, built from day one.

Stabilize

The First 90 Days

Cash visibility, control of the numbers, and a clear read on where the money actually goes. The bleeding stops, and leadership gets a financial picture it can trust.

Scale

The Next 24 Months

A real operating model, disciplined pricing and unit economics, and FP&A that matures alongside the company... growth the model can actually carry.

Exit

The Next 36 Months

Clean data, defensible numbers, and a financial story that holds up to a sophisticated buyer... ready long before a deal is ever on the table.

Different horizon, same discipline... the foundation that makes each stage possible is built from the first day in the seat.

Track Record
NASDAQ: OPRX

Medicx Health: from three months of cash to a $95M exit.

When I joined Medicx Health as CFO in 2019, the company had three months of cash on hand and three years of declining revenue.

The first 90 days were stabilization. Cash bridge, working capital, lender communication, vendor triage. Got the company off the runway.

The next 24 months were the rebuild. New operating model, redesigned product-level P&L and pricing, eliminated company debt, modernized the financial infrastructure with NetSuite. Took the company from declining to record-setting revenue, with EBITDA expanding from break-even to 20%+ margins.

The final 12 months were the exit. Transaction prep, banker engagement, diligence management. Led the sale to OptimizeRx for $95M in October 2023.

The $95M was the outcome, not the achievement. What a buyer paid for was durable margin, a recurring revenue engine, clean numbers, and a growth story that survived diligence... all of it built in the four years before anyone called a banker.

Revenue scaling: $15M to $40M run-rate
20%+
EBITDA margin, from break-even
500%
Cash flow position improvement
$95M
The result. Sale to OptimizeRx, October 2023.
Read the full case study →
Selected results from earlier roles
$30M
Profitability lift
Subsidiary of NYSE: CNA
CNA National Warranty
AVP · Financial Planning & Analysis
Pricing strategy and product-level P&L redesign across the warranty book, surfacing and executing $30M in profitability improvement.
$20M
Annual operating savings
NYSE: HIG
The Hartford
Senior Consultant · Strategic Finance
Organizational redesign and operating model optimization across business units, delivering $20M in annual operating savings.
+50%
Book transfer premiums
NYSE: THG
The Hanover Insurance Group
Regional Financial Officer
Profile-based acquisition strategy for commercial lines book transfers, lifting transferred premium volume 50% year over year.
In Their Words

Vouched for by CEOs, presidents, and operators.

Drawn from over 25 years of operator relationships across healthcare, insurance, technology, and services... CEOs, presidents, and senior executives I've partnered with directly.

"

Scott elevated the accounting and finance function to a whole new level. He created efficiencies, tackled complex issues, and enhanced the insights finance was able to provide. He played a key role in the eventual sale of the business, helping lead a successful exit and post-acquisition integration.

James McHugh
Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)
"

Scott was really good at challenging the status quo, and helping people understand downstream implications of decisions as they relate to the finances, optics, and financial health of the organization. He is passionate about driving change in healthcare, and that comes through.

Wes Smith
Actuary & Health Benefits Consultant
"

Scott was a key member of the Select Customer team. He provided insightful analysis on a timely basis to help in decision making and management of the business. He helped me a great deal and I would recommend him strongly.

Mark Lange
Division President, Arch Insurance Group
"

Scott is a strong analytical and financial partner. He always provided top notch insight and expertise. What made Scott unique amongst his peers was his high intellectual curiosity and desire to understand the business more deeply. He is an outstanding partner and would be an asset to any organization.

Glenn Shapiro
Former President, Personal Lines, Allstate
"

Scott made significant contributions to any endeavor he was engaged in. He possesses a rare combination of financial acumen, innovative thinking, and a collaborative style.

Gary Stephen
Former EVP, Claims & Risk Mgmt., PURE Insurance
"

Scott is a very proactive, collaborative and effective business partner. Though always focused on bottom line goals, his overall business acumen enabled him to serve as a valuable resource in offering viable alternatives to reaching corporate goals. I would not hesitate in recommending Scott for a financial or other executive management position.

Michael Binns
President, Patriot General Agency
"

Scott played a critical role in assessing the costs and benefits of critical business initiatives to increase organizational effectiveness. He was particularly helpful in identifying KPIs to measure the impact of process and organizational changes. I highly recommend Scott to any organization interested in driving meaningful change to improve competitive advantage.

Scott McAlindin
Former SVP Claims, MAPFRE
"

Scott possesses a remarkable depth of knowledge and expertise in FP&A. His strategic insights and analytical acumen were instrumental in guiding our team to success on numerous projects, including the pivotal role he played in the company's merger with OPRX.

Dina MacEwan
Assistant Director, OptimizeRx
"

Scott is one of the most disciplined, committed, and results-oriented people I have ever worked with. He has a great ability to uncover opportunities hidden in data and is driven to help the entire team succeed. Scott is a terrific judge of ability and talent.

Michael Panken
Senior Sales Executive, Travelers Insurance
The On-Ramp

Start with a read. Not a retainer.

Most CFO engagements start without a clear scope... the founder knows something is off but can't name it yet. The Pulse Check is built for that moment. 30 days on where your growth creates enterprise value and where it consumes it, how much cash you actually have, and whether the systems, the close, and the ownership underneath the numbers have kept pace with the company. It ends in a prioritized action memo, and that memo decides the next step. If a retainer follows within 60 days, the fee credits against mobilization.

Strategic Finance Pulse Check
The Strategic Finance Diagnostic
A clean read on your economics, your cash, and the function underneath them. In 30 days.
$5K
fixed fee  ·  50/50 split  ·  Net 7
Timeline
30 days from Kickoff
Scope
Economics, Cash, Infrastructure
Deliverable
Findings Memo, 5 to 10 pages
Stakeholder
Single CEO / sponsor
Mobilization Credit
100% of the $5K fee credits against the mobilization fee on any retainer tier signed within 60 days of memo delivery. If we engage further... the diagnostic effectively pays for your mobilization.

How the 30 days work.

Light on your team. Heavy on the analysis. One CEO or sponsor stakeholder, three focus areas, one final memo with prioritized actions.

  1. 01
    Kickoff & Data Pull
    Week 1. Scope confirmation, data access, stakeholder alignment. First $2,500 invoiced at Kickoff (Net 7, non-refundable once Kickoff occurs).
  2. 02
    Diagnostic Work
    Weeks 2 to 3. Independent read on your economics, cash position, and the systems and ownership underneath the numbers. Out-of-scope items quoted separately at $500/hr.
  3. 03
    Findings Memo & Readout
    Week 4. 5 to 10 page Findings Memo, prioritized action list, retainer recommendation. Final $2,500 invoiced on delivery.
Standalone engagement. No MSA required. Two signatures... proposal + SOW... and we ship in 30 days.
How I Work

Strategic and operational. Built around the data.

Senior finance done right is half thought partnership and half hands-on execution. I lean on data, a CFO operator's instincts, and modern tooling to make the financial picture clear... then move on it quickly.

01

Diagnose Before Prescribing

Every engagement starts with a structured assessment. Unit economics, cash, the systems and ownership underneath the numbers, and the gap between current state and exit-ready. No generic playbooks.

02

Frame as the Operator

I've sat in the CFO seat through scaling, turnaround, and a successful exit. Recommendations come with the EBITDA, cash, and risk implications already worked through.

03

Leverage AI and Data

I use AI-assisted modeling and reporting to turn a month-end scramble into a same-week answer... scenario analysis, variance explanations, and board-ready output, produced faster than a traditional finance team can.

04

Build for the Buyer

Every financial decision is filtered through the question of how it shows up in diligence. Clean data, defensible numbers, and a story that holds up to PE and strategic scrutiny.

Scott Magnano, CFO and Founder of Magnano Advisory
Scott Magnano
Founder & CFO
About

"Companies don't get sold for what they did. They get sold for what the buyer believes they can do next."

I'm a strategic CFO with 25-plus years of experience driving financial transformation, capital strategy, and operational scale across high-growth and complex organizations. I'm best known for the work that took Medicx Health from three months of cash and declining revenue to a $95M sale to OptimizeRx in 2023.

Through Magnano Advisory, I partner with a select group of funded, scaling, turnaround, and exit-stage companies across healthcare, technology, insurance, services, and pharmacy benefit management (PBM). The work spans full acting CFO engagements, project-based financial transformation, and board-level strategic advisory. The common thread is always the same: building the financial infrastructure that supports scale and stands up to a sophisticated buyer.

What a founder actually gets is someone who has carried the weight before. I have sat in the chair when payroll was a question mark, when the board wanted answers I didn't yet have, and when a deal hinged on the numbers holding up under scrutiny. I take that pressure off the CEO's desk... direct about what the numbers say, straight about what I would do, and in the room as a partner, not a report.

I'm based in the Phoenix area, work nationally, and partner with founders, CEOs, boards, and PE operating partners across the country.

Scott Magnano
Founder & CFO, Magnano Advisory
Common Questions

Answers before the call.

Questions about fees, tiers, and how engagements are structured are answered in full on retainers and pricing.

The questions that come up on every discovery call... answered up front so they don't have to.

How is this different from hiring a full-time CFO? +
A fractional CFO, or CFO advisor, gives you senior strategic finance leadership at one-third to one-half the cost of a full-time hire, with no equity dilution, no search timeline, and no severance exposure. The right model for companies that need CFO-grade thinking but don't yet need... or can't yet justify... a full-time seat.
Why a 90-day initial term? +
Real strategic finance work doesn't show return in 30 days. The 90-day term protects both sides... you get committed senior attention and continuity, and I get the runway to deliver something measurable. After the initial term, engagements are month-to-month.
Do you only work with healthcare and PBM companies? +
Healthcare and PBM is where I have the deepest operating experience and where pattern-matching is fastest. But the foundational CFO work... cash, margin, capital strategy, transaction readiness... translates across industries. PE-backed services, insurance, and tech-enabled companies are also a strong fit.
How do you handle confidentiality and conflicts of interest? +
Every engagement starts with a mutual NDA and a master services agreement covering confidentiality, HIPAA where relevant, and professional liability coverage. I work with a deliberately small number of clients, so conflicts are rare. If one ever surfaces, I disclose it to both parties before touching anything related to it. Your financials and deal information stay protected, full stop.
What happens when the engagement ends? +
Part of the job is making myself replaceable. When a company is ready for a full-time CFO, I help define the role, screen candidates, and transition the function so nothing breaks in the handoff. Many engagements are built toward exactly that moment.
How quickly can you start? +
Typically two to three weeks from signed SOW. Acting CFO engagements can move faster when situation severity warrants.
Start a Conversation

Let's talk about what's next.

Ready to talk?

Book a 30-minute diagnostic call.

Pick a time that works. No prep needed. We'll talk about where the business is and where it's going.

Book a Diagnostic Call

Prefer to write first? Use the form on the right. The first conversation is a no-cost 30-minute diagnostic call. We'll talk about where the business is, where it's going, and whether what I do is the right fit. If it is, we'll scope from there. If not, I'll point you to someone who is.

Phone
480.818.5066
Location
Greater Phoenix · Working Nationally

Thanks for reaching out. I'll respond within one business day.