When I first stepped into a Controller seat, the job felt pretty clear: close the books, keep the ledger clean, stay audit-ready, and make sure nothing embarrassing showed up in the financials. That foundation still matters, maybe more than ever. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners has consistently estimated that organizations lose about 5% of revenue to fraud each year, which is a blunt reminder that controls and disciplined accounting are not “extra admin” work, they are...

In a lot of companies, especially the ones growing faster than their processes, the Controller and the CFO can feel like two titles for the same person with two different calendars. I have lived that movie. One day you are debating revenue recognition and the next you are pitching the board on cash runway like your life depends on it, because it kind of does. The healthy way to think about it is this: the Controller owns the integrity of the numbers, and the CFO owns what the numbers mean and...

If you think a controller is “the person who makes sure the books are clean,” you are not alone. It is also not enough anymore. Bookkeeping is like keeping the kitchen tidy: necessary, appreciated, and you definitely notice when it is not done. A modern controller is the head chef who plans the menu, prices it, makes sure nobody is sneaking ingredients out the back door, and can tell you whether tonight’s special is going to make money or just look good on Instagram. Bookkeeping answers,...