Fractional CFOs in Detroit Making Things Happen in 2025

Detroit Interim Chief Financial Officers to Know

Detroit is a city built on reinvention. Once the manufacturing backbone of America, today it’s a diverse and dynamic metro with momentum in tech, mobility, healthcare, B2B services, logistics, and legacy industries undergoing digital transformation. That kind of evolution demands not just vision—but financial discipline.

And that’s exactly where fractional CFOs are stepping in.

In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn region, a growing cohort of part-time and interim financial leaders are helping companies—especially founder-led, PE-backed, and small-to-mid-sized businesses—gain clarity, extend runway, and build smart financial systems. These aren't your average accountants. They're strategic thinkers and operational finance pros who help companies go from reactive to resilient.

At Digital Reference, we’ve curated one of our most comprehensive regional lists yet: a roundup of Detroit-area fractional CFOs who are actively helping businesses get their financial house in order.

Methodology: How We Built This List

Every executive featured here was selected based on:

• Location: Active in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro
  
  
• Role: Providing fractional or interim CFO services
  
  
• Expertise: Experienced in financial operations, modeling, capital planning, reporting, or M&A
  
  
• Availability: Public presence via LinkedIn or advisory websites
  
  
• Relevance: Supporting early-stage, growing, or transforming businesses in Michigan and beyond
  
  

This is one of the strongest local networks we’ve profiled to date—let’s dive in.

Detroit-Area Fractional CFOs to Know

🔹 Mark Winkelman

Fractional CFO | M&A, Restructuring & Strategic Finance Expert
Mark supports growth-stage and mid-market companies navigating capital events, restructuring, and operational scale. He brings decades of experience in financial strategy, particularly around mergers, exits, and investor reporting. His detail-oriented yet forward-looking approach helps executive teams align on performance and vision.

🔹 Henry Olthof

Financial Leader | Interim CFO & Controller
Henry offers CFO and controller services across multiple sectors, with strengths in audit readiness, process improvement, and system implementations. He’s a go-to operator for companies looking to professionalize their back office, especially in industrial, distribution, and professional services.

🔹 Kristopher Keat

Fractional CFO | Business Coach & Strategic Advisor
Kristopher supports owner-led businesses looking to understand, grow, and control their finances. His advisory work focuses on aligning financial metrics with long-term business goals and helping leaders gain confidence in their numbers. He’s known for making finance approachable and strategic at the same time.

🔹 John Vanden Esschert

CFO & Fractional Executive | Profitability & Cash Flow Specialist
John specializes in helping small and mid-market businesses improve margins, stabilize cash flow, and prepare for scalable growth. With experience in manufacturing, automotive, and B2B services, he’s especially skilled at building financial infrastructure that supports operational complexity.

🔹 Kenneth DiLaura

Fractional CFO | Compliance & Nonprofit Finance Advisor
Ken works with nonprofits, mission-driven orgs, and regulated entities to ensure financial compliance, clean audits, and strong internal controls. He’s trusted by boards and executive directors alike for his steady leadership and deep finance acumen.

🔹 Kelly Malaga-LaCarter

Outsourced CFO | Early-Stage & Startup Specialist
Kelly works with entrepreneurs and growth-stage startups to build foundational finance processes. From managing burn to preparing financial models for investors, she supports the unique pressures founders face—bringing both empathy and rigor to the table.

🔹 Greg Foote

CFO Consultant | Interim & Turnaround Finance Leader
Greg helps companies reset after leadership changes, cash flow challenges, or strategic pivots. He’s particularly valuable in turnaround or high-pressure environments where quick insight and decisive action are required.

🔹 Jim Knighton

Fractional CFO | Financial Strategy & Process Optimization
Jim helps companies build finance functions that scale. His experience spans strategy, budgeting, and executive decision support. Based in Michigan, he supports businesses that want to bring intention and data to the CFO seat.

🔹 Kris Morris

Founder, KJM Consulting | Tech & Innovation Finance Partner
Kris works with R&D-intensive and early-stage companies—often in partnership with universities or innovation hubs—to create financial systems that support long-term scale. His depth in grant funding, financial modeling, and commercialization support makes him a key player in the state’s innovation economy.

Why Fractional CFOs Are a Fit for Detroit

Detroit is full of companies in transformation mode—and that creates opportunity for flexible, senior-level financial guidance.

Here’s why the model works:

• 💼 Founder-led companies need CFO brains, not CFO salaries
  
  
• 🔄 Manufacturers and service providers are modernizing finance tech and controls
  
  
• 💸 Venture- and PE-backed businesses face new capital expectations
  
  
• 📊 Nonprofits and mission-driven orgs need help navigating compliance and planning
  
  
• 🧱 Post-pandemic recoveries have highlighted gaps in budgeting, cash, and forecasting
  
  

Fractional CFOs fill these gaps with less risk and faster ramp-up. They’re operators, not observers—and they’re essential to building financial foundations that support smart, sustainable growth.

Related Digital Reference Content

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive: A Guide for Founders and Operators
This is your tactical playbook for identifying, vetting, and onboarding the right fractional leader for your business stage.

🔍 Fractional CFOs Near Me 

Explore how other metros are using interim revenue leaders—and what lessons Detroit can draw from their examples.

Final Word: Detroit’s CFO Talent Is Evolving

Detroit is a market that’s rebuilding—not just with capital and tech, but with smarter, more flexible leadership. The fractional CFOs on this list are helping power that change, giving founders, execs, and boards the confidence to grow with clarity.

We’ll continue to expand this list as new leaders emerge. Know someone who should be added? Reach out to hello@digitalreference.co.

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