vcfo introduces Merle Waterman as our inaugural Fractional Integrator, Entrepreneurial Operating System®.
Merle Waterman is a Consulting CFO with more than 30 years of leadership in ecommerce, software, manufacturing, and professional services. Expert at guiding fast-growing start-ups, Merle specializes in helping companies improve their “people operating system” to build profitability.
Merle often works as an Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) integrator, stepping in to help firms execute EOS to get everyone pulling in the same direction. A people-person with an incredibly diverse industry background, he enjoys the challenge of helping companies reach the next level of maturity, whether IPO, acquisition, or merger.
Prior to joining vcfo, Merle was a CFO for companies in bicycle ecommerce, food service, search engine, and voice recognition software. Merle also served as COO in several instances, guiding the people-side of things and implementing strategies he helped develop. Even as CFO, he found himself managing departments as wide-ranging as software development, investor relations, facilities, and IT.
In his long and varied career, Merle guided completion of over $300M in preferred and common stock financings, helped grow a restaurant to a national chain of 1,500 employees, and led an international firm’s IPO. Over the years, he’s enjoyed beating the drum of steady process improvement: implementing Salesforce.com CRM, Lean manufacturing, and EOS in different organizations.
Merle got his start as a CPA for KPMG, auditing clients ranging from manufacturing, retail, high tech, real estate, and aviation.
Merle’s an active member of an EOS club that helps businesses in the Denver area.
Merle enjoys a quartet of Colorado outdoor activities: snow skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and fly fishing. He also plays drums in three different bands.
About vcfo
vcfo provides an integrated suite of finance, HR and recruiting support, including outsourcing and consulting solutions that improve operational performance and optimize productivity. Founded in 1996, vcfo pioneered the concept of the “Virtual CFO” with its original core offering of fractional or part-time CFO solutions. For 25 years, we have worked with more than 5,000 clients, evolving our service offerings and geographical footprint to meet new industry and market needs—expanding what we offer, the value we provide and the way we deliver it. At vcfo, our mission is always to make your company stronger.
