CFO PARTNER

Deane Baron

With proven success working with small- and medium-sized domestic and global businesses in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, I focus on delivering results and promoting accountability toward business goals and financial metrics. My broad industry background includes technology, software, and manufacturing. I collaborate with teams, drive profitable growth, and accelerate cash flows.

My Primary Focus:

  • Driving profitable growth
  • Raising capital – equity and debt
  • Budgets and forecasts 
  • Accelerating cash flow
  • M&A and due diligence
  • Financial planning and analysis
  • Private equity and venture capital
  • Business turnaround
  • Strategic planning

I have developed meaningful profitability measures and reporting for business leaders to keep attention on the bottom line. Over eight years as the vice president of finance in a software business, I enabled growth from $10M to $400M in revenue. As CFO, I led the turnaround from a $20M loss to break even by emphasizing sales and manufacturing.

I have raised capital for venture capital-backed, private equity-backed, and public markets companies. I have secured additional rounds of venture capital and venture debt. Under private equity ownership, I delivered on the first-year business commitments for the integration of three merged companies, which enabled the renegotiation of a $500M debt on favorable terms. In the public markets, I communicated with the SEC in completing an IPO and follow-on equity raise. I also raised capital from export credit agencies and banks for my Latin American customers.

I have developed M&A and due diligence expertise in multiple transactions, including leading the sale of a $350M business segment from a public company to a private equity firm. I have also completed acquisitions for product and regional expansions.

A few accomplishments where I have led or played an integral role include:
  • Growing software business from $10M to $400M revenue over 8 years as VP Finance
  • Raising $150M equity and debt financing, including IPO on NYSE
  • Completing $350M business sale to private equity firm
  • Acquiring three businesses with $80M global revenue
  • Delivering on first-year business goals to integrate three merged companies and renegotiate a $500M debt
  • Growing Latin American region from $100M to $250M revenue over three years as CFO
  • Ramping sales from $8M to $25M over three years, while increasing profitability eight times as regional COO
  • Turning Around Nortel’s Optical Cable from $20M loss to break even in two years as CFO

I have over 20 years of CFO experience, including both domestic and international businesses. I have an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and an engineering degree from University of Waterloo in Canada. I was previously certified as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in Canada.

In my professional career, I have served as:

  • VP Finance, Mavenir
  • VP Finance and COO, Hysky
  • VP Americas Region and COO, Codan
  • Venture Capital Financing Consultant, Startech Early Ventures
  • VP Mexico, Nortel
  • CFO, Latin America, Nortel
  • CFO, Optical Cable, Nortel 

Testimonials

"From the outset of our work together, Deane has consistently demonstrated the competency and reliability early-stage companies need from their partners. He quickly gained my trust through effective communication and delivering actionable, clear feedback and results on everything from capital management strategies to financial analysis and more. Further, Deane has time and again taken the initiative to raise, and then chase down, issues and opportunities I wouldn't have known to look for, let alone ask for help on. He is a trusted advisor whose recommendations I can lean on implicitly, which not only improves (dramatically) our company's financial management but also gives me back time to spend on other aspects of our business."

Jake Guglin, CEO of Foundation Alloy Deane served as Fractional CFO of Foundation Alloy, where he implemented equipment lease financing and insurance, guided the setup of the accounting system and financial reporting, and solicited venture debt options.