Roy Rafalco, J.D.
Having the right financial and business expertise on your team can give your organization a significant competitive advantage and enable you to exceed your business objectives.
My focus with clients is business and financial leadership, guiding their ability to grow, optimize and protect their business, including:
- Improving cash flow and profitability
- Providing strategic financial planning and analysis
- Analyzing and reducing costs/debt
- Assessing and resolving critical business issues
- Providing turnaround expertise
- Improving banking relationships and sourcing debt
- Assisting with M&A preparation and due diligence
- Maximizing company value
- Advising on legal and financial issues
- Building strong financial teams
I specialize in helping companies achieve success by developing unique solutions to meet their challenges and opportunities. My experience includes working with companies across a range of industries, including software technology, medical devices, healthcare and network connectivity.
If you are a private, public or global company seeking to expand, change or sell your business, you need a strong leader on your team who you can trust to properly advise you and guide you through all of your crucial financial and business matters. I have over 30 years of diverse industry and business leadership experience, including CEO, CFO, human resources and general counsel roles.
I bring a very unique skill set and commitment to excellence that enables me to quickly add value and deliver measurable results. Some of my noteworthy accomplishments throughout my career include:
- Resolving defaulted bank debt, bringing expenditures in line with revenue and refinancing debt with better terms, and paying off bank debt within 3 years
- Identifying key growth opportunities with a company CEO and successfully launching a new product line into a competitive marketplace, resulting in 30% CAGR growth within the first three years
- Integrating two competing operating companies and successfully leveraging synergies from the mergers, creating $5.6 million in annual savings within the first year
- Reducing accounts receivable from 55 days to 33 days sales outstanding (DSO), generating $2 million in cash
- Managing multiple profitable exits of private equity owned portfolio companies
- Doubling client’s cash position within six months, and tripling cash just six months later (despite a significant drop in revenue due to the pandemic) by reducing inventories, receivables and controlling costs
- Addressing critical business issues as both the CFO and in-house legal counsel in multiple middle market companies. In one case, through careful negotiating, proper documentation, and setting up proper business processes, the company was able to avoid being liable for a $1 million lawsuit brought by a supplier.
I joined the Florida CFO Group in 2019 with over 30 years of experience in leading private and publicly held companies in financial and business management roles. I enjoy the challenge of working with growth companies to shape and realize their business plans. I earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law. I am a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA).
Previously, I held executive financial positions at small to large companies including:
- Chief Financial Officer, Westone Laboratories, Inc
- Chief Financial Officer / General Counsel / Chief Information Officer, Meridien Research, Inc.
- Chief Financial Officer /Secretary /General Counsel /Chief Information Officer, Vispero Holdings B.V.
- Chief Financial Officer / Secretary / Treasurer / General Counsel, Freedom Scientific, Inc.
- Member, Board of Directors for Freedom Scientific GmbH, Switzerland
- Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Advanced Electronic Support Products, Inc.
- Chief Executive Officer and President, TopSpeed Corporation
- Vice President, Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Payne Fabrics, Inc.
Resources
Testimonials
For ten years, as CEO at Freedom Scientific, Roy reported to me as CFO and General Counsel. He was my second in command, and the best CFO I have had the pleasure to work with. His combination of financial leadership and legal oversight skills was essential for growing a global leader in assistive technology.
– Lee Hamilton, CEO and President, Freedom Scientific
As CFO and General Counsel at Vispero, Roy was a diligent, dedicated and high performing leader and partner for me as the CEO.
– John Blake, CEO and President, Vispero Holdings B.V.
Roy was retained to oversee and ensure a timely and successful closing of a transaction for a $1.4 billion dollar sales healthcare company. He quickly established a good rapport with the management team and led them through the many difficult complex issues that threaten to stop the closing. Due to his broad business background and skills, my staff quickly respected and leaned on him. In particular, he worked side by side with the Chief Financial Officer on reporting, due diligence, and transition issues. Despite the many obstacles, the transaction was successfully closed. I would not hesitate to recommend Roy to any company that needs a trusted advisor with a powerful combination of corporate finance and diverse legal experience.
– Rebecca Shanahan, CEO, Avella Specialty Pharmacy
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Roy Rafalco. I came to know him as a truly valuable asset to me, the company and his team. He is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard-working. Beyond that, he is an impressive communicator, decision maker, and leader which resulted in a respected Executive of the organization. His knowledge of the entire business and expertise in Finance was a huge advantage to our entire organization. He put this skill set to work in order to achieve efficiencies within the business.
– Heather Wieder, Vice President, Human Resources, Vispero Group B.V.
I had the great privilege of working for Roy during his tenure at Freedom Scientific. In addition to imparting his mentorship within Finance, Roy taught me how to become a leader in the organization through his own example. His tenacious work ethic and inspirational drive coupled with his profound experience in Finance, Legal, and Accounting matters positioned our mission-driven organization towards continued future success. I will forever be grateful for his meaningful lessons and for entrusting me with new opportunities to expand my portfolio of experience. I would highly recommend Roy to any company, organization, or non-profit philanthropy looking for an experienced, transformational leader with a proven track record of high achievement.
– Timothy O’Reilly, Assistant Controller, Freedom Scientific, Inc.
Roy is by far the most professional and creative leader I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His finance and legal acumen coupled with his innovative approach to solving complex challenges routinely generate unique and positive solutions for the organizations he leads. He inspires those on his team to do their best work and to continue to learn and hone their skills to be even better prepared for the next challenge.