Tom Walker

CFO Partner

Startups and rapid-growth firms have a particular set of challenges, including managing cash flow during growth, talent development, market research, obtaining employee buy-in and choosing strategic partners.

Ask Tom

727-488-5492

My specialties are:

Startups and turnarounds
Growth management
Secure financing in traditional bank and alternative markets
Strategic planning and budgeting
Cash flow forecasting and management
Cost reduction and profitability analysis
Product line profitability analysis
Business plans
New business opportunity analysis

I am an entrepreneur and certified public accountant (CPA) with over 25 years of experience bringing financial success to both startup businesses and underperforming businesses in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. I have experience in securing both traditional bank and alternative financing. I enjoy developing business plans and working one-on-one with investors to secure private placement and private investment funding for corporate expansions and startups.

My work with clients to meet these challenges focuses on helping them with:

• Strategic planning

• Securing financing in both traditional and alternative markets

• Budget forecasting

• Cash flow modeling

• Manufacturing, inventory reporting and management

• Off-shore expansion and import financing Securing private investment

I have led the startup and growth management of over a dozen companies that maximized their revenue and profit potentials and have led the turnaround of two international manufacturer companies.

Throughout my career, some of my noteworthy accomplishments have included:

Being a founding member of a non-profit debt management company that grew to be the industry’s third largest as a $25 million company with over 200 employees and 25,000 clients in 48 states in just three years
Forming a financial services company that became a profitable $10 million company in the first year
Helping form a new internet company and growing it to one of the largest in the Tampa Bay area in, which it maintained 200% sales growth over three years with increasing profitability
Securing a $3.6 million credit line with bank through the development of a strategic five-year plan with a custom budget forecast and cash flow model
Managing banking relationship to maintain seasonal borrowing needs of the business
Implementing budget and inventory controls that reduced budget 23 percent while directing an income turnaround form a $500k loss to a $200k profit in one year
Managing and helping develop new manufacturing and inventory reporting to help in decision making and cost reductions
Leading new offshore manufacturing expansion of the company into Honduras and arranging for $2.25 million from bank to finance the start-up
Developing custom financing model for China supplier imports that shortened payment cycle by 90 days

I joined the Florida CFO Group in 2013. I have over 25 years of hands-on experience with proven success guiding all the financial phases of a business: startup, growth management and turnaround. I earned a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from the University of South Florida.

I have been Florida CPA since 1985 and am the former chairperson and current treasurer of the Suncoast Hospice Foundation since 1993.

Resources

Testimonials

Tom was my right hand man as we went from a startup company to an industry leader. In as little as three years, our company grew to 25,000 clients in 48 states being serviced by over 200 employees. Tom was instrumental in making this happen, and it would not have happened without him. Tom can get you from a startup to where you want to be as a company.

- Rene Gignac

Tom Walker has been my company's source for development of Business Plans, Executive Summaries and Investor Presentations. Tom has worked with me on both private placement investment fund deals and private investor fund deals in industries from solar to service with needs ranging from startup to expansion capital. Tom is my go to guy.

- David Repka

Tom helped develop a financing model that facilitated our China supplier import business and allowed for the high growth of our company. This included an inventory finance model that shortened the cash flow payment cycle by 90 days on China inventory imports. Tom also works very well with both our bank and alternative finance options to handle our seasonal business model