Sandpoint Advisory
Senior enough to see the whole board. Hands-on enough to move the pieces. Most advisors bring one perspective. I bring four.
Strategy means nothing until it becomes a plan.
I take complex strategy — however ambitious, however messy — and translate it into a financial plan every stakeholder can understand and act on. Bottoms-up and top-down. Forecast to execution. Built so your operators know what to do, your board can decide, and your investors can believe the numbers.
Operators
I've run the business. I know what it takes to execute — not just advise.
Investors
I've sat on the investment committee. I know what gets funded and what doesn't.
Buyers & acquirers
I know what due diligence uncovers — and how to make sure you're ready for it.
Boards
I translate complex strategy and financials into what boards need to decide and act.
Fractional CFO is the engagement model — the depth goes far beyond it. From building the model to closing the deal, I do the work myself at every level. No hand-offs. No junior staff. Senior judgment from the spreadsheet to the boardroom.
Fractional CFO
Full CFO-level leadership without the full-time cost. Financial modeling, reporting, cash flow management, board packages, and strategic planning. I build the models, write the memos, and sit in the room — bringing Big 4 rigor and operating experience to every engagement.
I open Excel myself. The numbers are never a black box.
Strategy translated into financial plan
Most companies have a strategy. Few have a financial plan that actually reflects it. I bridge that gap — bottoms-up and top-down, built for operators to execute and investors to trust. Complex strategy becomes consumable data every stakeholder can act on.
Clarity is a competitive advantage. I create it.
Capital raise & investor readiness
Positioning, financial story, investor materials, and process management for seed through growth rounds. I know what investors need to see — the numbers, the narrative, and the answers to questions they haven't asked yet — because I've been on the other side of that table.
10+ years evaluating companies as an investor. I'll make sure yours stands up.
M&A advisory & exit preparation
Preparing your company for acquisition or strategic investment — financial due diligence readiness, deal structure, valuation, and negotiation support. I've seen what buyers find when they dig in, and I make sure there are no surprises when they do.
Buy-side and sell-side. I've been on both sides of the closing table.
Most financial advisors are specialists — deep in one lane. They're technical finance people, or operators, or investors. Very few have genuinely done all of it at a senior level. That combination changes what's possible for the companies I work with.
Operator first
I've run the business — not just advised on it
I've managed P&Ls, built teams, and navigated the real operational pressures of leading a company. The advice I give is grounded in what actually works when it hits the real world — because I've lived it.
Deep financial expertise
Big 4 foundation. CFO experience. I do the work myself.
A decade at a Big 4 firm means the financial rigor is real. I build models from scratch, stress-test assumptions, and find the line items that matter. You get senior judgment at every level — from strategy to spreadsheet.
Investor perspective
10+ years VC and middle market — I know what the other side is thinking
I've evaluated hundreds of companies, led investments, and made the call on what gets funded. I bring that perspective to every capital raise and exit I advise on — positioning your company for the room it's walking into.
Communication & clarity
I make complex things understandable to every stakeholder
A strategy nobody can explain isn't a strategy — it's a document. I translate financial complexity into clear narratives that operators execute, investors fund, boards approve, and buyers trust.
Pattern recognition
I've seen what destroys companies — before it happens
After 25+ years across Big 4, operating roles, and venture capital, I've seen the patterns that kill companies — cash traps, misaligned incentives, deals that looked good on paper. I help you avoid them before they become problems.
No hand-offs
Senior judgment at every level — always
No junior staff. No delegating the detail work. I build the financial models, write the board memos, and sit in the meetings myself. As comfortable in the spreadsheet as in the boardroom.
Darren Sandberg
Founder, Sandpoint Advisory
I started my career at a Big 4 firm, where I spent a decade building a deep technical foundation — financial statements, complex transactions, and the kind of rigor that never leaves you. From there I moved into operating roles at the C-suite level, running P&Ls, building teams, and navigating the real pressures of leading a business through growth and change.
For the past decade I managed a venture capital fund — evaluating hundreds of companies across venture and middle market, leading investments, and sitting on boards. I've seen what separates companies that scale from those that stall, and I've made the call on what gets funded from the investor's chair.
The result: I understand every stakeholder in the room. The operator who needs to execute. The investor doing the math. The board asking the hard questions. The buyer about to run due diligence. I know what each of them needs — and I translate your company, your numbers, and your story to work for all of them.
I work remotely with companies across the country — fully embedded, available when it matters, doing the work myself at every level from the Excel model to the board presentation.
I work with ambitious companies across industries and stages — wherever senior financial leadership can make the difference between a good outcome and a great one. The common thread is a company ready to move to the next level and a leadership team that wants a partner who has done it before.
Preparing to raise
You're going into investor meetings and want to walk in ready
Airtight financials, a compelling story, and the confidence that your numbers say exactly what they need to — built by someone who's evaluated companies from the other side of the table.
Considering a sale
You're thinking about an exit and want to maximize what you get
Clean books, a defensible valuation, and a business positioned to hold up under diligence. I help you see what a buyer will see — and fix what needs fixing before they do.
Scaling the business
You need senior financial leadership without a full-time CFO
Fractional CFO engagement — fully embedded, senior judgment, without the overhead. Financial infrastructure built for where you're going, not just where you are today.
No retainer required to get started. Reach out and let's figure out if there's a fit — and what working together could look like.