Donald DeHaven
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Area President
About
I've worked in finance for more than twenty years, and in that time I've sat in almost every seat there is — a young Big 4 consultant, the President running the full P&L for a multi-site company, an M&A analyst evaluating deals from the buyer's side, and an independent CFO sitting across the table from owners trying to figure out what to do next. That range is what shaped how I lead: I don't just look at a business's numbers, I think about what it's like to be the person responsible for them.
What I've learned is that most owners aren't struggling because they're bad at business. They're struggling because they're flying without instruments — making real decisions on gut feel because nobody's translated the financials into something they can actually act on. That's the gap I care about closing.
As Area President for FocusCFO here in Metro Atlanta North, my job is to connect owners with the right Fractional CFO before that gap turns into a crisis, not after. I take real pride in building relationships with owners, bankers, and advisors that are honest first and transactional second. If I can help someone make a confident, clear-eyed decision about their business instead of a scared one, that's a good day for me.
Before FocusCFO
Before joining FocusCFO, I spent two decades learning what it actually takes to get a business to a better place — not in theory, but by living it. I started at PwC, where Big 4 training taught me how numbers earn trust with lenders and buyers alike. Then I ran the full P&L as President, CFO, and COO of a 24-location platform, where I learned that a turnaround isn't a spreadsheet exercise — it's a hundred hard calls made under pressure, and the difference between a business that survives and one that doesn't usually comes down to whether someone has real visibility into what's coming. I later worked the other side of the table as an M&A analyst, evaluating which companies were actually worth buying, and came away knowing exactly what separates a business that's merely profitable from one that's truly transferable.
For nearly a decade after that, I worked directly with owners as an independent fractional CFO and restructuring advisor — negotiating down debt, untangling balance sheets, and helping people make decisions they could live with instead of ones made out of fear. Stops as a law firm CFO, a fintech analyst, and a finance transformation lead across different industries all reinforced the same lesson: the tools change, but the destination doesn't. Every owner is trying to get from where they are to somewhere more stable, more valuable, and more theirs to walk away from when they're ready. That's what I bring to FocusCFO's Sherpa Team model — I'm not guessing at the climb ahead for a client, I've made it myself, from more sides of the table than most advisors ever do.
CONTACT
Get in touch with Donald
Fill out our short form below and Donald will be in touch with you soon.At FocusCFO, we help you direct your financial strategy and achieve your goals, giving you the freedom to change your life.
FocusCFO provides expert to help entrepreneurs like you overcome these obstacles and achieve sustainable, transferable business value.
Our fractional CFOs provide the expertise of a full-time CFO at a fraction of the cost, with the flexibility to scale your support as needed. You will gain a clear understanding of your financial performance, streamline your operations, and develop a strategic roadmap for success.
Part of Your Team
Our experienced CFOs become an embedded part of your leadership team, providing strategic financial guidance to drive growth and profitability
C-Level Experience
Benefit from the insights of seasoned financial executives who have decades of experience working in industry, not just for it, as financial executives and entrepreneurs.
Team Approach
Leverage the collective wisdom of our collaborative team of CFOs - decades of expertise and best practices derived from a culture of collaboration and teamwork.THE VALUE PYRAMID PROCESS
Guiding entrepreneurs on the climb to building sustainable, transferable business value
Our fractional CFOs provide the expertise of a full-time CFO at a fraction of the cost, with the flexibility to scale your support as needed. You will gain a clear understanding of your financial performance, streamline your operations, and develop a strategic roadmap for success.
