Michael Wagner is a seasoned Fractional CFO and Certified Exit Planning Advisor who partners with small and mid-sized business owners to build companies that are not only profitable, but sustainable and transferable. With over 15 years of experience in finance, operations, and entrepreneurship, Michael has worked alongside owners navigating growth, succession, acquisitions, and financial complexity. He prefers working with SMBs because he believes business owners carry more than a P&L—they carry families, legacies, and communities. He understands the pressure of making payroll, managing risk, and planning for an eventual exit, and he brings both strategic clarity and calm leadership when the stakes are high. In one recent engagement, he stepped into a rapidly growing construction company with fragmented systems and limited visibility into cash flow, helping design the financial structure, forecasting discipline, and controls needed to scale confidently toward $50MM in revenue.
Michael’s superpower is turning financial chaos into clear, decision-ready insight. He builds architecturally sound cash flow models, forecasting systems, and financial frameworks that give owners confidence with banks, bonding agents, investors, and boards. But just as important as the numbers is how he works: collaborative, steady, and people-centered. He partners closely with leadership teams, translating financial complexity into practical decisions and equipping them to own the process. When Michael leaves an engagement, the business is stronger—cash flow is predictable, systems are sound, risks are managed, and the owner has greater clarity, confidence, and optionality for the future.