Cristina Nilă, Fractional CFO, on modern financial leadership, strategy, sustainable growth, and creating real impact in company transformation.
She believes that, as a Fractional CFO, she can provide high-level strategic perspectives while remaining deeply involved in financial operations. This role allows her to support founders and CEOs during key transformation moments—whether it’s fundraising, restructuring, expansion, or digital transformation. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about building financial cultures that sustain growth and create long-term value.
At FintechOS, where she served as Group VP of Finance, Cristina led multiple investment rounds—from Seed to Series B. She coordinated financing efforts during crisis periods (IMM Invest in FintechOS, credit lines in Softelligence) that improved cash flow. She implemented ERPs (Oracle/Netsuite, Navision, Coda) to provide management with real-time financial data access and was also involved in the sale process of Britcom Direct.
International Speaker
Cristina is a speaker at international conferences such as Tax Review’s (ITR) Managing Tax Disputes (Amsterdam, 2025), ITR Transfer Pricing Forum 2025 Europe, Indirect Tax Forum 2022, and the Finance Leaders’ Summit (London, 2022).
Lecturer
She teaches from experience, not just theory, based on practical cases that make a difference. In the real world, you encounter situations where you need to make fast strategic decisions.
Fractional Insider: How was your transition from a traditional career to fractional leadership/consulting?
Cristina Nilă: The transition to fractional leadership / Fractional CFO happened at a time when I wasn’t sure whether to continue my traditional career or go independent. The universe always shows you the way.
It started with an interesting project that required collaboration from an entrepreneurial position. That’s how my journey as a Fractional CFO began.
The rewards are significant, as I can directly see the positive impact I have on the various companies I work with, from small to medium-sized, by offering financial clarity through analysis, planning, budgeting, efficient cash flow management, customized management reporting, and risk management.
Fractional Insider: What attracted you most to this model and what challenges did it bring?
What attracted me most was the ability to contribute directly to the growth and improvement of performance across many companies, leveraging my 20 years of experience in finance and top management roles.
Also, working with companies in different industries makes everything more challenging and engaging.
The main challenge is maintaining long-term collaboration with each client and ensuring they receive the maximum benefit from the partnership. As a Fractional CFO, I have both project-based and medium-to-long-term collaborations.
Fractional Insider: How do you choose the projects and clients you work with?
Cristina Nilă: I try to select clients that allow me flexibility and freedom. For six years, I worked in a startup with an intense pace and no work-life balance.
I also need to resonate with the business model and the people in the team. I choose projects where I believe I can have a major positive impact and that motivate me.
Fractional Insider: Tell us about a moment when you had a major impact as a fractional leader.
Cristina Nilă: As a Fractional CFO for one client, I began our collaboration during a crisis when dysfunctions and lack of control in financial-accounting processes exposed the company to significant risks.
In a remarkably short time, without structured guidance, a set team, or complete information, I managed to correct all procedural deficiencies and ensure compliance and operational integrity. Additionally, I implemented new regulations characterized by clarity and precision, establishing optimal functionality for both the present and the future.
The proof of our successful collaboration is that it has lasted for more than a year, with satisfaction on both sides.
Fractional Insider: What are the main differences between being a full-time executive and a fractional one?
Cristina Nilă: A full-time executive focuses on one type of business. The advantage of a Fractional CFO is the diversity of businesses they work with simultaneously.
Moreover, you can help companies recover and design their financial strategies from multiple perspectives.
Fractional Insider: How do you explain the value of a fractional to a skeptical CEO?
Cristina Nilă: The concept of a Fractional CFO is new in Romania but well-known abroad.
I don’t think I need to convince a skeptic—so far, I’ve always been approached for my expertise and the value I can bring to business recovery.
Companies should make smart decisions without sacrificing essential expertise, but rather by benefiting from it.
Fractional Insider: What are the most common mistakes companies make when working with fractionals?
Cristina Nilă: One mistake is not integrating all the work done by the fractional professional and failing to capitalize on it long-term.
It’s important for companies to use the outcomes of collaborations with experts even after they end.
From a fractional’s point of view, becoming too emotionally involved—considering the collaboration is limited in time—can also be a mistake.
Fractional Insider: How do you see the evolution of this career model in the coming years?
Cristina Nilă: I believe it will evolve beautifully, as there are advantages for both experts and companies.
For fractionals, the benefits include flexibility, the ability to choose clients, working hours, and work models. There’s also the diversity of industries where you can have a meaningful impact.
For companies, the main advantage is optimized costs, as they can work with experts on specific projects for limited periods.
A Fractional CFO gets directly involved and applies expertise immediately.
Fractional Insider: What advice would you give a senior professional considering becoming a fractional?
Cristina Nilă: I think it’s a personal choice between the security of a full-time job (if that even exists in today’s economic context) and the flexibility and variety that come with working across different industries.
Fractional Insider: What services do you offer for those looking for a Fractional CFO?
Cristina Nilă: Working with me helps entrepreneurs make better decisions, grow profitably, and avoid risks. The benefits include defining and implementing a clear financial strategy, optimizing cash flow, budgeting and forecasting with multiple scenarios and variance analysis, as well as ensuring long-term financial stability through efficient procedures and processes.
I also provide support for external audits or tax authority inspections, VAT recovery analysis and documentation, transfer pricing file preparation, and full due diligence processes for investment rounds or exit readiness.
My working process includes a preliminary analysis of a client-agreed period, identifying errors and risks, assessing the internal team and process efficiency, followed by a discussion with the client based on the report and establishing next steps. Each project includes follow-up and daily involvement to ensure that implemented processes and projects continue to work effectively. This includes monthly financial analyses, strategy updates, P&L reports, balance sheets, cash-flow monitoring, and tracking financial and operational KPIs.
The service is designed for startups and scale-ups that need a strong financial function but aren’t ready to hire a full-time CFO, for growing SMEs looking to avoid cash crises or fiscal issues, and for companies seeking investment or financing and wanting to build investor confidence.
Cristina Nilă demonstrates through her experience that modern financial leadership means adaptability, vision, and authentic partnership with founders and management teams.
