Selected Mandates
The following representative mandates illustrate the type of work Stratera undertakes. Client names, dates, and identifying details are intentionally omitted due to confidentiality obligations.
A high-growth, venture-backed business was preparing to transition from private ownership to the public markets. The organization needed to elevate finance from private-company reporting to public-company standards, introduce its first formal planning function, and build the governance and cadence required for institutional scrutiny.
At entry, there was no formal FP&A capability, the monthly close cycle was approximately 25 days, and reporting was not board or investor grade. Historical audits had been completed as a private company, but the move to a public-company audit and disclosure environment introduced execution risk across reporting quality, controls, and stakeholder expectations. In parallel, the business pursued its first acquisitions, adding complexity to an already compressed timeline.
Provide senior, hands-on finance leadership to execute a successful public listing, build institutional-grade finance capabilities, and support the capital markets and acquisition agenda. This included ownership of core finance workstreams across reporting, planning, audit coordination, and governance cadence.
The company successfully completed its IPO and listed on the TSX with a strengthened finance operating model and institutional-grade reporting cadence. Finance evolved from transactional reporting to a central control plane for performance management, investor credibility, and acquisition integration, positioning the organization to sustain growth under public-market expectations.
Stratera is engaged in situations like this when organizations face compressed timelines, elevated external scrutiny, and multi-track complexity. The work requires senior judgment, disciplined execution, and the ability to institutionalize finance and governance while the business continues to move.
A multi-product, multi-market technology business experienced abrupt senior leadership disruption, including the departure of its CEO and CFO. The board required immediate senior leadership to stabilize execution, validate the company's strategic direction, and execute against a defined path to liquidity.
At entry, the organization lacked a coherent operating cadence and clear accountability across functions. Go-to-market execution was inconsistent, product priorities were driven by sales rather than strategy, and handoffs between sales, delivery, and finance were weak. While metrics existed, they were not being used as decision tools. Compounding the risk, a significant portion of the revenue base was approaching renewal, heightening execution and credibility pressure.
Appointed by the board to provide senior executive leadership, reporting directly to the board and participating at the board level, with responsibility to stabilize the organization and execute against three defined corporate objectives: prove and stabilize a direct-to-consumer business model; rebuild the enterprise platform and operating discipline; and position the business for a successful transaction outcome.
The organization successfully achieved its corporate objectives. The direct-to-consumer model was validated at scale, enterprise operating discipline was embedded, and revenue predictability was restored through a critical renewal cycle. The business was ultimately sold, delivering a successful transaction outcome aligned with board and shareholder objectives.
Stratera is engaged in situations like this when leadership disruption, execution risk, and strategic uncertainty converge. The work requires senior judgment, authority, and the ability to operate at board level while driving the business to a defined outcome.
An owner-managed business experiencing rapid growth was preparing for a potential sale. While commercial momentum was strong, the organization had not previously operated with institutional-grade finance, operating discipline, or reporting, creating material execution risk for a sell-side process.
At entry, the business was operating on a cash accounting basis without GAAP-compliant financials, normalized EBITDA, or defined KPIs. Financial systems and data structures were fragmented, the data room was incomplete, and management lacked fluency in the financial and operational narrative required for buyer diligence. Despite scale and growth, the business was not transaction-ready.
Engaged as sell-side finance executive, operating in an interim CFO and de facto COO capacity, to prepare the organization for a sale process, establish institutional-grade financial credibility, and lead execution across finance and operations. The role required direct engagement with ownership, management, bankers, buyers, and advisors.
The organization was elevated to transaction-grade standards, with institutional-quality financial reporting, clearer operating discipline, and an articulated value narrative across finance and operations. Management capability, sales execution, and decision-making were materially strengthened, positioning the business to pursue strategic outcomes from a significantly improved footing.
Successful sell-side processes depend on more than clean numbers. They require operational clarity, credible metrics, and leadership that can run the business under scrutiny. Stratera is engaged in these situations to integrate finance and operations, professionalize execution, and prepare organizations for high-stakes transactions.
Organizations facing audit delays, control deficiencies, or reporting failures often encounter compounding risk across governance, investor confidence, and regulatory standing. In these situations, management requires experienced leadership to restore order, re-establish credibility with auditors and stakeholders, and bring the reporting process back under control.
At entry, audits were delayed or at risk due to incomplete and unreliable audit files, weak internal controls and documentation, and inconsistent application of accounting standards and judgments. Communication between management, auditors, and advisors was fragmented, and confidence had eroded at the board and audit committee level. Reporting deadlines were under pressure, increasing regulatory and reputational risk.
Engaged as interim CFO and audit remediation lead, accountable to management, the board, audit committees, and external stakeholders, to stabilize the audit process, remediate control deficiencies, and restore institutional-grade reporting discipline. The mandate required hands-on execution, clear authority with auditors, and structured communication across stakeholders.
Audits were completed cleanly under compressed timelines, reporting deadlines were met, and confidence was restored across auditors, boards, and regulators. Finance and governance practices were stabilized, enabling the organization to operate with institutional-grade credibility and reduced execution risk going forward.
Audit failures and control breakdowns are rarely technical problems alone. They reflect gaps in leadership, governance, and execution under pressure. Stratera is engaged in these moments to restore control, credibility, and confidence when reporting and regulatory expectations must be met without disruption.
If you are facing a transition, transaction, or credibility moment, a confidential discussion is often the right place to start.