Ran Haimoff

Climate & Sustainability Leaders: As business challenges keep stacking up—regulatory shifts, tariffs, labor shortages—the question of the moment is: Is your company operating on Hope or Action? After dozens of conversations with climate-tech executives at Trellis’ Impact ’25 and during SF & NYC Climate Weeks, a few leaders acknowledged leaning on “hope as a strategy.” But many others appear to be on a more disciplined path—actively running their businesses instead of being run by them. From my perspective, the organizations best positioned to survive—and ultimately thrive—share three traits: 1. People First. They know who their A-players are and invest in them. They develop their B-players. And they make the tough calls on C-players. 2. Alignment Around a Clear Mission. Markets shift and business models evolve. But A-players commit to a mission that inspires them—beyond any one leader. 3. Operational Discipline. Meetings are purposeful. Metrics are real-time and transparent. Everyone knows their role and how to move the organization forward. This sector has been battered. And while hope for a better outlook is natural, what climate and sustainability companies need right now is practical, honest operating guidance—not platitudes.  A strong business operating system can be the difference between surviving the turbulence and scaling through it. So—Is your organization running on Hope or Action? If you’re curious about assessing your company’s operational effectiveness, comment below or send me a note. I’d be glad to talk.

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I recently joined Colin Hewitt for his podcast, The New F*Word, which explores how Fractional CFOs are reshaping cash flow, financial strategy, and business growth. A Fractional CFO doesn’t need to have all the answers on day one. As I mentioned to Colin, "The biggest mistake I see is jumping straight to solutions before fully understanding the business. The approach I rely on is simple: listen first, create alignment, then deliver. That means understanding the people, the numbers, and the real problems before trying to fix anything. Once there’s alignment on what matters, execution becomes much easier." In this episode, we touch on a variety of other topics, including: * How to decide between a fractional CFO and a full-time hire * Why a company's financial narrative must pass the one-sentence test * The importance of alignment across every stakeholder * How to balance long-term vision with tactical flexibility * Why scenario analysis is a critical complement to point forecasts Please see the links below for the full podcast. I value your insights and look forward to your feedback... Apple: https://bit.ly/4aH65e0 Spotify: https://bit.ly/4qNfozk YouTube: https://lnkd.in/egaZEuFu #TheNewF*Word #FractionalCFO #CFOResponsibilities

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Recently, many CarbonSuite customers and prospects have been asking me how to get audit assurance on their emissions data. It's a great question, and one that’s becoming more urgent as regulations like CSRD, California Climate Disclosure, and the ASRS start to kick in. We just published a blog post to help sustainability managers understand how assurance actually works, the difference between limited and reasonable assurance, and why software can’t certify your emissions data (and why that's a good thing!) If you're navigating these topics for the first time, or want a clearer understanding of how to get your emissions reporting audit-ready, then this post is for you. 👉 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e8tpkp7C

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California is raising the bar on climate transparency With SB 253 & SB 261, companies will soon need to report their full carbon footprint (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) and disclose climate-related risks. At IsoMetrix, we’re working with organizations to make compliance simple—by automating carbon data, centralizing reporting, and cutting out the manual headaches. If your business is preparing for these new requirements, here’s a quick guide we put together to help: https://lnkd.in/gwRDRKh3

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"Doubling Profitability?" Yeah. A decade-long partnership. A bold strategy shift. One powerful outcome. See how one advisory business worked with FP Transitions to implement a next-gen succession plan, restructure compensation, and build a multi-owner model resulting in a 151% increase in profitability over five years. 📈 EBOC grew from $368K to over $925K 👥 Multi-owner structure fueled client growth and talent retention 🔑 Strategic planning turned succession into a growth catalyst Read the full story 👉https://hubs.ly/Q03qJfJR0 #FPInsights #SuccessionPlanning #RIAgrowth #NextGenAdvisors #BusinessStrategy #Advisors #FPTransitions

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Liquid AI is revolutionizing finance with FloQast Transform, building custom AI Agents to automate complex workflows like intercompany allocations, GPU spend tracking, bonus accruals, and more. Led by Jonathan Mears, VP of Finance, they’ve scaled operations, established and maintained a four-day close, and saved time while ensuring accuracy and agility. Read the case study to see how Liquid AI is setting a new standard for finance innovation: https://lnkd.in/embEqHZF #AIinFinance

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💭 Are Fractional CFOs Actually Delivering Value? In today’s market, I’m seeing a widening gap between strategy and implementation—and it’s raising a tough question: Are fractional CFOs truly bridging that gap… or just offering high-level strategy without real execution? With capital constraints, rising debt costs, and fragile cash positions, businesses need more than a slide deck or a monthly call. They need operators. Partners. Finance leaders who don’t just advise, but roll up their sleeves and build. So here’s the real question for founders and execs: ➡️ Is your fractional CFO driving measurable results across cash flow, cost structure, and capital strategy? Or… ➡️ Are you still stuck in the same place—with a nicer forecast? Would love to hear from other finance leaders, operators, and founders—what’s been your experience with fractional CFOs? Are they worth it in today’s environment? #FractionalCFO #StartupFinance #StrategicFinance #CashFlow #CapitalStrategy #CFOInsights #ExecutionMatters

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Working capital isn’t just about liquidity -- it’s a powerful lever for managing risk. The right strategy can reduce supplier exposure. It can also buffer against interest rate volatility and bring greater stability to global operations. It’s a tool CFOs are increasingly using not just to respond to disruption, but to lead through it. How? We’re seeing more finance leaders take a proactive approach by aligning working capital programs with enterprise risk goals and long-term growth strategies. Resilience provides a competitive advantage to businesses of all sizes. And working capital, when managed strategically, can drive both stability and confidence at scale.

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Decarbonization survives budget review when it improves the P&L. In 2025 it is strategy, not compliance. Profitability is the unlock for lasting climate action. In Part 1 of my blog series on Profitable Decarbonization, I break down lowering OPEX, upgrading and planned replacements, reducing transition risk, and working with top suppliers to move Scope 3 and total cost. Read Part 1: 👉   https://lnkd.in/d55TcW9G #decarbonization #CFO #ROI #OPEX #Scope1 #Scope2 #Scope3

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I had the opportunity to sit down with Jack Sweeney on CFO Thought Leaders for a conversation about the future of AI in enterprise financial planning, and how Pigment is helping leaders work smarter and collaborate more effectively across teams. We touched on why efficiency can be just as valuable as growth, and the lessons from my past experiences that continue to shape how I approach my work today. A big thank you to Jack and his team for having me, and for building a platform where finance leaders can share their perspectives on the evolving role of the CFO. Listen to the full episode here: https://okt.to/5RuMWi

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CARB’s new Draft SB 253 Reporting Template gives companies a first real look at how corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosures will work under the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. At Ecoprism, we break down what’s inside the draft, what it means for your business, and how to get SB 253-ready before the first reporting cycle begins.

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Inefficient growth is no longer tolerated. Boards and investors now expect profitability and positive cash flow far earlier in a company's lifecycle — not someday, not at scale. Now. The companies that will thrive? Those who innovate through operational efficiency, not just top-line growth. Honored to share this perspective alongside 19 other finance leaders in Forbes Finance Council. 👇 What's the financial assumption you've had to unlearn?

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