YOUR UPSIDE CFO TEAM

Brian Lang

CEO & Founder

Brian is the powerhouse, visionary, and financial expert that drives the influence and strategies of Upside CFO and their sister company, Austin Tax. His experience as a Chief Financial Officer, manager, and corporate controller provides clients with a successful path to either regain command of, or improve, their financial picture.

Leading a team of experts, Brian can tame the most complex financial situation by educating clients on tax saving strategies and operational processes to increase business profitability.

Whether the client be a small business or one of the top 1%, Brian’s own enjoyment comes from fulfilling his desire to help all clients become financially astute and deliberately plan for the growth they want to achieve.

Brian received his Bachelors and Masters of Accountancy from the University of Missouri and he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Understanding the need for all to have a great live-work balance, Brian relishes vacationing with his family in Colorado and is involved in entrepreneurial activities in the Austin, TX area.

Meaningful Experience:

• Owner, developer and investor of Blue Sky Investment Group – a boutique real estate firm that manages a double digit rental portfolio.
• Executed over $200M in acquisitions as both Controller and CFO at Pearl Aircraft and CCNG Oil and Gas Company
• Developed and implemented tax savings strategies for clients with realized savings of millions of dollars over the last 5 years.
• Managed the IPO process for three different companies, collaborating with auditors, compliance and legal oversight.
• Board member of Entrepreneurial Organization Accelerator. The mission is to empower entrepreneurs with the tools, accountability and community to aggressively grow and master their business.

Andre Bridgewater

Accountant

Andre provides the foundational support necessary to keep the financials of our clients accurate and up-to-date. Excelling in accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank reconciliations, data processing and information systems, she provides real-time assurance and support to our clients so they are able to make strategic financial decisions.

Over the years she has worked with various business sectors including Financial Institutions, Travel Companies, Property Management, Retail and Wholesale, and Information Technologies. This diversity has provided Andre necessary insight into a clients specific needs so that optimal systems are implemented to achieve the most effective and streamlined reporting outcomes.

Aside of her strong work ethic, Andre enjoys spending time with her family, engages in graphic design, and immerses herself in as many Do It Yourself projects as she can.

Meaningful Experience:

• Oversaw corporate billings for 300+ systems per month in a fast-paced, time-sensitive SaaS environment. Within 3 months, identified, developed, and implemented the control and communication procedures for service and inventory departments – producing roughly $45K in savings on purchases based on accurate demand.
• Created a structured billing system and managed accounts receivables for a startup Fintech company resolving all billing issues, and promptly decreasing delayed payment by 80% – increasing cash flow within the first month.
• Managed a multi-branch travel agency accounting department. Executed systematic control procedures to improve consistency, accuracy, and efficiency. Was first point of contact for information technology and management system issues providing exceptional internal customer service.

Yvonne Banfield

Client Success Strategist & Coach

Yvonne leads the Upside CFO team in creating customized business strategies that help our clients achieve financial freedom. She places our clients’ success at the top of her priority list and is committed to providing useful, decisive tools, reports and processes that can be used to identify risks and opportunities and increase profits.

Yvonne brings an unique blend of both Fortune 500 and small business knowledge and experience to the table. She is a proactive, big-picture thinker who enjoys unwinding both financial and non- financial data to help business owners meet their goals.

Along with her passion for helping businesses grow, Yvonne loves being outside in nature and spending time with her family and friends. She can usually be found near the water, walking the beaches on the west coast of Florida with her daughter, or enjoying time in Michigan with her son kayaking or hiking.

Meaningful Experience:

• Co-founded and built her own business at a young age. Serving as both the CFO and COO for 17 years, the company quickly grew into the top 10% of the state’s industry and was eventually sold to a regional franchise group who used Yvonne’s business and its’ systems as their flagship business model.
• Worked the next 10 years in Corporate Finance for a Fortune 500 company in an array of roles: Divestitures, Advertising & Trade, Innovation, Forecasting and Supply Chain.
•  Transitioned into the Business Coaching/Fractional CFO arena in 2020 working for a non- profit organization, and eventually joining the Upside CFO team.
• Yvonne holds a degree in Finance from the University of North Carolina.

Oscar Christer-Jan McKenzie

Financial Analyst

Oscar brings years of public and private sector accounting, management, and finance experience to the Upside CFO clients. Having developed a specialty in the areas of Financial and Managerial Reporting, Budgeting, Policy Development, Strategic Planning and Change Management he provides our clients the needed financial details and analytics that provide keen insight to make pivotal decisions.

Having a passion for numbers, Oscar finds fulfillment in being able to successfully present financials in a way that makes sense to those who rely on the information.

He holds a Master’s Degree from the Lord Ashcroft Business School – Anglia Ruskin University (UK), as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Management/Finance, from Heriot Watt University (UK). He is also an associate member of the ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) and holds full certification from the ABE (Association of Business Executives).

When he’s not sitting down crunching numbers, you can find Oscar standing up cheering, as he is a huge soccer fan and an avid Manchester United supporter. He also spends quality time with family, enjoys catching up on the latest technologies, and is an ardent reader.

Meaningful Experience:

• Responsible for the end-to-end accounting and reporting process, budgeting, cashflow management and policy development and implementation as the Accountant for the largest private gated residential community in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Oversaw a finance and accounting team of over 35 employees as Finance Manager and Cost Accountant at the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Service. Responsible for managing an annual OPEX of $16M, CAPEX of $6M, as well as Public Sector Investment spend.
• Implemented the accounting policies and guidelines for a private medical facility.

Jonathan Kim

Senior Tax Accountant

Jonathan assists Upside CFO clients in unraveling the complex and often misunderstood tax laws and regulations by presenting it in understandable language. Working with start-up companies to seasoned veterans of business; individuals to corporations; he keeps all clients informed about their business from a tax standpoint to increase profits year over year.

Representing a broad range of businesses, including real estate, online sales and physicians, he enjoys getting to know the clients individually to tailor their internal controls through planning and advisory – maximizing the results on their tax returns.

Jonathan received his Bachelors in Accounting from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

After the intense tax season, Jonathan enjoys traveling worldwide to experience different cultures and foods. He also enjoys the peace and quiet of fishing from time to time.

Meaningful Experience:

• Educated client on cost segregation, recommending an analysis to determine additional depreciation. In doing so it allowed the client to hire more people and implement a more efficient software that streamlined processes and ultimately increased sales.
• Identified business expense deductions client was unaware of due to not understanding the tax code. Was able to significantly reduce the tax burden and free up cash for the purchase of more inventory.
• Team player that collaborated to execute internal controls and procedures to improve client interactions, and to confirm that recommended strategies were operating efficiently, assuring adjustments were made in a timely manner for optimal tax savings.

Rose Hammer

Client Success Strategist & Coach

Rose examines the big picture view of a client’s business, targeting structures and protocols that can hinder real time accuracy in cash flow and profitability. She provides insight and solutions to overcome the obstacles, giving the client better visibility into the decisions that will propel future growth.

With over 40 years of corporate management, real estate brokering, accounting, and construction experience, her diversification is applicable to a wide array of businesses. She excels in identifying problems, providing solutions and implementing them in a successful manner and is rewarded by seeing clients streamline processes and taking some stress off their plates!

While juggling many hats, Rose claims her greatest role is that of being a mother of five. Spending time with her children in any capacity, taking in the fresh morning air to tend to her vegetable garden, or dancing (literally) down the path of life are ways she unwinds and enjoys herself.

Meaningful Experience:

• Envisioned, formulated, and took action in 2020 to develop a nonprofit retreat designed to encompass four outreaches – environmental, educational, personal wellness and charitable activities – and interweave them into a life changing experience.
• Founded a business in 2010, representing investors, corporate entities, and small businesses engaged in commercial real estate transactions.
• Developed a portfolio that was targeted to deliver $1M in annual net cash flow, anchored by over $20M in both private equity and commercial real estate investments for large real estate firm; launched the Property Management and Accounting Divisions.

Morgan Sell

Executive Assistant & Office Manager

Morgan champions the communications, organization and forward movement of the team to provide the best experience for the clients. Effectively overseeing all aspects of administrative processes and assuring the capture of important information, she is the centrifugal force that keeps operations running smoothly, productivity high, and the Upside CFO client well taken care of.

Bringing an upbeat attitude and a strong desire to keep things on track, she continually motivates the team to keep goals at the forefront, setting obtainable milestones, and distributing responsibilities accordingly; so that performance is at its peak and both the Upside CFO team and clients are receiving desired results.

Outside of work, Morgan enjoys spending time with her friends and community in Madison, WI. She can oftentimes be found reading at the local charter school, dog-sitting for a neighbor down the road, or playing “Big Sister” to her “Little Sister”.

Meaningful Experience:

• Effectively supported C-Suites and Executive teams by proactively managing calendars, coordinating key meetings, and facilitating effective communication across internal and external stakeholders.
• Co-led the design, planning, analysis, and administration of compensation programs (including merit increases, short and long term incentive plans, and other specialty pay programs) to ensure fair and competitive pay structures were aligned against organizational goals.
• Partnered with hiring managers to provide full lifecycle recruitment (sourcing top talent, vendor management, interview and onboarding)
• Significant training and education in Project Management, Scrum, Effective Messaging and as a Chaos Fighter (supplying order and documentation).