Renzo DemartiniCase studies / Growth
Revenue from under A$10M to A$40M in four years.
As CFO of a window-furnishings manufacturer and retailer, reporting to the board.
In short
- Pricing, brand, the sales funnel and capacity, with the finance function keeping up.
- Revenue grew from under A$10M to A$40M in four years. EBIT doubled, production capacity tripled and staff grew from 60 to 150. In the same role I completed and integrated an acquisition that returned five times its price in EBIT.
01 The case · CFO
Situation, what I did and the result.
- A$40MRevenue in four years, from under A$10M
- 2×EBIT
- 3×Production capacity
- 60→150Staff
- SituationA window-furnishings manufacturer and retailer with revenue under A$10M. I was CFO from 2018 to 2022, reporting to the board.
- What I didI overhauled pricing, repositioned the brand as premium, redesigned the sales funnel and lifted throughput. I modelled and acquired a 6,500 m² facility. Alongside that, I rebuilt the reporting, built a rolling-forecast model and took the month-end close from 21 days to 5.
- ResultRevenue grew from under A$10M to A$40M in four years. EBIT doubled, production capacity tripled and staff grew from 60 to 150. In the same role I completed and integrated an acquisition that returned five times its price in EBIT.
02 For your business
What it means for your business.
Growth on this scale doesn’t come from one lever. Price, positioning, the sales funnel and capacity all moved, and the finance function had to keep up: reporting the board could steer by, a forecast that looked forward and a close that delivered the month in 5 days rather than 21.
If your business is growing faster than the way it runs, start with the numbers you steer by, then the levers. That is what an Ongoing adviser engagement is for, or Lead the change if something specific has to be rebuilt.
03 Questions
Common questions.
Which engagement fits a business growing this fast?
Usually Ongoing adviser, a monthly rhythm with the CEO, or Lead the change if something specific has to be rebuilt, such as the reporting or the close.
Can you get the same result in my business?
Results from past roles aren’t a promise of what will happen in yours. A Diagnostic, usually one to two weeks, shows which levers matter for you.
Keep reading
Related reading and more case studies.
- Finance operations
How a month-end close went from 21 days to 5
A slow close is rarely one big problem; it is many small waits, and the fix is to remove them in the right order.
Read → - Reporting
Management accounts and reporting that drive decisions, and that a board can trust
Design the report around one decision, then run five checks before an automated report reaches the CEO and board, and test them by breaking the report on purpose.
Read → - Case study · Acquisitions5×
An acquisition that returned five times its price in EBIT
A vendor who tried to renegotiate at the last minute, and a deal that was saved, completed and integrated.
Read the case study → - Case study · Reporting and systemsA$300K
A loss-making division to A$300K profit in 12 months
A divisional P&L re-engineered so it showed where the loss came from.
Read the case study → - Case study · IntegrationA$100K
A$100K a year in cost synergies from a regional acquisition
Financial due diligence and the post-merger integration, with growth into a new region.
Read the case study → - Case study · Control21→5
Month-end close from 21 days to 5, then from 10 to 5
Two closes rebuilt, and reporting the board used for capital allocation.
Read the case study →
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