When to Hire a Fractional CFO: Bart Davis on The Building Texas Podcast

When should a growing company hire a fractional CFO, and what should it expect to invest in finance and accounting?

In this episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie speaks with Bart Davis, CEO and Co-founder of 512Financial, about the finance and people operations infrastructure companies need as they scale.

Bart explains why startup and growth-stage finance requires a different skill set than leading finance inside a large enterprise. He shares when founders should consider hiring a fractional CFO, how much companies should budget for accounting and finance, and why a fractional model can provide access to deeper, more specialized expertise than relying on a single full-time hire.

The conversation also explores why a controller and HR leader are two of the most important early operational hires. Bart discusses common risks involving worker classification, multi-state employment compliance, and fragmented financial reporting, as well as why 512Financial employs its fractional professionals as full-time W-2 team members.

The episode closes with Bart’s perspective on AI in finance. He explains how AI can accelerate reporting, analysis, and routine workflows, where the technology still falls short, and why experienced finance leaders remain essential when decisions carry significant financial, regulatory, or operational consequences.