You May be Making Decisions in the Dark - Jacques Santucci on Financially Preparing your Business for the Future

The Enlightened Family Business Podcast

Ep. 162: You May Be Making Decisions in the Dark — Jacques Santucci on Financially Preparing Your Business for the Future

 

In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Jacques Santucci, President of Opus Consulting, for a grounded, practical conversation about one of the most underutilized levers in family business: financial leadership. Jacques brings a rare combination of international business experience — from Ernst & Young in France to CFO roles in the US — and 17 years of consulting to privately held and family-owned businesses across New England and beyond. Together, Chris and Jacques break down the critical differences between a bookkeeper, controller, and CFO; why so many family businesses are making major decisions with months-old data; what the early warning signs of financial trouble actually look like before an owner recognizes them; and why the fractional CFO model has become one of the most accessible and high-impact resources available to growing family firms. They also explore what a meaningful financial education pathway looks like for the rising generation — not to make them accountants, but to ensure they can read a P&L, understand a balance sheet, talk to a banker, and make decisions grounded in fact rather than gut feeling.

Episode Chapters

·       4:10   Meet Jacques Santucci

·       7:12   From France to Maine: A CFO’s Unlikely Journey

·       11:04  Bookkeeper, Controller, CFO — What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

·       17:12  The CFO’s Real Job: Looking at the Future, Not the Past

·       19:25  When Is It Time to Bring In a CFO?

·       21:33  Financial Reporting: What to Measure, How Often, and Why

·       25:31  Early Warning Signs Your Business Is Heading for Trouble

·       29:16  Customer Mix, Profit Margins, and Strategic Decision-Making

·       30:16  A Real-World Case Study: Seasonal Business, Six-Week-Old Data, and What Changed

·       31:47  Clean Data: Why Accuracy Is the Foundation of Every Good Decision

·       35:20  Developing the Rising Generation’s Financial Acumen

·       40:08  What Every Next-Gen Leader Needs to Understand About the Numbers

·       42:16  The Fractional CFO Model: Full Expertise at a Fraction of the Cost

·       46:05  Resources and Farewell

 

Websites

·       opuscg.com

·       chrisyonker.com

 

About Jacques Santucci

Jacques Santucci is the President and Founder of Opus Consulting, a nationally recognized full-service business advisory firm supporting companies from start-up to turnaround, and offering management and fractional C-suite services to unlock performance. Jacques is particularly skilled in helping businesses navigate complex inflection points and difficult industries, with over 20 years of experience in turnarounds and restructurings. He frequently serves as a restructuring officer, court-appointed receiver, or turnaround advisor — bringing disciplined execution and a practical, hands-on approach to each engagement.

In his capacity as a fractional CFO, Jacques utilizes his strategic and financial expertise to help companies improve fiscal controls, cash flow, and align financial operations with long-term goals. From his frontline perspective in restructuring and turnarounds, he is keenly aware of the financial decisions and factors that lead companies into distress — and works with business leaders to avoid those pitfalls earlier in the business lifecycle. Jacques built his career as a strategic finance leader, holding senior roles at Ernst & Young and Universal Pictures in Paris, France, before bringing his expertise to privately held and family-owned businesses across the United States.