Kaplan CFO Solutions, the region’s largest provider of interim CFO services, has announced that Sue Kersbergen has joined the firm’s Western North Carolina office in Asheville.
Kersbergen comes to Kaplan CFO from the Asheville-based wealth management firm, Boys, Arnold & Company. Before that, she spent seven years as CFO for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina and 17 years in various capacities with Wachovia Corporation (now Wells Fargo), including five years as Senior Vice President. She began her career in 1988 as a Senior Auditor at Deloitte & Touche (Charlotte, NC) and has spent the last 28 years in senior and C-level financial management positions.
“Sue brings a unique background that combines strategic and tactical financial experience with non-profit and for-profit organizations,” explains Ken Kaplan, Managing Partner for Kaplan CFO. “Just as importantly, she has outstanding communication skills, which is critical at the management level, but often lacking in C-suite financial leaders,” he added.
Kersbergen’s experience in banking, finance and wealth management provides an excellent fit for Kaplan CFO’s clients, mainly small to mid-sized enterprises. The firm has wasted no time putting her talents to good use, assigning Kersbergen to two of Kaplan CFO’s newest clients, the Asheville restaurant Chai Pani and the regional non-profit organization, Pisgah Legal Services.
“I am looking forward to working with a variety of clients where I can jump in and make a difference and have an immediate positive impact. Working with Kaplan CFO allows me to utilize my various experience, not only as a CFO but in venture capital, banking, auditing, accounting, and wealth management,” she said.
In addition to her expertise in banking and finance, Kersbergen also specializes in budgeting and forecasting, financial modeling, projections, analysis and reporting. She also brings a solid track record of venture capital/merger and acquisition experience, including valuation analysis, board representation, and exit strategies. Within the local community, Kersbergen serves as Board Member and Treasurer of Four Seasons Foundation (Hendersonville, NC.), a nationally recognized non-profit leader in delivering co-created care for people with a severe illnesses. In addition, she is also Board Member and Treasurer for Big Big World Project (Arlington, VA.), a non-profit providing direct support for children in Vietnam living without parents.
During her downtime, Kersbergen can often be found outdoors on the trail. “I grew up at the beach in Florida, but I now love the mountains. I hiked the 28.3-mile Trailblaze challenge this past May and am in the process of hiking the area’s 40 peeks that are over 6,000 feet. I also recently took up tennis, but I’m still very new at it,” she laughed. “My favorite thing to do, though, is to spend time with my amazing twin daughters when they are in town or when I visit them.”
Kersbergen’s arrival at Kaplan CFO comes as the firm continues to scale up to meet the increasing demand for its services. Recently, the firm also added Jim Maddox to its Tri-Cities office in Kingsport, TN, and Keith Simon to its WNC office in Asheville. Kaplan CFO now has 14 CFOs and 350+ years of cumulative C-level experience.
“Across the WNC area, Tri-Cities and SC Upstate, small- and medium-sized companies continue to outpace growth projections. As a result, companies are discovering that their need for advanced financial planning, internal controls, and executive-level support quickly outpace their internal capabilities. Our embedded CFOs can offer those services on an interim basis to provide a very affordable and effective solution,” explained Ken Kaplan.
ABOUT KAPLAN CFO:
Established in 2008, Kaplan CFO Solutions is a team of 14 veteran independent CFOs working with fast-growing small- to mid-sized businesses and those in transition. Working on-site as part of the client’s management team, Kaplan CFOs manage the day-to-day financial operations and help create the business processes and relationships clients need to succeed at the next level. The firm serves the business communities across western North Carolina, the Tri-Cities and the Upstate of South Carolina.
