Family Office CFO
A family office CFO manages liquidity planning, reporting, tax coordination, and operational controls.
Definition
Definition The CFO (or finance lead) runs the financial operating layer: cash planning, budgeting, reporting cadence, tax coordination, and oversight of service providers. In family offices, the CFO often determines whether an investment is operationally feasible, not just attractive. Allocator Context Private market commitments can fail at the CFO layer due to cash timing, reporting burden, K-1 timing, or complexity. A CFO will ask practical questions: call pacing, admin setup, reporting format, and workload. Decision Authority Often an execution gate: the CIO can approve strategy, but the CFO can delay or block closing if operations and cash planning don’t work. Why It Matters for Fundraising Smooth closes require CFO-ready answers: expected call schedule, reporting samples, admin contacts, and realistic liquidity assumptions. Key Takeaways Drives feasibility and timing Reporting expectations matter Can delay closes even after investment approval Practical clarity reduces friction