What Rankin McKenzie does

Rankin McKenzie, LLC is a privately held professional services firm founded in 2002 and headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, that provides fractional and interim CFO and Controller services to privately held companies. The firm operates as a cohesive team of 30+ full-time Partners, each with a minimum of 15 years of relevant financial leadership experience, selected on both technical credentials and personality/leadership fit. It self-describes as the oldest and largest fractional CFO firm in the Carolinas and reports serving more than 600 private company clients across verticals including Medical/Biotech/AgTech, Technology & SaaS, Manufacturing & Distribution, Construction & Real Estate, Services, Pharma & CRO, and Not-for-Profit.

The core revenue engine is professional services billing, with quote-based, multi-year engagements priced as a cost-effective alternative to a full-time CFO hire and matched to client budget alongside Partner rates. The go-to-market is consultative and Managing Partner-led, beginning with a discovery consultation, followed by cultural and skill-based Partner matching; services are delivered in-person in the Triangle region of North Carolina or remotely elsewhere. Supporting the funnel is a content marketing apparatus (blog, downloadable PDF guides, case studies, video content) and a Free Financial Operations Assessment tool hosted at assessment.rankinmckenzie.com.

The firm is governed by three equity Managing Partners - co-founder Robert McKenzie (CPA, MBA), Jeff Bell (CPA, CFE, MBA; joined 2013, Managing Partner since 2017), and Beth Mullaney (Business Development; joined 2011, Managing Partner since 2015) - with no disclosed parent company, outside funding, or M&A activity. Distribution is reinforced by referral-style partnerships with CPA firms, banking partners, PE/VC investors, and legal advisors that complement the firm's forward-looking financial leadership with tax compliance, credit access, and legal support during M&A and exit events.

Name

Rankin McKenzie

Legal name

Rankin McKenzie, LLC

Website

https://rankinmckenzie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rankin McKenzie is a Cary, NC-based professional services firm founded in 2002 that provides fractional and interim CFO and Controller services to private companies, delivered by 30+ senior Partners serving 600+ clients across the Carolinas and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fractional CFO and Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Finance & CFO Services (BPAHABAE)

Keywords

• Fractional CFO services
• Interim CFO services
• Fractional controller services
• Executive financial advisory
• Strategic financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Fractional CFO Services: Part-time/interim CFO services provided to private companies on flexible durations. Cost-effective alternative to full-time CFO hire. Pricing tailored to client needs and matched to Partner rates.
2. Fractional Controller Services: Part-time controller services for financial oversight and management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rankin McKenzie provides part-time and interim CFO and Controller services to private companies, delivering strategic financial leadership, financial planning, cash flow management, accounting oversight, regulatory compliance, M&A support, and CFO backfill on a flexible, cost-effective basis. Services are delivered by 30+ full-time Partners, each with 15+ years of experience, either in-person in the Triangle region of North Carolina or remotely. Engagements are quote-based, matched to client budget and required skill set.

Product overview

Rankin McKenzie is a professional services firm providing fractional and interim CFO and Controller services to private companies. The company operates as a cohesive team of over 30 full-time Partners, each with 15+ years of financial expertise. The core offerings consist of Fractional CFO Services (strategic financial leadership on a part-time basis) and Fractional Controller Services (accounting operations oversight), supplemented by a Free Financial Operations Assessment tool. The firm also provides educational resources including PDF guides on hiring CFOs and comparing financial roles, plus documented case studies demonstrating client successes across diverse industries including medical/biotech, technology, manufacturing, construction, and not-for-profit sectors. Services are available in-person in the Triangle region of North Carolina or remotely.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fractional CFO Services Part-time or interim Chief Financial Officer services providing strategic financial leadership, financial planning, cash flow management, regulatory compliance, M&A support, and executive-level guidance to private companies on a flexible, cost-effective basis.
• Fractional Controller Services Part-time or interim financial controller services providing oversight of accounting operations, financial reporting, budgeting, and regulatory compliance for private companies.
• Free Financial Operations Assessment Complimentary assessment tool hosted at assessment.rankinmckenzie.com that helps businesses evaluate their financial operations and determine their CFO needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ private company clients served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CPA FirmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRankin McKenzie CFOs frequently partner with CPA firms in client engagements. The CPA handles tax compliance and regulatory accuracy while the fractional CFO focuses on forward-looking financial strategy, forecasting, and business leadership. This complementary relationship is emphasized as a key value proposition - the CPA ensures the past is properly accounted for, and the CFO helps shape what comes next.
• Banking PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRankin McKenzie helps clients establish banking relationships and facilitates connections between clients and financial institutions for credit access and financing needs.
• Legal & Advisory PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks alongside legal counsel during M&A transactions, exits, and other corporate events requiring legal and financial coordination.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• B2B CFO Partners: Largest pure-play fractional CFO firm in the US, with a national network of Partners serving private companies of similar profile to Rankin McKenzie's. Closest direct comp by mission, structure, and client type.
• Strategic CFO: Fractional and outsourced CFO services firm serving small and mid-sized private companies, with a similar model of matching senior finance leaders to clients on flexible engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Tatum (a Randstad company): Provider of fractional and interim C-suite talent including CFOs, now part of global staffing firm Randstad. Overlaps with RM on fractional CFO engagements but operates at greater scale and broader executive coverage.
• Kreischer Miller: Full-service accounting and business advisory firm in the Mid-Atlantic offering outsourced and fractional CFO services to private companies, overlapping with RM's Triangle-region private-company client base.
• Marcum LLP: Top-20 US accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated CFO advisory and outsourced finance practice, serving private-company clients that overlap with RM's mid-market customers.
• Alvarez & Marsal: Global professional services firm with a leading interim management and turnaround CFO practice, often retained by private companies during transitions similar to those served by RM.
• Aprio: National accounting and advisory firm offering fractional CFO and outsourced financial leadership services to private companies across the Southeast and beyond.
• RGP (Resources Global Professionals): Global consulting firm placing senior finance and accounting professionals on fractional and project engagements, competing for the same on-demand CFO buyer as RM.
• Baker Tilly US: Large US advisory and accounting firm with an outsourced and fractional CFO practice serving mid-market private companies in similar end markets.

Emerging players

• Paro: Tech-enabled financial talent marketplace that matches companies with fractional and project-based finance professionals, including CFOs. Adjacent to RM's model but with lower-cost, faster-matching positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rankin-mckenzie-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rankin McKenzie