Mastering Business Finances: From Bookkeeping to Strategic Planning or Bookkeeping vs. Controller vs. CFO / Month-End Madness: Tackling Common Closing Challenges

Are you ready to take control of your company’s financial health and make smarter, more strategic decisions? Join us for Mastering Business Finances, a dynamic two-part session designed to help family-owned and closely held businesses better understand both big-picture financial roles and the nuts-and-bolts of daily accounting operations.

Part One: Bookkeeping vs. Controller vs. CFO – What’s the Difference?
Gain clarity on the essential financial leadership roles—Bookkeeper, Controller, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Our expert panel will break down what each role entails, when to hire for each position, and how these roles collectively support a business’s growth and stability. Learn how strategic financial planning can guide your business forward, and walk away with a clear roadmap for building the right financial team.

Part Two: Month-End Madness – Tackling Common Closing Challenges
The end of the month doesn’t have to be mayhem. This session dives into common issues faced during the monthly close process, including bottlenecks, system integration challenges, and communication breakdowns. You’ll gain actionable strategies to streamline your close process, reduce stress, and build a more efficient accounting workflow.

Why Attend?

• Understand the differences and collaboration points between key financial roles

• Discover practical tools and strategies for more efficient financial operations

• Learn from experienced financial leaders across industries

• Ask questions specific to your business during the live Q&A

• Network with other business leaders facing similar challenges

Speakers:

Jacques Santucci, President, Opus Consulting

Jacques Santucci is the President and Founder of Opus Consulting. With a decades-long career across Europe and North America, he brings deep expertise in corporate strategy, financial management, and organizational transformation. He began his career at Ernst & Young and later held leadership roles at multinational firms, including Universal Pictures in Paris. Since moving to the U.S. in 1999, Jacques has led consulting engagements and served in executive positions across diverse industries.

A seasoned turnaround and restructuring specialist, Jacques has over 20 years of experience guiding businesses through complex transitions. His work spans court-appointed receiverships, bankruptcies, and financial restructurings. Under his leadership, Opus became one of the nation’s first full-service consulting firms for the cannabis industry, advising on licensing, operations, strategy, and pioneering receivership processes in multiple states.

As a fractional CFO, Jacques helps companies strengthen fiscal controls, manage cash flow, and align financial operations with long-term goals. He serves on the board of the Northeast Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association and is Treasurer of the Institute for Family-Owned Businesses.

Jacques holds an MBA from EDHEC Business School in France. Outside of work, he enjoys motorcycling, skiing, traveling, and time with his wife and two daughters.

Nick Sampson, BNN’s Client Accounting & Advisory Services Practice Lead, Baker Newman Noyes

Nick serves as BNN’s Client Accounting & Advisory Services Practice Lead, bringing more than 12 years of experience to his role. He and his team work with businesses of all sizes, from start-ups and emerging growth companies, to established enterprises. Nick provides strategic financial guidance, manages comprehensive accounting solutions, and delivers tailored advisory services to help clients achieve their financial goals. He utilizes the latest advances in financial software to efficiently organize financial operations while offering a comprehensive range of services from transactional management to controllership and CFO services.

Nick also has extensive experience providing tax and consulting services to closely held businesses with a focus on state and local tax compliance issues. Nick earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting from Worcester State University.