CFO & CEO Coaching
Coaching at the intersection of hard numbers and human dynamics — where most of the real opportunities and most of the real tension live.
The Zachary Group offers coaching for CFOs, rising finance leaders, and CEOs who want to get much more out of their finance function—and out of themselves as leaders. This work sits at the intersection of hard numbers and human dynamics, where most of the real opportunities and most of the real tension live.
Coaching for CFOs and Future CFOs
CFOs carry the most sensitive information in the company, are expected to be both guardian of the numbers and strategic partner—yet control almost none of the line items they report. Zachary coaches CFOs and up-and-coming finance leaders to translate five types of accounting into clear stories, build trust across the executive team, and develop the soft skills to deliver hard news without damaging relationships.
Zachary coaches CFOs on how to:
- Translate five different types of accounting and reporting into clear, actionable stories for boards, CEOs, and operators
- Build trust with peers so monthly, quarterly, and annual reports are believed, not resisted—and become a starting point for solutions instead of blame
- Develop the soft skills to have hard conversations, give unwelcome news, and still strengthen relationships with other executives
- Present divisional and consolidated results in ways that illuminate patterns, risks, and opportunities instead of overwhelming people with data
"The goal is to help CFOs step fully into their unique role: part risk manager, part strategist, part teacher, and, in many ways, a salesperson for better decisions—selling ideas, remedies, trade-offs, and paths forward."
— Zachary H. Lynde
CEO Coaching often focuses on:
- Understanding what great CFO work looks like (and what it doesn't)
- Asking better questions about forecasts, scenarios, and capital structure
- Using financial statements and dashboards as tools for strategy, not just scorecards
- Clarifying expectations so the CFO can deliver what the CEO actually needs
Coaching for CEOs Who Want to Use Their CFO Better
Zachary works with CEOs who want to become more fluent in their own numbers and learn how to direct, challenge, and support their CFO in ways that create real value for the company. This is especially powerful for founders and first-time CEOs learning to lead more complex businesses and more demanding boards and investors.
Bridging the CEO–CFO Relationship
Investors and boards value companies most when the CEO and CFO are aligned—bringing their different perspectives to the same table rather than pulling in opposite directions. Zachary facilitates joint coaching for CEO–CFO pairs to turn recurring friction into productive debate and present a united, credible front to boards and investors.
Zachary facilitates joint conversations to help CEO–CFO pairs:
- Understand each other's working styles, pressures, and blind spots
- Turn recurring conflicts over budgets, hiring, risk, and pace into structured, productive debates
- Agree on how strategy, narrative, and scenarios will be set before any numbers are applied
- Present a united, credible front to boards, lenders, and investors, even when the underlying discussions have been candid and tough
When this relationship is healthy, the whole executive team feels it: conversations get clearer, decisions get faster, and the company can respond to market, industry, and internal changes with more confidence and less drama.
How This Coaching Feels in Practice
Zachary's coaching is direct but supportive, grounded in decades as a sitting CFO, founder, and board member—blending real current issues with longer-term development around presence, communication, and strategic thinking. If you are a CFO, an aspiring CFO, or a CEO who wants a stronger partnership with finance, this coaching is designed to help you see your role more clearly, use your counterpart more effectively, and lead the business with more alignment and less friction.
Coaching Formats
One-on-One Executive Coaching
3-month minimum ongoing retainer
Agenda-driven sessions covering current business issues plus longer-term leadership development. Designed for CFOs, aspiring CFOs, and CEOs who want sustained growth over time.
Situational Coaching
1-month minimum intensive
Intensive support around a specific event or inflection point such as a board meeting, transaction, new role, or crisis. Focused, fast, and built for the moment.