The challenge.
Deon Beekhuizen, Managing Director and shareholder of Roadlab undertook a bold transformation journey several years ago; scaling the business from a single laboratory in Germiston to a nationwide footprint of nine facilities. This growth, driven by acquisition, brought fresh market access, but also exposed critical challenges in the business operations and financial leadership.
Deon knew he needed a strong finance leader and initially hired a CFO through his own efforts, however it became evident fairly quickly that the match wasn’t right from a cultural, leadership or experience perspective. He realised that although appointing a CFO was a significant investment, the right expertise and strategic capability were needed for managing the growth Roadlab had envisioned.
The integration of eight additional laboratories introduced decentralised complexity, straining internal systems and exposing critical gaps in governance, reporting, and control. Without a cohesive finance function, creditor reconciliations became unreliable, resulting in duplicate supplier payments and compromised financial accuracy.
Debtors management was equally problematic, with unresolved accounts escalating to legal action and placing pressure on cash flow. Although the ERP system provided a basic framework, it lacked the scalability and agility required for Roadlab’s expanding footprint.
Most critically, the absence of formal budgeting, forecasting and performance KPIs left Deon and his Team without the visibility or understanding of the financial levers needed to steer the organisation to success. Strengthening financial oversight, upgrading systems, and restoring strategic clarity became urgent priorities for Deon and his executive team as they prepared Roadlab for its next phase of growth.
It was a candid, enlightening conversation with Hylton Surat of The CFO Centre, nine years ago that solidified Deon’s resolve to appoint Jaco Kriel a top-notch Fractional CFO who could bring the right blend of Financial leadership and commercial acumen to the Roadlab growth journey.
The approach.
Jaco brought in a level of expertise and professionalism that aligned with the company’s new scale plan. With a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ Jaco dedicated his first few weeks to working closely with Deon to unpack the key challenges Roadlab faced. Through his considered questioning and strategic foresight, Jaco helped reshape and refine the operational and financial bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the business.
Jaco played a pivotal role in building a capable finance team, guiding recruitment and embedding skills transfer through hands-on guidance and support.
Within a year, Roadlab specified and implemented a successful ERP system upgrade, unlocking continuous improvement, richer more meaningful management information, and more confident, data-driven decision-making.
A new credit risk policy was introduced, incorporating structured credit checks and collection processes that significantly reduced debtor days and minimised legal escalations.
Jaco’s strategic financial skills and foresight proved pivotal in shaping a robust long-term strategy. From exit and succession to targeted tax planning, resulting in a framework that drove significant savings and operational optimisation.
Client’s experience with a Fractional CFO.
As MD, Deon often felt isolated, balancing strategic decisions with operational demands while carrying the weight of accountability. Having Jaco onboard as a Fractional CFO, provided Deon with a trusted business partner to engage with on complex challenges and evolving ideas.
Jaco became a trusted sounding board for critical brainstorming and also freed up valuable time for Deon to focus on growing the business and innovation. Knowing that he had a seasoned financial leader, overseeing finance operations gave Deon peace of mind and renewed confidence in the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of financial data and reports.
