Ian Brenner leads the Interim CFO suite of services at Farber Financial Group.
Ian’s team augments the firm’s Turnaround & Crisis Management practice by providing adds hands-on, battle-tested experience to assist companies crystallize their strategy, rationalize resources, address weaknesses, leverage the key drivers of growth, and ultimately maximize value.
The Interim CFO suite of services is unique in the marketplace in that the firm’s CFOs often uncover long-term profit enhancement opportunities for the client -- whether it’s a company that is growing so fast that they cannot afford a full-time CFO, or a project-based resource with experience managing complex scenarios that is required, our Interim CFOs get the job done.
Ian has a long association with Farber Financial Group as both a client and as an advisor on special projects. Ian joined the firm in June 2011, bringing more than two decades of hands-on experience helping companies maximize profitability and add enduring value. As an experienced CFO, a private equity executive and a management consultant, Ian brings a wealth of experience to the Turnaround & Crisis Management practice. Ian’s focus goes beyond simply helping companies with tactical implementation; he is driven to help organizations discover and achieve their bottom-line potential
Prior to joining Farber Financial Group, Ian was an investment and fund manager for a Toronto-based private equity firm. Ian was responsible for sourcing investments in midmarket businesses that were underperforming, in a turnaround or distressed position or required restructuring. While at this firm, Ian was seconded to one of the fund’s investments, a multimillion dollar auto parts manufacturer. As their CFO for more than three years, Ian was part of the executive team that developed and implemented the global expansion strategy and ultimately sold the company to a major customer in 2009. Ian held responsibility for all financial and administrative functions of the business including strategic and operational support initiatives, reporting, financing and capital raising, managing relationships, treasury management, taxation matters, and HR.
Ian and his family arrived in Canada from South Africa in 2001. Shortly thereafter, Ian founded and was the executive in charge of a profit enhancement consulting practice at a Toronto-based accounting and financial services firm. Ian led the proprietary consulting process - The Profit Enhancement Process - a structured methodology focused on maximizing the profitability of businesses. Ian also offered expertise in the specialist area of consulting to family businesses, and in addition was active in the area of corporate finance.
Ian trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in South Africa in 1989. After being appointed as a manager to a leading mid-size audit and advisory firm, Ian was seconded to the United Kingdom, where he focused on corporate finance. On his return to South Africa, Ian was appointed as a partner to the firm in the consulting division. His practice was focused on providing advisory services to owner-managed, entrepreneurial and family businesses.
In the area of family business consulting, Ian worked with a unique consulting approach and methodology, which was rolled out to the international associate of the firm in the UK and North America.
In 1997, Ian left the accounting profession to co-find a private equity fund, which was focused on providing growth and replacement capital to family owned businesses. Over a period of 4 years, Ian assumed the role as both CFO of the fund and as fund manager, and was responsible for the investment in, monitoring of and divestiture from a number of companies in a broad range of industries. His skills range encompassed the structuring of investments, business and financial analysis, valuation, negotiation and the implementation of transactions. The hands-on style of the fund led to numerous interim appointments as CEO and CFO to investee companies over the period.