By Kerry George
Every so often, one of our CFOs gets a chance to step out of client work and share what they’ve learned with the next generation of finance professionals. Recently, Dave Petet did exactly that as a guest speaker at Missouri State University.
Dave joined a graduate course called Forensic Accounting: Litigation Support and Expert Witnessing, taught by Kyle Goodin, MAcc, CFE. About 35 students were in the room, and they came ready with questions.
What the course covers
This isn’t an intro class. It’s a graduate-level deep dive into one of the most demanding corners of accounting: helping attorneys, courts, and businesses make sense of financial evidence when the stakes are high.
Students in the course work through case analysis, write expert reports, and practice deposition and trial testimony. They also study the legal issues that shape an expert witness’s role. In other words, they’re learning how to take complex numbers and explain them clearly, accurately, and under pressure.
A conversation, not a lecture
More than just walking through slides, Dave kept things conversational. Kyle and Dave encouraged students to jump in with questions, and they did. Lots of them.
That back-and-forth gave Dave room to do what he does best: connect the theory to what actually happens inside real businesses. He shared examples from his own work (without names or company details, of course) to show how financial analysis holds up, or doesn’t, when someone’s decisions are on the line.
“The best part of the presentation for me was tying in real world examples to the course materials. It made the subjects more relatable. So much of our daily experiences helping businesses land exactly in the strike zone of forensic accounting. Things like single points of failure, loose controls, opportunities for fraud and many others”, said Dave.
Why this matters for the businesses we serve
You might wonder what a forensic accounting class has to do with a fractional CFO firm. More than you’d think.
The skills that make a strong expert witness are the same ones that make a strong CFO:
- Numbers you can defend. If a figure can stand up in a deposition, it can stand up in a lender meeting, a board review, or a buyer’s due diligence.
- Clear explanations. A good expert can walk a jury through a financial story. A good CFO does the same for an owner, a leadership team, or a bank.
- Good documentation. Clean records and clear support for decisions protect a business long before anyone thinks about a dispute.
- Calm judgment under pressure. Tough questions come with the territory, whether they come from opposing counsel or a skeptical investor.
When a business owner brings on a Crown CFO, they get that kind of experience and rigor applied to their everyday finances.
Investing in the next generation
We’re proud when our team gets invited into classrooms like this one. It says something about the depth of experience across the Crown CFO bench. And it’s a chance to give back to a profession that’s been good to all of us.
A big thank-you to Kyle Goodin and the Missouri State students for the warm welcome and the sharp questions. We hope to be back.
Want to talk with someone like Dave?
If you’re a business owner who could use experienced financial leadership, without the cost of a full-time CFO, we’d be glad to have a conversation. No pressure, just a chance to see if we’re a fit. Reach out at kerry@crowncfo.com.
FAQ
What is forensic accounting? Forensic accounting uses accounting, auditing, and investigative skills to analyze financial information for legal disputes, investigations, and litigation.
What does a financial expert witness do? A financial expert witness analyzes the numbers in a legal case, prepares a written report, and explains their findings in depositions and at trial.
How do forensic accounting skills help a business outside of court? The same habits (defensible numbers, clear documentation, and plain explanations) help businesses prepare for lenders, investors, audits, and buyers.
What does a fractional CFO do? A fractional CFO provides experienced, part-time financial leadership, such as forecasting, cash flow management, and strategic planning, without the cost of a full-time hire.