The CFO 90-Day Plan

3 October 2026 · 7 min read · Manfred Schönberger

The finance leadership position is vacant, the close is running late, or growth is absorbing more cash than expected. An interim CFO takes responsibility under time pressure. After 90 days, management should be able to assess available financial headroom, understand earnings and judge which actions are working. This plan sets out the work involved and the evidence by which the assignment can be assessed.

Start with a clear mandate

An international interim CFO leads the finance function for an agreed period. Before the assignment starts, the client and CFO need to establish decision rights: who approves expenditure, who negotiates with lenders and which matters require executive or board approval? Available capacity, access to information and a shared understanding of the objective are equally important.

Covering a vacancy calls for different priorities from a turnaround or an acquisition integration. The starting position therefore determines the plan. Immediate cash pressure puts payments and financing first. In a stable business, the quality of the close, performance management or team leadership may deserve more attention.

The milestones below are a proposed working framework, rather than universal deadlines. They combine established guidance on the CFO role, cash forecasting and working capital with an editorial recommendation for running an assignment. Deloitte describes the CFO as responsible for accurate accounts and an effective finance operation, while also contributing to strategy and its execution. [1]

The first week: establish cash availability and ownership

Start with obligations as they fall due. Review bank balances, usable credit facilities, outstanding customer invoices, trade payables and upcoming major payments. The CFO should establish which funds are actually available and which approvals or conditions restrict their use. Financing commitments enter the forecast with their specific conditions attached.

At the same time, speak with management, the finance team, sales and operations. Where do delays occur? Which report requires repeated manual adjustments? Who understands an unusual accounting entry? These conversations help reveal information gaps and dependencies on individual employees before they become obstacles.

By the end of the first week, a short situation report should identify upcoming payments, visible risks, missing information and decisions that cannot wait. Every critical issue needs an owner and a next review date. Potential cash shortfalls require immediate attention from the relevant decision-makers.

By day 30: build a usable financial baseline

The next task is to make uncertainty visible and reduce it systematically. A rolling 13-week cash flow forecast can provide the short-term view. PwC identifies this horizon as a tool for assessing near-term funding requirements. [2] The CFO should establish a weekly routine to compare actual receipts and payments with the forecast, explain differences and extend the horizon.

Inputs need to come from the business. Sales assesses expected receipts and disputed invoices; procurement and operations provide expected payments and commitments. Each significant assumption has an owner. When cash is tight, the most immediate payments also require a closer, potentially daily review.

In parallel, the finance team reviews the quality of the latest close. Bank and subledger reconciliations, accruals, inventory valuation and exceptional items deserve attention. Uncertain balances remain clearly identified in the report. Management needs to distinguish a change in trading performance from an unresolved accounting matter.

Evidence for completing this stage includes reconciled opening balances within the agreed review scope, a traceable cash forecast and a prioritised issues list. The CFO records which figures are reliable enough to use and where further investigation is still necessary.

By day 60: turn findings into action

With the baseline in place, the underlying business causes can be addressed. Where are margins weakening? Which customers pay late? Which inventory moves slowly? The CFO examines the material drivers with the people responsible for operations. Project billing and utilisation may matter most in a services business; purchasing terms and inventory may dominate in a trading company.

Operating working capital deserves particular attention: inventory and trade receivables less trade payables. Cash tied up in these balances is temporarily unavailable for other payments. ACCA explains how credit terms, inventory and liquidity interact, including the trade-offs between them. [3]

Implementation needs to reflect these trade-offs. Inventory reductions require coordination with delivery requirements. Disputed invoices need help from sales. Changes to supplier payments must respect agreed terms and viable commercial relationships. The CFO makes the financial effects visible and ensures that the right people make the required decisions.

Every agreed action receives a baseline, target, deadline and owner. Expected benefits remain separate from realised benefits. The record should also distinguish a one-off cash release from a recurring improvement in profit. This makes it possible to assess what an action has actually achieved.

By day 90: make financial management repeatable

The final stage of this plan focuses on routines that the organisation can sustain. The monthly close follows an agreed calendar. Reporting explains material variances and identifies decisions required. An updated forecast connects profit, the balance sheet and cash flow. Its assumptions are documented and agreed with the relevant business owners.

A downside scenario shows the consequences of slower customer payments, lower margins or weaker order intake. The CFO and management agree which developments should trigger a fresh decision. Thresholds reflect the company's financing arrangements, business model and capacity to absorb risk.

Handover starts during the assignment. Team members run the agreed processes themselves, deputies are identified and files remain understandable. If the engagement continues, the next phase is defined around outstanding work. A system replacement or a comprehensive restructuring may extend well beyond this period.

The evidence to expect at day 90

The following table is a proposed acceptance checklist. Scope and targets should be adapted to the starting position when the mandate is agreed.

Prepare for a concrete start

For the initial discussion, management and the client should identify the reason for the assignment, the most urgent decisions and their expectations for the opening weeks. Available financial statements, current forecasts and an overview of financing and team capacity provide the starting material. Together, these support a mandate with clear priorities and agreed acceptance points.

After 90 days, it should be clear what has improved, which risks remain and who will lead the next steps. That evidence allows the client to judge whether the assignment has established the financial leadership the business needs.