Best Fractional CFOs in Seattle

‍Seattle Fractional CFO Services

Seattle isn’t just about coffee, airplanes, and big tech—it’s also a hub of financial innovation. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue corridor is home to some of the fastest-growing startups in the country, a dense nonprofit sector, and legacy businesses that continue to scale and evolve. But in such a dynamic market, there’s one resource every ambitious company eventually needs: a great CFO.

Yet not every organization has the scale—or budget—to bring in a full-time CFO. That’s where fractional CFO consultants come in. These financial leaders bring big-league expertise without the full-time price tag, offering strategic guidance on everything from fundraising and forecasting to cash flow management and operational scaling.

At Digital Reference, we believe fractional leadership is shaping the future of business. Our methodology for curating this list is rooted in careful research:

• We evaluated professionals’ track records, examining their experience across industries.
  
  
• We looked at their impact on growth, particularly in helping companies navigate scaling, fundraising, or restructuring.
  
  
• We considered how they fit into the Seattle business ecosystem, with its unique blend of tech, aerospace, healthcare, and nonprofit work.
  
  

This is more than just a roundup. It’s a spotlight on the professionals who are truly shaping Seattle’s financial future.

🌟 Meet Seattle’s Fractional CFOs Making things Happen

🔶 Laura Shiel

Fractional CFO, Co-owner and Chief Operating Officer

🔗LinkedIn | Clara CFO Group‍

Laura Shiel is more than a numbers person—she’s a strategic translator of finance. With her CPA and CFA designations, Laura brings heavyweight technical credentials to the table, but her true gift is in making finance accessible to CEOs, boards, and investors alike.

At Clara CFO Group, Laura works with a variety of growth-stage companies, helping them untangle financial complexities and transform raw numbers into actionable strategy. Her approach combines rigorous analysis with clear communication, ensuring that financial insights actually drive decision-making.

💡 What makes Laura exceptional:

📊 Dual CPA and CFA credentials, a rare combination that balances accounting precision with investment savvy.

🗣️ Known for her ability to translate financials into investor-ready narratives.

🛠️ Experience across industries, giving her a toolkit adaptable to SaaS startups, nonprofits, and service businesses alike.

🚀 Passion for guiding growth-stage companies as they mature into investor-ready operations.

Seattle founders know the stakes of getting finance right: without investor confidence, growth stalls. Laura ensures that her clients aren’t just compliant—they’re compelling. That makes her one of the most trusted financial partners in the region.

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🔶 Russell Fette

Managing Partner & Fractional Chief Financial Officer

🔗LinkedIn | Puget Sound CFO

Russell Fette has built his reputation on being the steady hand that organizations need during times of growth and uncertainty. Through his firm, Puget Sound CFO, Russell provides tailored financial leadership to companies that don’t need a full-time CFO but do need one who can think long-term.

Russell’s story is about adaptability and empathy. With experience in industries ranging from nonprofits to professional services, he knows how to balance financial rigor with mission-driven goals. He’s particularly respected for his ability to guide leadership teams through financial clarity in complex times.

💼 Russell’s unique value:

🌍 Deep experience in nonprofits, aligning financial health with social missions.

📈 Expertise in long-term strategic planning, ensuring companies grow sustainably.

🤝 Known for building collaborative partnerships with leadership teams.

🧾 Skilled in both high-level forecasting and the nitty-gritty of day-to-day operations.

Seattle’s business landscape is full of both scrappy startups and legacy organizations. Russell bridges that spectrum, helping leaders focus not just on the next quarter, but on the next five years. His thoughtful, measured approach makes him a trusted voice for organizations navigating financial decisions with high stakes.

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🔶 Kasey Lammers

Founder, Executive Consultant

🔗LinkedIn | 360 Synergy Partners

Among the rising generation of financial leaders in Seattle, Kasey Lammers is one to watch. Kasey brings a fresh but deeply professional perspective to fractional CFO work, focusing on helping early-stage and mid-market businesses get the financial infrastructure they need to scale.

Her clients consistently describe her as practical, approachable, and detail-oriented. She has the ability to take companies that may have been managing finances on spreadsheets and help them professionalize—without overwhelming them with complexity.

✨ Kasey’s standout strengths:

🏗️ Building financial systems and processes from the ground up for growing companies.

🕹️ Special focus on cash flow management, a pain point for many Seattle startups.

📑 Guiding leadership teams through budgeting and forecasting that align with growth goals.

🌱 Known for her ability to scale financial operations without overengineering them.

In Seattle, where startups often rocket forward faster than their systems can keep up, Kasey fills a crucial gap. She helps businesses bridge the space between being scrappy and being investor-ready—setting them up for long-term success.

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🔶 Rachel Williams

Founder/Fractional CFO

🔗LinkedIn | ScaleUp Financial Services‍

Rachel Williams is the kind of CFO every growth-minded founder dreams of having on their side. As a leader at ScaleUp Financial Services, she specializes in helping fast-growing startups and mid-market companies move from scrappy to scalable. In Seattle’s hypercompetitive market, where investor scrutiny is sharp and the cost of mistakes is high, Rachel’s expertise is a lifeline.

Her philosophy is simple but powerful: financial operations should be growth enablers, not growth obstacles. Instead of treating finance as a reactive function, Rachel builds proactive systems that position her clients to attract capital, scale operations, and expand markets.

💎 Why Rachel is a standout:

🚀 Extensive experience guiding Series A–C startups through fundraising rounds, ensuring financials meet investor expectations.

📊 Mastery of financial modeling and scenario planning, helping CEOs test strategies against real-world risks and opportunities.

🏗️ Ability to restructure back-office processes so companies can grow without operational chaos.

🌍 Versatility across sectors, from tech and SaaS to healthcare and service-based industries.

Rachel’s strength lies in her ability to see around corners. She doesn’t just look at the next quarter’s numbers—she helps founders understand how today’s decisions ripple out into tomorrow’s financial health. For companies in Seattle, this is invaluable. The city’s business climate demands both innovation and discipline; Rachel provides the roadmap for balancing both.

Clients consistently highlight her role as a trusted partner, not just a consultant. She listens, adapts, and becomes part of the leadership team, even in a fractional capacity. This level of integration makes her one of the most effective fractional CFOs in the Pacific Northwest.

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🔶 Donna Hudson

Co-Owner and Fractional Cannabis CFO

🔗LinkedIn‍

If you’re looking for a fractional CFO with a deep well of experience and a calm, steady perspective, Donna Hudson is someone to know in 2025. Based in the Seattle area, Donna has spent years honing her craft across a variety of industries, making her a versatile leader for companies facing complex financial challenges.

Donna’s background demonstrates not just technical financial expertise, but also an ability to lead organizations through transition—whether it’s scaling up, restructuring, or preparing for exit strategies. In a city like Seattle, where businesses span from aerospace suppliers to emerging biotech firms, her adaptability is a major strength.

🌟 Donna’s hallmarks include:

📑 Broad-based industry knowledge, from professional services to technology to non-profit organizations.

🔄 Expertise in organizational transitions, including leadership changes, ownership succession, and restructuring.

📉 Strong skills in financial forecasting and budgeting, giving companies confidence in uncertain times.

🧭 A reputation for being both analytical and empathetic, helping leadership teams align around tough decisions.

Seattle’s business community thrives on constant change, and Donna is exactly the kind of financial leader who helps companies weather it. Her ability to zoom in on the details while keeping an eye on the big picture is particularly valued by CEOs who are juggling product launches, investor meetings, and team expansion all at once.

Donna represents the trusted advisor archetype—a fractional CFO who blends technical mastery with grounded leadership. That balance makes her a name to remember this year.

Conclusion: Seattle’s Fractional CFO Landscape

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue corridor has always been a magnet for ambitious entrepreneurs and bold new businesses. But as the ecosystem matures, financial leadership is no longer just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a survival skill. That’s why the professionals on this list—Laura Shiel, Russell Fette, Kasey Lammers, Rachel Williams, and Donna Hudson—stand out as the Fractional CFOs to watch.

Each of them brings something unique to Seattle’s financial fabric:

• Laura Shiel translates complex finance into investor-ready narratives.
  
  
• Russell Fette offers steady guidance for nonprofits and established businesses.
  
  
• Kasey Lammers builds the financial infrastructure startups need to scale.
  
  
• Rachel Williams transforms finance into a growth driver.
  
  
• Donna Hudson provides grounded leadership during transitions and uncertainty.
  

Together, they represent the future of financial strategy in Seattle: flexible, insightful, and deeply attuned to the realities of this region’s dynamic economy.

At Digital Reference, our goal is to shine a light on professionals like these—because they’re not just numbers people, they’re enablers of innovation, sustainability, and community growth. This list is the product of careful research and evaluation, and it complements our broader mission of helping businesses find the right experts to guide them forward.

If you’re interested in diving deeper into how fractional executives can transform your business, we recommend exploring  our other resources:

🗽  Financial Advisors in the USA to Watch For

🏉 Top Outsourced & Fractional CFO Agencies in the USA

🛸  Finance Consultants in Seattle to Watch.‍

As Seattle companies continue to scale and evolve, fractional CFOs will be at the center of financial innovation. And as always, Digital Reference will be here to connect businesses with the knowledge and expertise they need to thrive.

✨ Whether you’re a startup looking for your first CFO partner, or a mid-sized firm navigating complex growth, remember: the right financial leader can make all the difference.