Richard van Lyf

Richard van Lyf is an experienced Fractional CFO who helps business owners and executives strengthen financial performance, make better commercial decisions and pursue growth opportunities. 

With more than 20 years of commercial finance experience, Richard has held senior roles with listed companies, multinational organisations and the public sector across Australia and Europe. His experience includes organisations such as Amcor, Orange, Telstra, DuPont, BAI Communications, CBD Energy and UNSW. 

For the past eight years, Richard has provided Fractional CFO services to startups, SMEs, established businesses, private equity-backed companies and government-funded organisations. He works as an embedded commercial adviser, providing senior financial leadership tailored to the needs and resources of each business. 

C-level expertise, scaled for your business. 

Richard helps business owners answer the questions that matter: 

• Cash flow: Is our outlook stable and what do we need to do about it?  

• Profitability: Which products, services or locations are genuinely profitable?  

• Compliance: What are our risks and are they being managed?  

• Systems: Are our financial systems properly integrated and fit for purpose?  

• Reporting: Are our budgets, forecasts and management reports telling us what we need?  

• Strategy: Do we have the right commercial and capital strategy to grow?  

• Valuation: Are we ready to approach lenders, investors, government agencies or potential buyers? 

Richard is also a Certified Proposal Professional (CF APMP). He has led more than 50 bids and developed the price-to-win models that have delivered more than $150 million in government and private-sector contracts and funding. 

Richard helps clients understand the value of an opportunity, then positions them to win, deliver and sustain it. 

Experience that delivers measurable results 

Richard has delivered more than $300 million in revenue growth, efficiency gains and contract wins for clients. Examples of his work: 

• Establishing the finance function for a private equity-backed healthcare startup, including recruiting the finance team, managing compliance risk, migrating to Xero and introducing board reporting, three-way forecasting and cash flow management. 
• Identifying and stopping $5 million in annual revenue leakage through enhancements to SAP billing systems and the implementation of IBM Maximo. 

• Leading a $25 million capital raising and a $45 million acquisition for an ASX-listed renewable energy business. 

• Supporting a national disability employment provider to secure successive three-year government contracts valued at more than $40 million per annum. 

• Helping a SaaS provider build a multi-year contract pipeline worth more than $40 million per annum. 

• Negotiating a $20 million institutional credit facility to support business growth. 

• Supporting business owners through acquisition, investment and successful exit transactions. 

Richard brings practical, hands-on support.

Areas of expertise 

• Financial governance and compliance 

• Cash flow management 

• Financial and management reporting 

• Budgeting and three-way forecasting 

• Profit and margin optimisation 

• Commercial strategy and business growth 

• Capital raising and mergers and acquisitions 

• Financial systems, technology and AI 

• Bid, tender and price-to-win management 

• Business sale and transaction preparation 

Industry experience 

Defence, government, technology and SaaS, transport, infrastructure, manufacturing, energy and renewables, healthcare and social support, disability and aged care, sporting organisations, education and the not-for-profit sector. 

If your business needs experienced financial leadership to strengthen its foundations, improve profitability or pursue growth, talk to Richard. 

Leave a Review for Richard