CFO David Westbrook recounts how Roberson Stephens launched with no back office, no compliance, no finance, no systems, and stood up a turnkey finance & accounting function by partnering with Consero. Starting with roughly half a billion in AUM, the firm chose an outsourced model to move fast, scale, and stay audit-ready from day one.
The Challenge: Day-one Ops with No Back-office
Westbrook needed core finance functions without the delays of hiring or a risky, time-consuming ERP rollout. He also wanted stronger controls than typical small-business tools provide.
“As much as I like QuickBooks for small businesses, I hate QuickBooks from a control perspective. I have audited many firms that use QuickBooks, and it is painful from an audit point of view.”
Why Outsource F&A?
Consero offered a single relationship that bundled people, process, and technology so leadership could focus on building the business instead of assembling an accounting stack.
“The story is simple, Long Arc came to me and said ‘David, we can hire you and only you. You wouldn’t need to hire a team or find an accounting system, Consero can bring all of that to the table.’”
What the FaaS Model Includes
Roberson Stephens tapped Consero for HR, payroll, benefits, AP/AR, and GL, operating the engine while the CFO stayed at the approval layer.
“We receive a full suite of services from Consero – from HR, payroll, benefits, interface for AP to general ledger – Consero takes care of everything. I just sit at the top of the pyramid and complete final approvals.”
Controls That Impress Auditors and Investors
Documented processes and segregation of duties strengthened audit posture and reduced perceived reporting risk with investors.
“We have well thought out processes and appropriate segregation of duties, all thanks to Consero… There is a dual protection from having auditors and Consero review the finances.”
Scale and Leadership Bandwidth
The model scaled seamlessly as new teams were added and freed executive time to pursue growth initiatives.
“Consero gives me time to put my attention on the growth thesis. 50% of my time is on M&A which I would not have time to do without Consero’s support.”
Results: From Blank Slate to Fully Functional—Fast
The firm went from nothing to operational in a week, avoiding classic ERP overruns and easing the audit cycle, so much so that Westbrook could step away during busy season.
“In regard to SAP implementation, I have never met one that was on time or on budget ever. Consero had us up and running within a week. I wouldn’t have even been able to produce a list of accounting packages to consider in the same amount of time that we went from having nothing, to being fully functional.”
Roberson Stephens shows how the FaaS approach can turn a day-one operations gap into a scalable, well-controlled finance function—accelerating speed to value, strengthening audit readiness, and keeping leadership focused on growth rather than plumbing.
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