Gil Bernardy · Controller & CFO
Financial leadership that brings order, systems and real savings to growing businesses.
I build and run the complete accounting function for privately held companies: financial reporting, cash flow, budgeting and forecasting, and compliance. I've done it for more than 25 years, often starting from scratch.
An entrepreneur's foundation, a Controller's discipline.
I'm a Los Angeles-based finance executive. My career spans independent consulting, Controller roles and CFO-level leadership. I founded Bernardy Financial Services and ran it for 15 years as a fractional-Controller practice, serving businesses in entertainment, software, post-production, real estate development and legal services.
Since then I've led finance in-house at media companies. At each one I've built what didn't exist before: management reporting, internal controls, workflow automation and forecasting that owners actually use to make decisions.
I work as a hands-on partner to owners, investors and tax advisors. I'm as comfortable in the details of month-end close and collections as I am presenting forecasts to ownership.
More than keeping the books.
A builder
Reporting frameworks, charts of accounts, close processes and controls, built from the ground up and designed to outlast me.
Contract-fluent
I draft and issue licensing agreements and negotiate fees, so I see a contract's full life, from terms to recognized revenue.
Real cost savings
Clean books and concise reporting packages for outside tax preparers have frequently produced significant tax savings.
Ownership-level partner
The financial voice in decisions on pricing, staffing, growth and restructuring, not just a back-office function.
Steady in any cycle
I've guided companies through rapid growth and through contraction, preserving operations, staff and creditor relationships.
Modern tools
Automated invoicing across FileMaker and QuickBooks Online, and AI-assisted analysis that speeds up reporting to ownership.
Career highlights
Pusher LLC
- Lead all finance and accounting for a privately held media company, through a period of strong growth and a later industry-wide contraction.
- Built the management reporting function from scratch: financial statements, cash position, KPI dashboards and variance analysis, plus annual budgets, rolling forecasts and scenario models.
- Led a FileMaker and QuickBooks Online integration that automated invoicing for about 250 licensing agreements a year.
- Cut the A/R collection cycle from 60+ days to about 40, and set up banking relationships and credit lines that strengthened cash flow.
- Designed internal controls across financial and HR functions, and manage A/R, A/P and full-cycle payroll.
Wilshire Media Group
- Served as the financial voice to owners and investors during a company-wide operational pivot across three affiliated companies.
- Introduced the organization's first management reporting, including cost analysis by department that let ownership price services at sustainable margins.
- Built the full accounting function across all three entities and supervised two staff accountants.
Bernardy Financial Services
- Founded and grew an independent practice serving about 30 businesses with revenue up to about $20M, many of them for five years or more.
- About half of new business came from client referrals.
- Specialized in cleaning up messy books, setting up durable systems and controls, and making startups ready for acquisition.
- Grew from a solo practice into a small team while staying hands-on with every account.
Foundations
Full-stack finance leadership
Reporting & Planning
- Financial reporting & GAAP compliance
- Budgeting & forecasting
- Variance analysis & KPIs
- Cash flow management
- Strategic planning
Operations & Controls
- Month-end & year-end close
- A/P, A/R & payroll administration
- Internal controls & compliance
- Multi-entity accounting
- Audit & tax preparer liaison
Systems & Tools
- QuickBooks Online
- ADP, SDP, Auris, QuickBooks Payroll
- Advanced Excel & financial modeling
- Process & workflow automation
- AI-assisted analysis & reporting
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Accounting
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
Credentials
Certified Public Accountant, State of California (inactive)
Let's talk.
Whether you need someone to bring structure to your finances or just want to compare notes, I'd be glad to hear from you. References are available on request.