Cheryl has built her career by leading organizations through financial, operational, and cultural transformations. She has deep knowledge and expertise in finance but at the same time, understands the importance of corporate culture and the impact it has on the ability to achieve strategic objectives. She has managed P&Ls and has been responsible for financial forecasts for both large and small organizations. Her specialty lies in creating and overseeing complex, cross-functional programs to achieve corporate objectives. Her experiences, which range across organizations from Strategy to Finance to Operations to Human Resources, make her a valuable leader and advisor with a diverse set of experiences on which to draw.
Cheryl is currently Managing Principal of Pillar One Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specializing in providing Fractional Executive and Strategic advisory services, where she acts as an advisor to start-ups and small businesses. Additionally, Cheryl is a Partner with Clipper Ship Ventures, a private equity firm targeting emerging growth companies in the fintech and business services technology space. Cheryl has worked with companies such as Hive Wealth, a fintech aiming to close the wealth gap, Prajna Strategy, a growth and innovation marketing and communications agency, Granate, a start-up in the death tech space providing a trustworthy and compassionate guide to life after loss, and Tomu, an innovator in the modular building space focused on hospitality and sustainability.
Previously, she led cultural and financial transformation efforts across the Retail Bank of Capital One. The culture transformation created a more adaptive, inclusive and customer-centric organization. The financial transformation reduced operating expenses by 20% over a 3-year period. Prior to that, Cheryl was CFO of the Retail Bank, managing a P&L of over $2.5B in revenue.
Cheryl’s career spans financial services, insurance and public accounting where she has held positions with increasing responsibilities including various finance, operations, and mergers and acquisitions roles. Cheryl has used her finance and operations expertise as a Board member for organizations such as The Holton-Arms School, Metropolitan Ballet Theater and Academy, and the Junior League of Washington.
Cheryl has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree from the University of Hartford. She is a CPA, holds a Certificate in FinTech from the Stern School of Business at New York University, a Commercial Real Estate Certificate from the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University and a Professional Master of Banking Certificate from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
I enjoy work with startups that are pre-revenue up to ~$10M in revenue. I help founders and executive teams create clarity in the execution of their strategies. My focus is on professionalizing the financial operations of the companies. Additionally, I help founders craft and present their message to potential investors and other sources of funding. My industry specialities are fintech, technology, professional services and real estate.
We built Granate to help individuals, families, and caretakers know exactly what to do before and after losing a loved one—so they can focus on what matters most.
Hive Wealth is a community-first mobile app that helps people grow their wealth and create a bright financial future — not just for themselves, but for generations to come.
Pillar One is a boutique consulting firm specializing in Finance and HR consulting. As Managing Principal, Cheryl focuses on helping start-ups and companies in transition ensure they have a robust financial infrastructure. Clients and projects include:
Fractional CFO for a growth and impact agency responsible for leading and enhancing financial, operational and corporate governance processes as well as acting as a strategic advisor to the CEO.
Fractional Finance and HR Executive for a fintech start-up responsible for establishing financial and HR infrastructure, executing product and pricing strategy, and assisting founder in raising seed funding.
Fractional CFO for a death tech start-up responsible for establishing financial infrastructure, providing strategic guidance, and assisting founder in raising seed funding.
Strategic advisor for a government consulting firm launching a CFO Transformation within the Department of Defense.
Strategic financial consultant for the Private Bank division of a boutique commercial bank.
Fractional Finance Executive for a micro-mobility start-up responsible for internal financial management and supporting fundraising.
Nov 1997 — Apr 2018
Capital One
Executive Vice President, Retail and Direct Bank Culture Lead
Capital One Financial Corp. operates as a financial holding company. The firm engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking.
Cheryl held a variety of roles across finance, operations and corporate development, including CFO of Capital One's Retail Bank.
Nov 1994 — Nov 1997
Pwc
Senior Tax Associate
PWC provides professional services. The Company offers business advisory services such as auditing, accounting, taxation, strategy management, and human resource consulting services.
Prepared individual, partnership, and corporate tax returns. Provided tax consulting advice to real estate firms and non-profit institutions. Researched and developed tax position papers for a variety of clients.
Jun 1993 — Sep 1994
Aetna
Staff Auditor
Aetna offers a range of traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services.
Developed and executed on audits of internal controls within various divisions of company. Supported annual financial statement audit, working in conjunction with KPMG.
