Mary Poppins over South Mountain — original painting by Courtney McKenzie
McKenzie CPA PLLC  ·  Shelby, NC
Senior financial
leadership.
Defined scope.
I lead with controllership because your outputs are only as good as your inputs. Clean, accurate accounting operations are the foundation everything else is built on.
An artist with an engineer's eye and a teacher's heart.
Let's talk See services

Accounting is accounting. Tell me about your business, your challenges, and your goals. The financial framework follows from there.

What I do
Services
Clean, accurate, well-structured accounting operations are the foundation everything else is built on — financial analysis, strategic decisions, audit readiness, working capital visibility. I build the foundation first.
All engagements begin with a written engagement letter. Defined scope, clear deliverables, and a timeline that works for both parties.
Engagement types
Controllership — ongoing team development, process improvement, accounting partner
Fractional CFO Advisory — monthly, defined scope, strategic partner
Project-based — audit prep, cleanup, transition
Transaction support — sale, acquisition, due diligence
Controllership
Team development, close cycle optimization, process efficiency, and departmental structure. Also available as mentorship tailored to an individual or team.
Working Capital Management
AR, AP, inventory, and cash flow visibility. Improving the cash conversion cycle and giving ownership a real-time picture of liquidity.
CFO Advisory
Senior financial leadership and strategic guidance to ownership. Financial statement oversight, banking and lender liaison, board reporting.
Audit & Attest Readiness
External audit and review coordination, auditor liaison, schedule preparation, management representation, and post-engagement remediation.
Cost Accounting
Job costing, work in progress accounting, cost structure analysis, and margin improvement for manufacturing and project-based businesses.
IT Governance
Cybersecurity controls oversight, information security frameworks, internal controls over technology systems, and vendor risk assessment.
Multi-Entity Oversight
Consolidated reporting, intercompany accounting, entity structure rationalization, and financial controls across complex organizational structures.
Transaction Support
Due diligence support, financial statement preparation for sale or acquisition, lender package preparation, and financial data room management.
Who I work with
The right fit
A business that knows something needs to change — even if you are not sure exactly what. Any ownership structure. Complexity and commitment matter more than size.
  • Complexity and commitmentA business with the growth trajectory, specific project, or organizational complexity to benefit from senior financial leadership.
  • Any ownership structurePrivately held, family-owned, private equity-backed, or publicly held. The structure does not matter — the work does.
  • Willing to do the workYou do not need to arrive with all the answers or all the data. That is often exactly what the engagement is for. I need to understand who you are and where you want to go.
  • Growth or transitionOutgrown current financial infrastructure, preparing for audit, planning a transaction, or building team capability.

Structured engagement. Intentional questions. I do not expect you to arrive with all the data — building that clarity is often the point.

Industries
Manufacturing, multi-site Specialty engineered Project-based Oil & gas Multi-location retail Regulated industries Construction Engineering Service

Every engagement is different. Reach out and let's talk about what makes sense for your situation.

How I work
Understand, Structure, Develop
01
Understand
Every engagement starts with listening. Tell me about your business — the challenges, the goals, the complexity. You don't need to have it all figured out. Understanding your situation is where the work begins.
02
Structure
A written engagement letter documenting scope, deliverables, timeline, and fees. No open-ended arrangements. No scope creep without a conversation and an updated agreement.
03
Develop
Deliver real results. Build something that outlasts the engagement. Leave the organization with a team and structure capable of carrying it forward independently.
Valley — original painting by Courtney McKenzie
Valley — original painting  ·  cmc.seeds
About
Courtney McKenzie, CPA
I am a licensed CPA with 13 years of progressive finance and accounting leadership, most recently as VP of Finance at a $250M+ multi-entity organization. My industry experience primarily spans manufacturing, specialty engineered products, oil and gas, transport, and multi-location retail operations.
My professional background includes public accounting, publicly held organizations, SOX compliance, and internal controls — alongside IT governance and cybersecurity controls oversight that goes well beyond the financial systems themselves.
I am also an artist. I believe the same instincts that let me find patterns in a general ledger show up on canvas: the ability to see what is underneath the surface, to find structure in complexity, to know when something is off before you can fully articulate why.
I founded McKenzie CPA PLLC because the work I love most — building efficient accounting operations, developing people, solving real financial problems — does not require a permanent seat. It requires the right engagement.
  • Licensed CPA — North Carolina & Illinois
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • 13 years progressive finance and accounting leadership
  • VP of Finance, $250M+ multi-entity organization
  • Manufacturing, specialty engineered, oil & gas, retail
  • Public accounting, SOX, internal controls
  • IT governance and cybersecurity controls oversight
Creative
Original thinking, pattern recognition, seeing what others miss
People
Genuine investment in developing the people behind the numbers
Mechanical
Understanding how systems work underneath the surface
Let's talk
The right engagement starts with a conversation. Tell me about your business — the challenges, the goals, the complexity. We will figure out the rest together.
Phone704-750-1553
Emailcourtney@mckenziecpa.co
LocationShelby, North Carolina
ServingCarolinas · National engagements considered
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