About Custodian Backoffice

Our Difference

Since 2016, Custodian Backoffice has specialised in Virtual CFO support for businesses that need access to seasoned commercial finance expertise but aren’t yet able to justify the expense of a full-time internal (FTI) CFO.

Rather than dedicate ourselves 100% to one company, in 2016 we made the decision to work with a portfolio of smaller clients, in industries we know extremely well. We find it more rewarding working this way by helping a range of entrepreneurs create sustainable, reliable and predictable businesses, which allows their families to prosper off the back of their businesses success.

Taking the ‘next step’ in business can be a real struggle without access to a seasoned finance professional. We provide that expertise without the overheads. Using us as your Virtual CFO creates less staff turnover headaches, gives business owners peace of mind and the flexibility to match their CFO needs as they grow. It also provides much better long-term value than hiring a full-time and often under-utilised CFO.

Imagine the possibilities of combining your good operation with some affordable top shelf strategic and commercial financial leadership.

If you think we are just another accountant, you are not getting it.

For starters we don’t do tax returns. (Imagine if ear doctors were allowed to do open heart surgery). We have a vested interest in accelerating your business and turning your great operation into an even better business.

How? By putting you out in front of the daily grind and allowing you to see the future through the numbers, you have more time to make informed strategic decisions.

By having us by your side, as and when you need us, you can focus on what you do best. This leads to peace of mind by allowing you to focus on your customers’ needs and grow your business.

We offer a full spectrum of financial management and control solutions...

Starting with a virtual CFO where we provide on-demand, top shelf strategic financial leadership services, ranging all the way to full-function outsourcing of your back-office transactional work.

Just as you need a solid base before you climb a ladder to reach the top shelf, your numbers need to be bullet proof to allow us to cast our projections forward with predictability. If you prefer we can take care of that for you.

We have the skills and experience to manage the payroll, accounts payable and receivable functions for your business and take a vested interest in the timely and accurate recording of transactions.

About David Dillon

David Dillon, Founder, is a Virtual CFO on a mission to help create a prosperous future for families through the success of their businesses. David helps SMB companies that aren’t big enough for a full-time internal (FTI) CFO to become reliable, predictable businesses that anticipate, evaluate and navigate.

President of the Virtual CFO Association, FCA, FCPA qualified accountant with an MBA, David is also a published author of three books.

David’s expertise helps to actively manage as well as improve processes and controls. He also has a proven track record in leadership, change management and implementation, with extensive experience in the Maritime, Road Transport and Architecture sectors.

David is a father of two and ex-cricketer who once opened the batting against NSW. He is based in Sydney, Australia. Nowadays, David plays golf when he can, plays the bagpipes with Sydney Thistle pipe band and is a Justice of Peace in NSW."

Testimonials

David’s deep understanding of the architecture industry from a financial perspective, combined with his strategic MBA skills meant that he brought unparalleled insight into shaping profitable and sustainable financial practice...

Our work spans a wide range of building typologies and sectors including iconic projects from the Sydney Opera House and Australian War Memorial to the Wentworth Point Masterplan and Balmain Leagues Club redevelopment. 2023 saw some significant transformations for the business, as we celebrated 40 years of operation, and looked to position ourselves for a future of sustained success.

As a Registered Architect with an MBA, I knew we needed a more structured and strategic approach to managing our finances to ensure it played meaningful role in our financial results, service offering and the day-to-day behaviours of our design teams. I had become familiar with David through our MBA circles, industry recommendations and through his architecture specific content on LinkedIn.

David’s deep understanding of the architecture industry from a financial perspective, combined with his strategic MBA skills meant that he brought unparalleled insight into shaping profitable and sustainable financial practice. Within weeks of engagement David has listened, learned, and analysed key facets of our business – and provided a clear set of valuable and actionable recommendations directly linked to improving results across the board.

We subsequently engaged David as our Virtual CFO for ongoing implementation, where he guided the firm through his signature change management program, Profit Metrics, resulting in improvements to our financial, project & ERP systems combined with simplification of targets, metrics and reporting. Additionally, David brought all staff on the journey via his ‘Know Your Scope’ series CPD training courses.

David’s fresh perspective, direct approach and pragmatic advice has been highly valuable to our business and well received by staff across all functions. Custodian Backoffice delivered on all their promises and Profit Metrics has set us up to become a much stronger business over the long-term, delivering an ongoing and compounding return on investment.

We are really thrilled to have Custodian Backoffice on our team.

– Tom Hansen Co-Managing Director, Scott Carver

David’s recommendations provide a ‘circuit-breaker’ and will have an immediate impact, as well as a enable long-term and sustainable profit improvement...

TW Horticulture approached Custodian Backoffice to start helping in March 2023. David and his team were able to come in and quickly understand our operation, then provide insights into gaps between our existing management practices and global best practice.

David’s recommendations provide a ‘circuit-breaker’ and will have an immediate impact, as well as a enable long- term and sustainable profit improvement.

David’s extensive commercial expertise and industry knowledge make him an extremely valuable business partner of TW Horticulture now and into the future.

– Craig Timmins, Director, TW Horticultural

David’s extensive commercial expertise and in depth maritime industry knowledge make him an extremely valuable business partner...

Custodian Backoffice have been working with Antares Marine since 2017. I know I can call on David and his team to come in and understand our operation, provide fully costed budget scenarios and frank, independent business advice. David’s extensive commercial expertise and in depth maritime industry knowledge make him an extremely valuable business partner of Antares Marine now and into the future.

– Tony Cousins, Managing Director, Antares Marine

David quickly ‘gets it’ and works well with the management team to deliver professional outcomes.

We first started using Custodian Backoffice back in August 17. Since then, we’ve called on David to assist on several matters, including some tenders as well as organisation management consulting, including management training using his 3-Levers method. David quickly ‘gets it’ and works well with the management team to deliver professional outcomes.

– Brad Hosemans, Chief Operating Officer, Polaris Marine Pty Ltd

We found David to be honest, understanding and available, with principles and questions he put in place...

Supercontext first started with Custodian Backoffice in May 2017. David reviewed our business and helped us with budgeting, reporting, job costing and forecasting which pushed up into our sales funnel, where David challenged us to think strategically about our future direction.

David’s expertise in the Architecture profession allowed him to quickly understand pragmatic advice. We found David to be honest, understanding and available, with principles and questions he put in place and asked of us as we started out remain approach our business strategy. David’s skills will help any business get their ship. We can recommend Custodian Backoffice to you without hesitation.

– Andrew Daly, Director, Supercontext

David’s engagement has meant our finances / accounts are in great shape, and this has flow on effect to our operations...

It is with great pleasure we write this letter of recommendation for David Dillion and Custodian Backoffice.

Custodian Backoffice has been with us from the start. David’s invaluable knowledge and experience helped us navigate through the unchartered waters of a management buy-out, to assisting with the migration of all account matters from our former foreign parent company, and then finally establishing us to move forward independently post buy-out. David remains are our VCFO and BAS agent, who challenges us and proactively provides insights into the management of our financial position. David’s engagement has meant our finances / accounts are in great shape, and this has flow on effect to our operations allowing us to remain focused on running and growing our business.

– Daniel van Vliet, Director, Wave Shipping Pty Ltd

David made several recommendations that when implemented will make an ongoing positive impact on our business.

Gray Puksand initially engaged Custodian Backoffice in August 2019 to complete a review our financial business structure.

David made several recommendations that when implemented, will make an ongoing positive impact on our business. He challenged us to think strategically and gave us a new framework to monitor the pulse of our business.

David’s expertise in the Architecture profession allowed him to quickly understand our business and compare it to best practice, while offering a fresh perspective and pragmatic advice.

We found working with David to a rewarding experience.

– Scott Moylan, NSW State Managing Partner, Gray Puksand

David is much more than simply another accountant.

Since Ben Line Agencies first approached me to start up an Australian branch office in Nov 17, I asked David from Custodian Backoffice to help. From a previous business interest, I knew with David’s extensive commercial expertise, strategic thinking and deep maritime industry knowledge I could count on him to make this process easy and stress free, allowing me to focus on getting the operation running.

Custodian Backoffice provided a full suite of VCFO services to Ben Line, budgeting, forecasting, reporting and cashflow management. We know that as we scale and grow that Custodian Backoffice will be by our side, providing support and guidance.

It is good to have someone who asks those difficult questions, which we often don’t want to hear but are important for us to remain focused on building our business without being caught up in the day to day. David takes an interest in our business as if it was his own.

David has a passion for what he does, this is not just another day another dollar approach to our business and he is someone we know we can trust.

– Ashley Cage, General Manager, Ben Line Agencies

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