About Arthur Forbus | Changing the Face of Finance

The Origin Story

Why Changing the Face of Finance?

In 2007, Arthur joined Alvarez & Marsal as a Managing Director in their CFO Services practice — a deliberate expansion beyond the firm's well-known restructuring and bankruptcy roots into healthy-company consulting. The challenge was real: how do you introduce A&M's capabilities to CFOs who only knew them as the firm you call when things go wrong?

The answer, initially, was a quarterly seminar series. But after the third session — where the firm's tax team took the stage to present on the Obama administration's tax initiatives — Arthur made a decision that would define the next 17 years of his career.

"I told myself I am never going to do this again. I need to focus on topics that address the future of the CFO office."

That conviction became Changing the Face of Finance — a platform built from day one around forward-looking dialogue: AI and automation, data-driven decision-making, finance transformation, and the evolving role of the CFO. Not a vendor stage. Not a tax briefing. A genuine community of finance leaders having the conversations that actually matter.

After five years, Arthur passed the baton to a fellow A&M MD — who shortly after left the firm to take a CFO role with a client. CFOF went dormant. Then, in 2023, Arthur restarted it post-COVID under his own banner — and hasn't looked back. Today, after 35+ events across Houston and Dallas, a growing podcast presence, and the launch of the Compass Method™, CFOF is his full-time mission.

The Framework

From Experience Comes the Compass Method™

The Compass Method™ isn't a consulting product built in a boardroom. It's the distillation of 30+ years of watching finance transformation succeed — and fail — across public accounting, in-house operations, and advisory work at some of the most recognized firms in the space.

Every CFOF engagement starts here: with honest clarity about where you stand before committing to where you're going.

See the full Compass Method™ →

Five Dimensions · Five Phases · One Direction

Dimensions

Strategy

People

Process

Technology

Data

Phases

Compass Baseline

Compass Roadmap

Compass Chart

Compass Journey

Compass Next Horizon

Professional Background

A Career Built at the Intersection of Finance & Technology

Arthur has lived the challenges CFOs face from every angle — as an auditor at a Big Four firm, as a CPM practitioner inside public companies, and as a consultant and advisor for the past 25+ years. That full arc is what the Compass Method™ is built on.

2008 – Present CFOF

Founder & CEO — Changing the Face of Finance

Built and leads a thought leadership and advisory platform connecting CFOs, CIOs, and finance transformation leaders. Creator of the Compass Method™ — a five-dimension, five-phase CPM+DnA advisory framework — and host of the CFOF Exchange quarterly panel series, CFOF Foundations, and CFOF Unplugged podcasts.

2020 – 2024 Holland Parker

Chief Operating Officer

Led sales, marketing, consulting, and strategic services for this CPM and Data & Analytics firm, driving 100%+ growth in revenue and headcount across North America. Delivered 300+ proposals and 100+ client engagements while standardizing the firm's methodology and practice infrastructure.

2007 – 2019 Alvarez & Marsal

Managing Director, CFO Services

A 12-year tenure building A&M's healthy-company CFO Services practice — the other side of the firm's well-known restructuring brand. Drove digital finance strategies contributing 70% of U.S. practice revenue. Launched the CFOF platform from within this role.

2004 – 2007 Answerthink

Senior Director — Hyperion Practice

Led a team of 12 sales and presales professionals following Answerthink's acquisition of Beacon Analytics — continuing to build the CPM consulting practice he had helped create from the ground up.

Late 1990s – 2004 Beacon Analytics

First Business Development Hire → Senior Leader

Joined as the firm's first business development hire — not as a career salesperson, but as a consultant who understood what clients actually needed. Helped grow Beacon Analytics from 15 people to 120 before its acquisition by Answerthink.

Mid–Late 1990s Hyperion Solutions

Consultant

Delivered CPM consulting engagements at one of the defining platforms of the corporate performance management era. Hyperion was later acquired by Oracle; many of its alumni went on to found OneStream Software, now one of the leading CPM platforms in the market. Arthur was part of that ecosystem at its origin.

Early Career Public Accounting & Industry

Peat Marwick (KPMG) → American General → Storage Technology Corp.

Career began at Peat Marwick — now KPMG — followed by in-house CPM roles at two significant public companies: American General (the insurance conglomerate later acquired by AIG) and Storage Technology Corporation (the international hardware and software manufacturer later acquired by Oracle). At both, part of teams evaluating and implementing what we now call CPM technology — long before the term existed.

BBA Accounting — UT Austin CPA — Texas (Inactive) Prosci Certified — Change Management CPM + Data & Analytics Compass Method™ Creator

Beyond the Work

Rooted in Faith, Community & Connection

Arthur brings the same intentionality he applies to client work to how he shows up in his community and personal life. His faith is not a footnote — it's the foundation.

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Faith & Service

Active in faith-based leadership through his local church, the Emmaus community, and Kairos prison ministry. Board member of the Houston West Emmaus Community.

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Community Impact

Treasurer and Board Member of the Spring Branch Family Development Center — a Houston-area nonprofit serving families in need.

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Music & the Arts

A lifelong musician — guitar, trombone, and vocals. Music is a reminder that the best performances come from listening as much as leading.

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Travel & Curiosity

A love of travel and cycling keeps Arthur grounded, curious, and connected to the world beyond the boardroom.

Faith resources that have shaped my journey →

What Leaders Are Saying

Heard Directly from the Room

"Arthur and his team's ability to blend strategic vision with practical execution made a huge impact on our finance team at Stage Stores."

Dell Young

VP FP&A — Stage Stores

"Arthur has a unique way of guiding conversations that cut through the noise and get straight to what finance leaders need to know."

Dave Harger

VP of IT — AirX Climate Solutions

"The discussion focused on actionable strategies that modern CFOs can implement right away."

Phil McCormick

CFO — Blue Bell Creameries

See all testimonials →