Catherine Aerts

For 20 years, I've been the finance partner who entrepreneurs call when growth gets complicated. As a CFO 4.0, I work alongside founders, investors, and PE funds to turn financial complexity into clear decisions, whether that means raising capital, restructuring operations, or steering a business through its next stage.

My track record spans start-ups, scale-ups, and growth companies across clean tech, software, media, 3D manufacturing and industrial sectors.

A few highlights:

– Raised €1.5M in emergency capital in under 8 weeks for a distressed group, while implementing a new ERP and custom reporting tool

– Modernized finance tech-stacks, cutting reporting time by over 90%

– Coached and brokered over €30M in funding for 250+ growth and scale up companies

I built my foundation in M&A advisory at Deloitte and EY, leading mid-market transactions totaling over €0.5B with a 95%+ signing rate. Today, I run Strategic Finance Company, my own practice serving family offices, SMEs, and growth businesses as a fractional CFO, crisis manager, and trusted advisor.

Engineer by training (Magna Cum Laude, University of Antwerp), finance professional by craft, and musical composer by passion, I bring an unusual mix of analytical rigor and creative thinking to every engagement.

📍 Based in Antwerp | Working across Belgium, Benelux