Mike Flanagan has run the P&L, not just advised on it.
Fractional CEO, COO, and CIO work for over a decade, preceded by two decades of full-time executive roles — CFO, President, CEO — across finance, digital marketing, and business services. ETW Digital exists because that same discipline transfers directly to any business that needs it part-time instead of full-time.
Six companies, one thread: fix the operation, then the numbers follow.
Fractional CEO, COO, CIO / Founder
ETW Digital
Founded to bring big-data-informed decision-making to SMB leadership teams — augmenting existing management with transformation strategy, workflow alignment, and digital execution across finance, sales, and operations.
Chief Financial Officer
Third Bridge, New York, NY
First CFO hired to build the global finance function at this investment research firm, remotely managing a UK-based team while leading the company out of startup mode. Improved EBITDA margin 26% and modernized the pricing model.
President / CFO
Forward PMX (formerly Paradysz / PM Digital), New York, NY
Hired as CFO, led the acquisition that diversified the agency into digital, then became President running 120 employees across sales, marketing, and technology. Grew EBITDA 25% by building a new enterprise client management structure.
President and CEO (previously COO/CFO)
TMP Directional Marketing / 15miles, a division of Monster.com, New York, NY
Held $250M in P&L responsibility over 500 employees across 10 offices. Led the division's divestiture from Monster Worldwide to private equity and repositioned the world's largest print Yellow Pages agency into a full-service local search agency.
VP & General Manager (progressing from Senior Analyst)
Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Roseland, NJ
Overhauled a $300M leasing business unit, holding full P&L responsibility for 50 professionals across 5 U.S. and Canadian locations. Led the company's Sarbanes-Oxley compliance task force and restructured treasury operations around risk and ROI.
Senior Financial Analyst
American Express, New York, NY
Cash management and corporate finance roles, including leading the traveler's check cash management program.
"I was introduced to Mike more than five years ago to assist with a business integration project and have tapped into his experience multiple times, crossing careers, ever since. His professional holistic approach to problem-solving is complimented by his ability to 'get into the weeds' to fully understand the pain points and suggest sustainable solutions across the entire organizational hierarchy. Mike has a keen sense for business and has personally helped me with company branding, driving operational efficiencies, improving sales lead management, product line revenue achievement, and increasing cash flow."— Rob Morgo, General Manager, North America, Peak Scientific
The same discipline, applied to the client engagements on this site.
Propane supplier · 3-year engagement
Resolved misalignment between logistics operations and sales incentives; reengineered a $100M transportation operation, reducing inventory expenses $20M and delivery expenses $30M, and drove 25% EBITDA growth.
Automotive consulting roll-up · 7-year engagement
Served as Fractional CIO transforming a private equity-owned consultancy into a $1B business, improving efficiency, reporting, and financial operations across 20+ acquired companies.
Industrial refrigeration company
Extended the life of the existing ERP system rather than replacing it, realizing $5M in savings and avoiding the retraining cost a full system swap would have required.
EHS & regulatory compliance firm
Built a new Mechanical Integrity inspection application that increased productivity 33% — the engagement that became Audit Pro.
You're hiring us to solve a problem. We don't pretend otherwise.
We're direct about the facts
Problems bring negativity, and we address that from the first kickoff meeting rather than avoiding it. Decisions get made on the facts and circumstances in front of us — not on what's comfortable to say.
We delegate, and we give credit
A consultant's deliverables have to outlast the engagement. That means knowing who on your team is best suited to own something — and saying so.
We stay reachable
We're typically hired by leadership but do the work alongside your staff. If the people actually doing the work don't feel comfortable bringing us good and bad news, the engagement won't hold.
We own mistakes out loud
We're brought in to solve problems, and mistakes happen along the way. Admitting them isn't a weakness — it's the thing that keeps trust intact when it matters.
Master of Business Administration
Columbia University, New York, NY · 2000Bachelor of Arts, Economics
Providence College, Providence, RI · 1988Want to talk through your specific situation?
No pitch deck first. Just a real conversation about what's actually going on in the business.
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