Founder-Operator · Fractional CEO & CFO · Greater Seattle Area

I build companies,
turn them around,
and make them last.

25+ years as a founder, CEO, and CFO. I've scaled from zero, engineered turnarounds, raised capital, and evaluated PE acquisition offers from the ownership seat — and said no when the market called for it.

$0→$30M ARR Scaled
$200M+ Revenue Built
$2.3M+ Net Profit, Year One CFO
25+ Years Operating
KSIG Advisors → Get in Touch
Karl and Stacey Ohlemann

Not a consultant.
An operator.

I'm not a traditional institutional CFO. I'm an operator who happens to be the best finance person in the room — and I work best with founders and PE-backed companies that need both.

I've built a business from zero to $30M ARR. Turned a company from a $242K net loss to $2.34M net profit in twelve months. Raised growth capital. Evaluated PE acquisition offers from the ownership seat and declined them when the market called for it — and was right.

Complex situations with high stakes and no clear playbook — that's where I do my best work.

I founded KSIG Advisors to bring that same operator's perspective directly to founders and PE-backed leadership teams navigating the moments that matter most: scale, transition, capital raises, and exits.

Learn About KSIG →

Where I Come From

"The people who build lasting things do it through will, over time, without a safety net."

My story starts before I was born. My father, Siegmar Karl Ohlemann, escaped East Germany at 14 — separated from his parents and brother, crossing into the West with nothing. He made his way to Canada, became the fastest 800 meter runner in North America, won Silver at the Pan American Games, and carried Canada's closing ceremony flag at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

He trained under Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon alongside a young Phil Knight, and remained a lifelong friend of both men. He's named in Bowerman and the Men of Oregon — the book that documents the founding of Nike.

My grandfather on my mother's side, Nils Bernard Hult, was a businessman and philanthropist whose impact was permanent enough that the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon carries his name today.

I grew up inside two legacies: a man who built everything from nothing across three countries, and a man who built something that outlasted him. That combination shapes how I think about building businesses.

Career

25+ Years of Building

2026 — PRESENT

KSIG Advisors

Greater Seattle Area

Founder & Managing Partner

Fractional CEO/CFO and strategic advisory practice serving PE-backed, founder-led, and high-growth companies at the moments that define them. A curated network of aligned specialists, led by an operator who has sat in the founder's seat.

  • Capital raises, financial turnarounds, operational scaling, and ownership transitions
  • Established and deployed same-day capital access facilities to ensure liquidity continuity
  • Network spans M&A advisory, legal, capital markets, technology, operations, and finance

2025 — PRESENT

Broadband Development Group LTD

Multi-State · 9 States

Chief Financial Officer

Multi-state turnkey engineering and construction provider of backbone, middle mile, and FTTH fiber optic broadband infrastructure — including federal BEAD and AI infrastructure programs.

  • Fastest single-year turnaround and highest profitability in company history within 12 months
  • Substantial revenue growth with significant gross margin improvement through pricing discipline and cost restructuring
  • Built finance infrastructure from the ground up: FP&A, treasury, cash flow forecasting, executive dashboards, and KPI reporting
  • Managed federal BEAD program financial compliance and government funding reporting

2021 — 2025

Nils Bernard

Greater Seattle & Central WA

Founder · CEO · CFO

Founded and operated a premium custom home building company serving high-end residential markets. Managed complex construction job costing, project-level P&L, WIP accounting, and cash flow across multiple concurrent builds. Board member, Central Washington Home Builders Association.

2007 — 2020

Macadam Floor & Design

Greater Seattle Area, WA

Founder · CEO · CFO · Head of Strategy, Innovation & Technology

Founded and built Washington State's #2 professional flooring and design company. An industry-leading AEC firm serving the Greater Seattle market's largest and most prestigious builders, including Fortune 500 clients across the Pacific Northwest.

  • Scaled from $0 to $30M ARR with over $200M in cumulative revenue
  • Achieved #2 market position in Washington State within seven years
  • 200+ employees across multiple locations at 50%+ YoY growth
  • Nearly 10,000 homes completed across WA and OR
  • Raised growth capital; negotiated all lines of credit and financing instruments
  • Evaluated and declined acquisition offers from two PE firms — market call proved correct as the business subsequently achieved its highest revenue performance

2000 — 2007

Chase International, Inc.

Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA

Co-Founder · CEO

Co-founded a flooring and design business that evolved into a national network of independently owned stores organized as a buying group. Secured national contracts with the largest flooring manufacturers in the US, built a private label program, and developed a national sales agent network spanning multiple states.

1998 — 2000

Nike, Inc.

Beaverton, OR (WHQ)

Manager, Nike Retail Special Orders · Corporate IT Super User

Promoted to Nike World Headquarters at 22. Built and led Nike Retail Special Orders (NRSO), centralizing special order operations for all US Retail, Outlet, and Employee Stores. Part of the RFP process that became the precursor to Nike.com's first e-commerce capabilities. Designated Corporate IT Super User — the bridge between engineers and the business across major system implementations.

KSIG Advisors

One relationship.
A curated network.

KSIG Advisors is my fractional CEO/CFO and strategic advisory practice — and the hub of an aligned network of specialists organized around the moments that define whether a company survives, scales, or exits successfully.

We don't try to do everything. We do what we're exceptional at — and we've built the network for the rest.

Visit KSIG Advisors →

Fractional CEO / CFO

Operator-grade executive leadership. Financial infrastructure, capital access, board reporting, strategic direction.

Exit Readiness

For founders whose exit is 6–24 months out. Financial cleanup, P&L packaging, CIM-ready presentation, diligence prep.

Transaction Ecosystem

M&A advisory partners, pre-exit liquidity, operational leadership, cross-border deal capability, post-close transition.

Credentials & Recognition

Affiliations

MIT Sloan

Executive Management Program — Advanced Certificate in Management, Innovation & Technology (ACE) · In Progress

CMA Candidate

Certified Management Accountant · Becker Professional Education · IMA

Harvard Business Review

Advisory Council — Member

Fast Company

Executive Board — Member

Shadow Ventures

Startup Advisor — AEC Technology & Built Environment

Fiber Broadband Association

AI & ML Working Group · Deployment Specialists · Middle Mile Working Group

CXO 2.0 Award

2024 Business Leadership Excellence Award

Association for Financial Professionals

Member

National Small Business Association

Leadership Council · Economic Development Committee

Small Business Technology Council

Member · Leadership Council

Community & Ventures

Beyond the Work

WeHeartCleElumRoslyn, SPC

A Social Purpose Corporation my wife Stacey and I founded for community advocacy in Kittitas County. When the City of Cle Elum faced a $25M+ arbitration judgment threatening municipal bankruptcy, I applied CFO-level financial analysis — advocating publicly for receivership and organizing a PAC to restructure city governance.

Visitoll

Early-stage venture exploring a partnership with Metropolis — a leading AI-powered vehicle tracking platform — to license their technology to small cities for municipal toll collection. A revenue model that replaces fragmented parking enforcement with a simpler, technology-enabled alternative.

Curate Holdings

Personal holding company for intellectual property, brand concepts, and early-stage business ventures across multiple sectors.

Education

Academic Foundation

MIT Sloan School of Management

Advanced Certificate for Executives in Management, Innovation & Technology (ACE)

In Progress

University of Oregon

Lundquist College of Business · Business Administration · 1993–1997

CMA Candidate

Certified Management Accountant · Becker Professional Education

In Progress

Married to Stacey for over 27 years. Three daughters. A miniature goldendoodle named Rover. We renovated a circa 1888 home in Roslyn, Washington — one of the most unique small towns in the Pacific Northwest — where we are proud full-time residents.

Let's talk.

Selectively available for fractional CEO and CFO engagements, advisory roles, and strategic conversations with founders and PE-backed operators who need more than a finance function — they need a partner who's built what they're trying to build.

Request Resume →
LinkedIn karl.ohlemann@ksigadvisors.com (425) 575-8833 ksigadvisors.com