Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, March 2026 — From The Ground Up has appointed Doug Franzwa as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he joins the leadership team to strengthen financial strategy, operational discipline, and performance visibility as the company continues delivering year-round commercial exterior property services.
Before joining From The Ground Up, Doug Franzwa worked as a Fractional CFO Consultant, providing strategic advisory to CEOs and boards, aligning financial architecture with long-term scaling and exit priorities. His work included selecting financial reporting systems, deploying KPI dashboards focused on utilization, project margins, and cash flow velocity, and conducting operational right-sizing through audits of financial and HR structures to improve efficiency.
Earlier, he served as Principal | Chief Financial Officer at Michaud Cooley Erickson, where he led financial strategy and supported EOS-aligned planning and execution. His responsibilities spanned multi-disciplinary oversight across accounting, HR, IT, legal, and risk management, strengthening operational rigor and reducing overhead. He also led budgeting and cash management improvements, supported total rewards design, and negotiated contracts and legal agreements to mitigate risk and improve compliance outcomes.
Prior to that, Doug Franzwa held the Chief Financial Officer role at MSR Design (Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.), serving on the executive committee and supporting governance as Board Secretary/Treasurer. His work included leading an ERP transformation to automate project accounting and improve reporting speed and accuracy, driving certification initiatives, and strengthening fiduciary and compliance oversight through programs and trustee responsibilities.
Earlier in his career, he worked with Little & Company in finance and administration leadership roles, directing business support functions and building KPI-driven planning discipline. He also held controller and assistant controller responsibilities with Naterra Land and Siemens Water Technologies, where his work included streamlining close processes and managing core accounting functions. He began his career with Grant Thornton, LLP as a Senior Tax Associate, delivering tax planning support and contributing to policy presentations across a national footprint.
About From The Ground Up
From The Ground Up provides commercial landscaping and exterior property care services year-round, offering an accountable single point of contact for clients’ needs across all four seasons — from landscape maintenance to enhancements and construction to winter snow and ice removal. The company’s services include routine landscape maintenance, softscape and hardscape design and installation, irrigation, tree care, and 24/7 snow and ice management.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
