Who We Are

MEET PEAK BUSINESS NAVIGATION

We’re More Than Consultants

At Peak Business Navigation, our seasoned consultants, fractional CFOs and COOs have decades of experience and offer practical strategies and a unique hands-on approach that gets results.

Ryan Knaack

Ryan Knaack

Managing Partner, Fractional CFO / COO

Ryan Knaack is a seasoned business leader, having managed multiple lower middle market businesses on a high growth path, with a core finance skill set complimented by experience overseeing all functional areas of a growing business. He has also worked in a large multinational company and upper middle market organization in finance and operations. With a background originally in public CPA accounting for twelve years, he has worked with over a hundred businesses over his career. In addition to a bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin he holds Masters degrees in Tax, Marketing and Data Analytics.

Ryan Eckhardt

Fractional CFO & Consultant

With a strong educational foundation from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Ryan earned both a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master’s of Professional Accountancy. His career includes public accounting at McGladrey and Pullen, followed by three years in Financial Planning and Analysis at Cummins Inc. During a 16-year tenure at Therma-Stor, Ryan led variety of roles that spanned from accounting to IT. As the Director of Finance for a $50+ million business unit, he was responsible for preparing monthly financial results, forecasting, budgeting, sales analysis, and pricing.

A Few Words from Past Clients

“When we first partnered with Ryan Eckhardt, our business was struggling to make sense of our financial data and optimize our operations. Ryan’s extensive background in accounting, financial planning, and business intelligence immediately set him apart. He quickly became an invaluable asset to our team.

Ryan brought a wealth of knowledge and a meticulous approach to preparing our monthly financial results, forecasting, budgeting, sales and operations analysis. His ability to distill complex financial information into actionable insights was transformative for our business.

Ryan’s leadership in IT and business systems management was another game-changer. He guided us through infrastructure improvements, and developed tailored systems and analytic tools that significantly improved our efficiency and profitability. His tech service case management solutions, process improvement strategies, operations MES solution, and sales analysis tools empowered us to make data-driven decisions with confidence.

Ryan’s commitment to excellence and his dedication to helping our business thrive are truly unmatched. Thanks to his insights and guidance, Therma-Stor has seen remarkable growth and improved operational efficiency. I wholeheartedly recommend Ryan Eckhardt to any business seeking to unlock their full potential through data-driven decision-making. He is a true partner in success.”

“I’ve worked with Ryan Knaack in several capacities for over 10 years and I can say with certainty he is among the most skilled, wise, and strategic leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working with. A CPA by trade, serving a very wide range of industries, Ryan’s accounting management and financial strategy acumen is world class. But his expertise goes well beyond finance.

Being a student himself, and now a respected leader of 80/20 (Pareto Principle), Ryan has the ability to help organizations grow profitably and sustainably. Because of this, he has leadership experience expanding into operations, production, marketing, commercial strategy and beyond.

When engaging with clients, Ryan listens and learns and has the ability to ask questions that illicit thought and healthy debate; always encouraging teams to disagree agreeably and reminding them that consensus can be the enemy of collaboration. Ryan is a “Level 5 Leader” and would be an asset to leaders at every level. He’s well read, always learning, and advises organizations with clarity and calm. I can’t recommend Ryan enough to leaders and organizations wanting to take their company and or project to the next level.”

“Ryan Knaack has worked for us at Kleenmark in a Fractional CFO-COO role. He worked with our team to keep us focused on a profitable 8020 growth strategy, staying disciplined to the kind of customers we want to serve. He assisted with evaluating acquisition targets and financial due diligence of those targets. Additionally, he helped refine our job costing to evaluate our profit on client relationships. We always enjoy Ryan’s forthright candor and willingness to have the hard conversations to keep our business on the right track and growing.”

“In working with Ryan Knaack for the last two years, I feel I’ve learned more working with him than any other mentor. I joined his team in an industry new to me. Ryan is thorough in explaining processes he prefers using, but also gives details on various methods to accomplish the same task, and why they may not work as well.”

“Ryan Knaack revolutionized the way we do business and serve our valued customers. He introduced us to the 80/20 principle and the value of protecting the fort. Ryan took time to understand our current state, instilled in our staff the importance of process, and how focus and following the process would ultimately lead to record growth. We have been focused on 80/20 and introduced management and process tools from Traction for just over three years with results that have not been matched in our rich 137-year history of manufacturing in Milwaukee, WI.”

“Ryan Knaack expertly filled the role as Director of Finance and Operations for my company Imperial Blades, where he reported to my partner and I with our other business leaders reporting to him. Ryan has also helped me with my business portfolio in the years since. Ryan has a great understanding of all positions and responsibilities within an organization. He has stepped in when needed to fix departments, putting processes in place to drive improvements. Also Ryan has played a CFO role communicating financial and business strategy to ownership. I give Ryan a high recommendation.”

“Ryan Knaack’s unique and versatile skill set provides both a CFO & COO strategy perspective. I have first-hand experience working alongside Ryan, and am fortunate to have him as a mentor. Utilizing his 8020 processes, cash flow drivers and expense allocation we were able to sustain top line growth while reducing costs thus creating a healthier bottom line.”

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The Foundations of our Consulting Firm

Understanding

We understand the challenges business owners face. Many of the same problems are common. Working together with our clients and bringing resources to the table, we help you overcome your challenges.

Problem-Solving

We help you understand the root of the problems you face and create solutions for each one that support your long-term business goals.

Strategy

We believe that creating and adhering to a strategic plan is essential for business growth and success. Our approach ensures that every decision aligns with your strategy and long-term goals.

Honesty

Candor is a critical part of our work. As the finance and strategy advisor, it’s crucial that we’re not the “sunshine and roses” people but interpreting the reality we see in the numbers.

Progress

At the end of the day, we want to help our clients make progress toward their goals. Success is a journey, not a destination, and we are focused on helping clients grow and stay pointed in the right direction.

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Let’s Connect

ryan.knaack@peakbusinessnavigation.com

608-217-6642