In modern corporate practice, the interaction between the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is often seen as potentially conflictual. The former is traditionally focused on financial discipline, cost control, and balance sheet stability, while the latter is oriented toward growth investments, market expansion, and revenue growth, often with delayed financial impact. However, the experience of Planet DDS demonstrates an alternative model — a partnership where these roles do not oppose each other but form a unified decision-making system.
An article, originally published on the CFO.com platform, explores the dynamics of collaboration between Stephen Fong, CFO of Planet DDS, and Mike Huffaker, the company’s CRO, illustrating how alignment, an analytical approach, and trust can become drivers of sustainable growth.
According to Mike Huffaker, tension between finance and revenue functions is common in organizations. However, at Planet DDS, this tension has been reframed as a tool for “stress-testing” ideas. Both leaders emphasize that the absence of entrenched stereotypes associated with their roles allowed them to build a more flexible and open model of collaboration.
Instead of competing priorities, the CFO and CRO view differences in approaches as an opportunity for in-depth analysis of initiatives, risk assessment, and refinement of implementation timelines. This approach fosters more balanced management decisions and reduces the likelihood of strategic errors.
The central space for collaboration between Stephen Fong and Mike Huffaker has been financial planning and analytics. Regular, at least monthly, meetings allow them to synchronize perspectives on revenue, workforce resources, hiring rates, and investment priorities. Fong notes the high analytical capability of the CRO team and its owner-business mindset, which facilitates discussions on complex financial and operational issues.
Disagreements that arise between the leaders typically concern not the essence of initiatives but their implementation timelines. Here, the key tools for reaching consensus are transparent data, a unified set of metrics, and agreed-upon terminology, which reduces the risk of interpretive discrepancies.
One of the success factors of the CFO-CRO partnership at Planet DDS has been the development of a common “taxonomy” — a shared understanding of how key business metrics are defined and analyzed. This enabled the creation of a seamless logic from strategic goals to operational decisions. An example of this approach is the initiative to expand the customer success team, which was justified both from a revenue growth perspective and in terms of financial sustainability.
Planet DDS primarily focuses on multi-clinic dental groups and Dental Service Organizations (DSOs). Since Huffaker joined in 2019, the company has demonstrated impressive momentum: its workforce has grown from approximately 60 to 370 employees, and revenue has increased tenfold. Founded in 2003, the company surpassed the milestone of $100 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025.
Stephen Fong emphasizes that further growth is likely to be more moderate, yet the strategic goal remains unchanged — moving forward with complete alignment between financial and commercial functions.
Both leaders emphasize the importance of open and direct discussions about the state of affairs and investment directions. Such a culture of dialogue facilitates faster decision-making processes and reduces managerial inertia. For Huffaker, the key principles of collaborating with the CFO are goal alignment, clear accountability, and autonomy within the agreed-upon strategy.
The experience of Planet DDS demonstrates that an effective partnership between the CFO and CRO can become not a source of internal tension but a strategic asset for the company. Data alignment, a shared metrics framework, and a culture of trust enable the integration of financial discipline and growth ambitions into a unified managerial logic. In an increasingly complex competitive environment with rising investor expectations, this model of collaboration becomes a crucial factor for sustainable development and long-term business success.
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