Arthur Sterling

Governance.
Strategy.
Value.

Independent Board Director

Arthur Sterling brings 28 years of operating and governance experience to the boards she serves. A former CFO of two NYSE-listed companies and an operating partner at a mid-market private equity firm, she has sat on 11 boards across technology, healthcare, and financial services — spanning pre-IPO companies, PE-backed businesses, and publicly traded institutions. Her board work is shaped by a core belief: that independent directors create the most value not by managing, but by asking the questions that management cannot ask itself. Arthur serves on audit and compensation committees as a SEC Financial Expert and holds the NACD Board Leadership Fellow designation.

Nomination Inquiry View Board Seats
Arthur Sterling
0 Years Experience
0 Board Seats
0 Audit Chair Roles

Governance Track Record

High Impact Metrics

0

Successful IPOs

Overseen as Director

0

M&A Exits

Led strategy as board member

0x

Audit Chair

Financial reporting oversight

SEC

Financial Expert

Designated Qualification

Board Service & Affiliations

Meridian Health Systems Cascade Ventures Northgate Financial Vantage Technology Clearbrook Capital NACD Women Corp. Directors AICPA

Committee
Expertise

I serve on the boards of growth-stage and mid-market companies as an independent director — providing audit oversight, compensation governance, and strategic counsel at the moments that define a company's trajectory.

  • I translate complex financial risk into strategic choices
  • I bring institutional discipline to scaling companies
  • I maintain absolute independence from shareholders

Audit Oversight

Deep expertise in financial reporting, internal controls, and SEC compliance. I have navigated material weaknesses as an operator, bringing wisdom to the Audit Committee.

Compensation

Designing executive compensation structures that align with long-term value creation. Experience with equity plan design and CEO succession planning.

Risk & Governance

Enterprise risk management and ESG governance. I focus on cybersecurity oversight and regulatory compliance, addressing existential threats.

Strategic Counsel

I provide constructive challenge to ensure management strategy is robust, tested, and ready for market scrutiny.

Operating Background

Executive Leadership

Board Credentials

NACD Board Leadership Fellow

National Assoc. of Corp. Directors

SEC Financial Expert

Audit Committee Qualification

CPA, Certified Public Accountant

AICPA

MBA, Finance

Wharton School, Univ. of Pennsylvania

Executive Roles

Operating Partner

2018 — 2021

Ridgeline Capital•New York, NY

Mid-Market PE

Embedded CFO resource across four portfolio companies simultaneously. Focused on finance function build-out, exit readiness, and board reporting quality. Two successful exits during tenure.

Chief Financial Officer

2012 — 2018

Vertex Systems Inc.•San Francisco, CA

NYSE: VTX

Led finance function through Series D, IPO, and three acquisitions. Managed investor relations, SEC reporting, and audit committee relationship. Oversaw $180M debt refinancing.

Chief Financial Officer

2006 — 2012

Clearwater Financial•New York, NY

NASDAQ: CWFC

Joined pre-revenue, helped scale to $340M ARR. Led two institutional fundraising rounds. Managed restatement process and remediation of material weakness.

What CEOs Say

"Arthur asked the question in our Q3 audit review that no one else on the board was willing to ask. It was uncomfortable in the room for about thirty seconds — and then we realised she had just saved us from a material disclosure error." — James Whitfield, CEO

Boardroom References

Chair + CEO Feedback

★★★★★

"Arthur has the rare ability to challenge management without derailing momentum. Her questions improved both our controls and our decision speed."

BC

Board Chair • Enterprise SaaS

NYSE Listed

★★★★★

"During a high-pressure audit cycle, she created clarity quickly and gave the committee a practical path to resolution."

AL

Audit Committee Lead • FinTech

PE Backed

★★★★★

"Her governance lens improved our board materials in one quarter. Discussions became sharper, faster, and more decision-oriented."

CH

CEO • HealthTech Platform

Growth Stage

Governance Philosophy

Independent
Judgment.

"
I believe independent directors create the most value not by managing, but by asking the questions that management cannot ask itself.

Understand Before Opining

My first 90 days in any new seat are spent listening — to management, to fellow directors, to the auditors, to the data. Credibility is built on understanding, not just experience.

Constructive Challenge

I am known for stopping the room respectfully, rigorously, and with the company's long-term interest at the center. I do this consistently and without apology.

Availability

I am currently open to one additional independent board seat in technology or financial services. I prioritize pre-IPO, PE-backed, or small-cap public entities.