About

Meet Patrick McMillan, The QofE Guy.

An independent fractional CFO and M&A advisor who helps buyers and sellers understand what their numbers are really saying, and how to use that insight to make better decisions.

Patrick has more than two decades of experience in financial leadership and transaction advisory. Known across the ETA and M&A community as “The QofE Guy,” he specializes in Quality of Earnings, financial due diligence, and transaction support for buyers, sellers, searchers, independent sponsors, and business owners.

Before founding The QofE Guy, Patrick led the transaction advisory practice at a national fractional executive firm. There he advised on, reviewed, or contributed to more than 175 transactions totaling over $2.5 billion in combined value, in industries from construction and healthcare to eCommerce and business services. He has worked both sides of the table, buy-side and sell-side, and brings that dual perspective to every engagement.

The team behind every engagement

The QofE Guy isn’t a one-person shop. Patrick is your first point of contact on every engagement and stays involved from scoping through final findings. Depending on the deal, he leads the work himself, or a senior team member with Big 4 M&A due diligence experience leads the day-to-day work while Patrick stays in the loop. Either way, Patrick reviews every deliverable before it goes out.

Behind them, a team of diligence professionals, including Big 4 alumni, builds the databooks and runs the detailed analysis. Full QofE engagements also get an independent technical review by an advisor with Big 4 M&A due diligence experience before anything is delivered.

Additional consultants are ready to join as deal volume grows, so a busy quarter doesn’t mean a slower turnaround on your deal.

An operator’s view of the numbers

Patrick also brings hands-on operating experience. He managed conglomerates of multiple business units, including a portfolio of 50+ entities across restaurant, retail, and recreation, where he led growth initiatives, structured complex multi-state operations, and oversaw capital management for hundreds of employees. That mix of advisory and operating experience gives him insight into both the numbers and the business realities behind them.

How he works

Patrick combines rigorous financial analysis with practical, deal-focused guidance, so clients can spot risks, understand sustainable earnings, and approach a transaction with clarity and confidence.

He’s known for his infectious smile, his joyful approach, and a knack for making complex financial topics clear. His favorite shirt, “Warning: may start talking about EBITDA,” says it all.

Outside the office

Raised in the Appalachian Mountains of northeast Tennessee, Patrick finds balance outdoors, biking, hiking, and camping with his wife, Erin.