Horace Madison, a veteran financial executive, has spent decades operating in a high-pressure realm where money and ambition go hand-in-hand. Now, as the founder of The Haven, a full-service business management company, Madison is repositioning himself away from business management for individual clients while moving toward fractional CFO roles that place him in the center of companies as a strategic financial leader. “This move has been shaped by my years on Wall Street, building a cultural fluency and a deep understanding of how value can be built and protected over time,” he says.
Madison’s professional foundation was formed in finance long before his name became associated with some of the most influential figures in urban music. He began his career on Wall Street, where he developed technical discipline and an understanding of complex financial systems. “That’s where I truly understood finance and money, at their very core,” he adds. That trajectory changed when a friend discovered a gifted guitarist performing in the subway and invited Madison to help.
Drawing on his financial acumen, they produced a demo and took a chance on his instincts. “We took that demo to senior label executives, and that sparked a bidding war,” he recalls. “Eventually, we ended up getting the artist a great record deal and a publishing agreement.” That experience paved the way for his role as a business manager.
Madison shares, “In the process of looking for a business manager, the owner of the Business Management company said to me, ‘Why don’t you do this yourself?’ Business management is something you learn by doing, especially when you already have the relationship and the trust.” Madison found his footing in business management, a career that spanned more than 25 years.
Within those years, he worked with top-tier artists and athletes, becoming deeply embedded in the ecosystem of high-profile talent, managing entities, overseeing cash flow, and navigating the realities of fame-driven enterprises.
The role, he notes, required proximity not only to professional backgrounds but also to personal lives, a dynamic Madison now views with clarity. “As a business manager, you are hired by the individual,” he says. “I ended up dealing with their personal activities, and I care deeply, which meant I often got caught up in their individual issues. At this stage in my life, I want to focus on the business itself.”
This realization opened his doors to the role of a Fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO), offering him the structured focus he sought. Unlike business management, Madison is now engaged by organizations rather than individuals. He operates as a work-for-hire executive tasked with financial strategy and risk management. “This role streamlines my focus to manage the business itself, manage their finances, protect the downside, and work toward the company’s objectives,” he says.
His years representing elite clients shaped a rare perspective on value. Madison learned early that fame does not guarantee financial literacy. “More times than not, they don’t truly understand their net worth or their value,” he says. “They know they’re important, but they don’t know how valuable they are from a financial perspective.” That insight sharpened his ability to look beyond profit-and-loss statements and recognize brand value embedded in equity, intangible assets, and long-term potential
One of his signature achievements exemplifies that mindset. Madison identified an opportunity to build and fund a subsidiary prepaid debit card business for a high-profile client. He structured and launched the venture. “To identify the opportunity, fund it, launch it, and see it succeed so quickly was a great achievement,” he reflects,
During the process of obtaining his MBA, Madison stepped away to rethink his identity and offering, leading to the creation of The Haven. The name, he notes, was intentional. “I wanted to be a financial haven for clients and a safe strategic home for their businesses,” he adds. Today, The Haven, serving across New York, Atlanta, and Miami, offers fractional CFO services across diverse sectors, including nonprofit organizations, health-boosting ingestibles, and other international ventures. Aside from fractional CFO, The Haven still guides clients with Business Management services including bookkeeping, accounting and tax strategies.
Madison describes himself as patient, with a clear expectation of professionalism. “If we have a path to our goal, I can walk that path patiently,” he says. “I expect people to meet their commitments.” That balance of guidance and accountability defines his approach, as does his enjoyment of mentoring founders and executives through complicated growth phases.
From managing famous faces to building sustainable businesses, Horace Madison’s trajectory reflects an intricate understanding of where he creates the greatest impact. Through The Haven and his fractional CFO work, he now brings what he calls the “top 1%” experience to organizations ready to think bigger and build enduring value.
