Shows / CFO THOUGHT LEADER
CFO THOUGHT LEADER
CFO THOUGHT LEADER is a podcast featuring firsthand accounts of finance leaders who are driving change within their organizations. We share the career journey of our spotlighted CFO guest: What do they struggle with? How do they persevere? What makes them successful CFOs? CFO THOUGHT LEADER is all about inspiring finance professionals to take a leadership leap. We know that by hearing about the successes — (and yes, also the failures) — of others, today’s CFOs can more confidently chart their…
Episodes
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1132: Infrastructure First: Where AI Actually Adds Up | Steve Sutter, CFO, Celigo
When Steve Sutter joined Celigo five years ago, he stepped into a company positioned not as another SaaS app but as what he calls “the infrastructure, the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1131: Building an AI-Ready Finance Engine | Beth Gaspich, CFO, NICE
In 2008, Beth Gaspich stood on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, ringing the bell as RiskMetrics went public. What made the moment extraordinary was…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1130: Building Resilient Finance in Uncertain Times | David Obstler, CFO, Datadog
When David Obstler joined Datadog in 2018, the company’s co-founders had already built momentum with a product that observed modern cloud workloads. What…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1129: Turning Transactions into Strategy | Laura LaPeer, CFO, UHY
On her first day as CFO of UHY, Laura LaPeer asked a simple question: “Do you guys do Copilot?” She had grown accustomed to using Microsoft’s AI assistant for…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1128: Capital Discipline in a Usage-Based World | Ben Gammell, President & CFO, Brex
In 2018, Brex made a defining decision: rather than rely on middleware providers like Stripe or Marqeta, it built its own payments infrastructure from the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1127: Lean Finance in a Volatile World | Damon Lee, CFO, C.H. Robinson
When Damon Lee reflects on his first conversations with C.H. Robinson’s CEO, he recalls how natural the alignment felt. “We spoke the same language. We were…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1126: Turning Signals into Strategy in Hypergrowth | Holly Grey, CFO Horizon3.ai
When Holly Grey first examined Horizon3.ai, she saw more than a cybersecurity startup. She saw a technology that could change the way companies safeguard…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1125: Finance Lessons in the AI Era | Jay Peir, CFO, Pigment
At 30, Jay Peir stepped into the CFO role at SunPower, a high-efficiency solar cell manufacturer. The appointment came after leading M&A and venture…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1124: Rewiring the Marketplace for the AI Era | Craig Foster, CFO, Pax8
When Craig Foster talks about artificial intelligence, he begins with scale. Pax8, the enterprise marketplace where he serves as CFO, connects vendors like…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1123: From Accounting Rigor to Strategic Leadership | Jim Rogers, CFO, Tempus AI
The pivot began when Jim Rogers raised his hand. Groupon was shifting from mobile daily deals to a goods business in Europe, and—still early in his career—he…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERFinance Leaders Decode AI's Promise - A Planning Aces Episode
In this Planning Aces special, three finance leaders map how AI is moving FP&A from dashboards to decisions. Andrew Casey (Amplitude) shows agents automating…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1122: Capital Allocation as a CFO’s North Star | Chris Miorin, CFO, Apexanalytix
Chris Miorin’s path to the CFO office began in a crucible of leadership. At West Point, and later at Ranger School, he was forged in environments designed to…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1121: Agility Through Scenario-Driven Finance | Ademir Sarcevic, CFO, Standex International
During what he calls a “terrible soccer game” his son was playing, Ademir Sarcevic picked up a recruiter’s call that would change his career. The game was…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERIn the Room Where it Happens (Part 2)
In Part Two of The Room Where It Happens, we continue our journey alongside CFOs who found themselves face-to-face with some of the most iconic business…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1120: Navigating Growth, Crisis, and the AI Revolution | Eric Brown, CFO, Cohesity
Eric Brown vividly recalls his trial by fire at MicroStrategy. Joining a subsidiary, he expected to help deploy hundreds of millions from a planned secondary…
- CFO THOUGHT LEADER
Special Episode: In the Room Where it Happens (Part 1)
In Part One of In the Room Where It Happens, we hear from four CFOs reflecting on formative moments when they found themselves face-to-face with legendary…
- CFO THOUGHT LEADER
1119: Driving Mission-Driven Growth in the SaaS World | Matthew Hardy, CFO, Bonterra
When people Google Bonterra, they often see 2021 as its starting point. That year, lead investor Apax joined with Vista, holder of Social Solutions, and…
- CFO THOUGHT LEADER
The Prove-It Mentality: Rethinking ROI in the Age of AI - A Planning Aces Episode
In Episode 47 of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore the evolving role of FP&A through the lens of three…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: Weathering tariff risks
Host Erik Zhou, CAO at Brex, sits down with Richie Mashiko, Fractional CFO, to unpack the financial complexities of running high-growth e-commerce and CPG…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1118: Partnering for Growth: Finance Meets Customer-Centricity | Andrew Casey, CFO, Amplitude
Andrew Casey remembers a moment when colleagues truly looked to finance for leadership. At ServiceNow, a then‑$400 million company with little go‑to‑market…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1117: Building a Unicorn with a Finance Blueprint | Konstantin Dzhengozov, CFO, Payhawk
When Konstantin Dzhengozov turned down a corporate development role in the U.S., he wasn’t walking away from opportunity—he was running toward a different kind…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1116: The CFO Who Thinks in Full Color | Dan Zhang, CFO, ClickUp
When Dan Zhang joined ClickUp in 2021, she stepped into a company intent on unifying how the world works. Two years later, she entered the CFO office—just as…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERWhy Finance Teams Must Learn Faster Than Ever | Tim Vipond, Co-Founder, CEO of CFI
When Tim Vipond was asked to help rebuild Newmont Goldcorp’s corporate model, the scale was daunting: “20 tabs across… each tab being many hundred rows deep,”…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1115: The Evolution of a Leader—One CFO Chapter at a Time | Lisa Cummins Dulchinos, CFO, Ayar Labs
When Lisa Cummins Dulchinos joined Ayar Labs, she knew translating deep tech into a business story would be central to her role. At a company where 85% of the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1114: Building a Smarter Funnel at Speed | Kevin Wall, CFO, Stax Payments
When Kevin Wall first stepped into industry from public accounting, it wasn’t by accident—it was through a client he already knew well. The company, in the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1113: The Strategic Leap from Finance Partner to Business Architect: Josh Schauer, CFO, insightsoftware
When Josh Schauer joined Longview, a Toronto-based software company, he had no idea that a transformative chapter of his career was just a few years away. In…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1112: The Value of Seeing Finance from the Front Lines | Nathan Winters, CFO, Zebra Technologies
When Nathan Winters led a supply chain team earlier in his career, he noticed something that would shape his leadership style: “The credibility you get by the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1111: Inside the M&A Playbook: Why People Come First | James Redfern, CFO Reltio
Nearly a year into his CFO role at Reltio, James Redfern still feels like he’s catching up. “I’ve made some progress, but I’m definitely not where I… need to…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERThe CFO Role in Scaling AI Curiosity
How are finance chiefs steering the AI revolution? In this fast-paced special edition of CFO Thought Leader, host Jack Sweeney spotlights Packer Fastener CFO…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1110: When Leadership Mattered | Amanda Whalen, CFO, Klaviyo
Amanda Whalen’s first unit CFO role began with a question. “You’re not a finance technical person,” her company’s president told her, “but you’re the strongest…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERFrom Flailing to AI Forward Motion - A Planning Aces Episode
In this Planning Aces episode, Jack Sweeney and co-host Brett Knowles spotlight three CFOs who are advancing their organizations' FP&A capabilities through…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1109: Building Finance Teams for Scale, Speed, and Smarts | Larry Roseman, CFO, Thumbtack
When the Silicon Valley Bank crisis erupted in early 2023, Larry Roseman was already well-acquainted with market upheaval. A member of the CFO class appointed…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1108: Building Value in a Disrupted Industry | Kent Hoskins, CFO, Concord
Back in 2003, when a recruiter lined up Kent Hoskins for a finance interview at Boosey & Hawkes, he came prepared to discuss guitar manufacturing. Instead, the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1107: When Finance Leads with a CEO Mindset | John Rettig, CFO, Bill
What sets John Rettig’s CFO journey apart from most is not just its length—spanning more than two decades—but its unusual symmetry. His CFO career roughly…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1106: Scaling Smarter: Inside the Finance Revenue Engine | Tim Ritters, CFO, Gong
During his decade at Google, Tim Ritters worked at the intersection of product and finance, helping to launch financial systems in collaboration with…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1105: The Steady Climb: Scaling with Purpose in FinTech | Rene Ho, CFO, SAP Taulia
It’s no secret CFOs frequently exit soon after a major acquisition—especially when a larger enterprise takes the reins. But Rene Ho stayed. Ho had been CFO of…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1104: Navigating Cardinal Health’s Growth Journey | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health
As Cardinal Health nears its second anniversary since the company’s first investor day under CFO Aaron Alt’s leadership, steady progress has been made in its…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERRedefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI - A Planning Aces Episode
In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles spotlight the FP&A strategies and AI adoption journeys of three CFOs—Gillian Munson…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1103: Turning Anomalies into Advantage | Matthias Steinberg, CFO, MindBridge
When Matthias Steinberg entered the CFO office at MindBridge in 2022, the audit files displayed on his laptop were already being processed by the company’s own…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1102: Navigating Growth and Risk in a Member-Driven Business | Andrea Hecht, CFO, CSAA Insurance
When Andrea Hecht walks into a finance meeting, she’s not preparing for earnings calls or shareholder Q&A. Instead, her focus is inward—on aligning every…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1101: Turning Home Equity into a Platform, Not a Product | Tom Egan, CFO, Hometap
When Tom Egan walks a homeowner through the math—“If your house is worth a million dollars and you owe five hundred thousand,” he says—the traditional options…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1100: Lines, Not Dots: Turning Optionality into Outcomes | Chad Gold, CFO, Fullstory
Imagine an accounts‑receivable clerk clicking through four different systems just to finish one routine task. Chad Gold sees that bottleneck instantly…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERON LOCATION: AI on the Frontlines - Live Insights from Planful Perform25
Broadcasting from Planful’s Perform 25 conference in Miami, CFO Thought Leader presents frontline finance insights in an on‑location special. CEO Grant…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1099: Turning Back‑of‑House Data into Front‑of‑House Wins | Emma Whelan, CFO, MarginEdge
When a restaurant’s weekly salmon order suddenly spikes in price, Emma Whelan wants chefs adjusting menus the next morning—not tallying losses a month later…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1098: Pandemic Rollercoaster Veteran Champions Smarter MRI Suites | Jill Woodworth, CFO, Prenuvo
When Peloton’s stock debuted in 2019, CFO Jill Woodworth believed the playbook was air‑tight. She had shifted fiscal calendars, re‑segmented reporting and…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1097: The Mutual Advantage in a Cyclical Market | Kevin Ingram, CFO, FM
For nearly ten years, Kevin Ingram knocked on S&P’s door, arguing that FM’s A‑plus rating undervalued its balance sheet. Other agencies, such as Fitch, already…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1096: Why Usage Beats Revenue in Video SaaS | Gillian Munson, CFO, Vimeo
When Gillian Munson pictures a Vimeo customer, she doesn’t start with a filmmaker, she imagines an insurance company or a corner grocery store owner uploading…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERBuilt for Turbulence: Finance Planning in Motion - A Planning Aces Episode
This Planning Aces episode explores how finance leaders navigate volatility without drifting into political cross‑currents like tariffs. Prologis CFO Tim Arndt…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1095: Turning Volatility into Cross‑Border Opportunity | Bea Ordonez, CFO, Payoneer
Bea Ordonez still recalls the whirlwind of her first CFO post: a raw fintech start‑up where, in two short years, she recruited “over a hundred people,” built…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1094: Mapping Revenue Levers for Next‑Gen Data Businesses | Dilip Upmanyu, CFO, Cloudera
Back in the 1990s, Dilip Upmanyu sat in a room filled with servers as he pieced together a homegrown database of costs and SKUs. His employer at the time…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1093: Anime Economics: Serving Fans, Driving Returns | Travis Page, CFO, Crunchyroll
A little more than decade ago, Travis Page was hauling gear off a tour bus, criss-crossing the country with indie bands. One late night, sweat-soaked and…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1092: Balancing Mission, Margin, and Market Share | Steven Miller, CFO, Warby Parker
It was Friday the 13th in March of 2020, and Steven Miller was staring at a suddenly irrelevant budget. Hours earlier Warby Parker had shuttered every one of…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1091: Making Finance the Force Multiplier | Chris Greiner, CFO, Zeta Global
It was a morning commute Chris Greiner had made hundreds of times before. Living in old Shanghai and working in the city’s sleek business district, Greiner’s…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1090: Broadening the Field: Turning Risk into Reach | Jerome Upton, CFO, Genworth
Jerome Upton still remembers the silence that descends just before a game begins. As captain of his college team, he’d scan the huddle, gauge nerves, and ask…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1089: Reinventing Operations for Lasting Impact | Brian McClintock, CFO, Fusion Connect
t was sixty days into his new role when Brian McClintock tells us he realized the company’s monthly “profit” was actually a million-dollar loss. As the CFO…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1088: Driving Growth with a Builder’s Mindset | Naeem Ishaq, CFO, Checkr
It was a first meeting Naeem Ishaq tells us he’ll never forget: stepping into the Chief Product Officer’s office at Salesforce, he began pitching a bold new…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1087: Why Finance Needs a Seat at Every Table | Tony Jarjoura, CFO, Gigamon
It was the kind of boardroom moment that separates finance professionals from finance leaders. Tony Jarjoura, now CFO of Gigamon, found himself surrounded by…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1086: M&A, AI, and the Art of Integration | Adam Ante, CFO, Paycor
“It wouldn’t surprise me. No, it would be exciting.” That was Adam Ante’s initial response when asked if five years from now, he could imagine himself still in…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: Host Erik Zhou sits down with Amber Papp, VP of Finance at Scentbird
Host Erik Zhou sits down with Amber Papp, VP of Finance at Scentbird to explore the unique challenges of accounting in the e-commerce space. From managing a…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER1085: The Strategic Power of Curiosity | Erik Rothschild, CFO, Cin7
Fresh out of a hedge fund analyst role, Erik Rothschild walked into an interview at a Chicago-based trading firm and did something unexpected—he pitched actual…