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 LEADER995: Embracing Change to Energize Your Career | Dan Murphy, CFO, Commercetools
The way Dan Murphy sees it the CFO position demands that leaders always be kept on high alert. It’s a mindset that had led him to habitually monitor updates…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified | Accounting in the Sports World with Patrick Lynch of the Boston Celtics
On this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou welcomes Patrick Lynch, Senior Vice President and Controller of the Boston Celtics, who shares his…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER994: Balancing Top-Line Growth and Bottom-Line Results | Naresh Bansal, CFO, Menlo Security
Ask any CFO about their career-building years, and they will likely attribute their success to their adaptability and ability to render strategic insight. This…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER993: Building Resilient Careers: Lessons from a CFO Expat | Hilary Norris, CFO, GTreasury
A little more than 15 years ago, Hilary Norris had the ultimate dream job at a tech company in sunny California, a perfect alignment of professional goals and…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER992: Unlocking Holistic Company Performance | Udit Tibrewal, CFO, Anomali
Kicking off his career fresh out of school, Udit Tibrewal joined the audit practice ofPricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in New Delhi, where he set about learning…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER991: Transforming Investment Wisdom into Management Strategy | Jeff Bray, CFO, Semperis
Long ago, the power of focus was a lesson that Jeff Bray learned early in his career while transitioning from the role of analyst to that of portfolio manager…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: Building high-performing global finance teams
In this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou is joined by Katie Slattery, VP of Accounting and Corporate Controller at Fivetran. The conversation…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER990: From Print to Platform: Strategic Shifts in a Digital Age | CFO Mitch Peipert
Back in 2016, Mitch Peipert stood at a crossroads. With a career foundation deeply rooted in the precision and rigor of public accounting, Peipert had…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER989: The Homecoming: A Tale of Growth, Leadership, and Return | Jeremy Johnson, CFO, Dayforce
Back in September of 2021, Jeremy Johnson, Senior Vice President of Finance at Ceridian (now Dayforce), decided it was time to test his mettle—a decision that…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERDriving Value Beyond the Balance Sheet - A Planning Aces Episode
This episode our Planning Aces emphasize the importance of leveraging one's breadth of experience, stepping beyond traditional FP&A roles, and focusing on…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER988: The Quest for Sustainable AgTech| Bob Houghton, CFO, Pivot Bio
In the heart of a bustling paper mill, where the scent of fresh pulp intermingled with the hum of machinery, Bob Houghton kicked off his finance career. Fresh…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER987: May The Road Rise To Meet You | Jennifer Loo, CFO, Tala
Back in 2009, with a law degree in hand along with some frontline consulting experience, Jennifer Loo swung open the door at LegalZoom—where in short order she…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERSpecial Episode: Evan Goldberg Talks: The Evolution of NetSuite and Embracing AI
In a special episode of CFO Thought Leader, host Jack Sweeney converses with Evan Goldberg, Founder and Executive Vice President of Oracle NetSuite, during…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER986: Blending Finance with Operational Ingenuity | Erin Sawyer, CFO, Certinia
Reflecting on her career choices, Erin Sawyer tells us that one pivotal point stands out—a decision that involved moving her family across the country. This…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER985: A World Where Everything is Negotiable | Sarah Alper, CFO, Pactum AI
As Pactum AI embarks on a pivotal phase of commercialization, the arrival of Sarah Alper in the AI-driven company’s CFO office is by no means a coincidence…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: Managing financial processes across regions and systems
In this episode of Controllers Classified, Brex CAO Eric Zhou is joined by Daniel Hilli, Head of Business Control at Alstom. Alstom is a multinational company…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER984: Efficiency and Acquisition Readiness | Bob Purcell, CFO, Billtrust
Bob Purcell’s leap into the unknown wasn’t just a step; it was a giant stride toward his future as a CFO. Early in his career, Bob faced a daunting choice…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER983: The CFO as Architect of Value | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health
In the world of finance, where leadership roles await those who distinguish themselves along a select number of familiar paths, Aaron Alt’s journey to becoming…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER982: Blending Alcohol and E-commerce | Matt Wolf, CFO, DRINKS
Twelve years ago, when Matt Wolf was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, he likely would have been alarmed to learn that his future finance career would be…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER981: Bridging Continents: A Finance Leader’s Journey | Jakson Peters, CFO, TourRadar
Jakson Peters's journey from humble beginnings to becoming a global CFO is a tale adaptability, and continuous learning. Born in Brazil, he had initial career…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: An expert’s POV on the future of blockchain in accounting
On this episode of Controllers Classified, host Eric Zhou welcomes Sean Soper, the Head of Financial Operations and Accounting at Alchemy, to shed light on the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER980: The New Era for Legal Services | Eric Bouchard, CFO, Axiom
Perhaps no single experience better reveals the breadth of challenges that regularly test even the most stoic of finance career-builders than that which…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER979: The Changing Stripes of Finance Leadership | Chermaine Hu, CFO, Episode Six
At the very beginning of our talk with CFO Chermaine Hu, she revealed an irony about the CFO title that we rarely get to expose. To wit: The very title toward…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER978: From Silicon Roots to Global Routes | Jeff Woolard, CFO, Velocity Global
Looking back at his 26 years at Intel Corp., Jeff Woolard has more than a few moments of important discernment from which to choose when we ask for a single…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER977: Sales Success in Tech: Unlocking Rep Performance Insights | David Freeman, CFO, Starburst
Joining Intel Corp. in 1999 as a recent college graduate, David Freeman began his finance career as part of the tech giant’s plus-size finance team that…
CFO THOUGHT LEADEROperating ON and IN The Business - A Planning Aces Episode
Planning Aces co-hosts Brett Knowles and Jack Sweeney discuss the strategic efforts of two CFOs leading organizational turnarounds, and a third CFO, who offers…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER976: A Troubleshooter's Guide to Financial Leadership | Craig Wert, CFO, Jobber
Lessons from Craig Wert’s finance career reveal the power of adaptability, problem-solving skills, and the ability to seize opportunities in unexpected places…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER975: Turning the Tide at Beachbody | Marc Suidan, CFO, The Beachbody Company
When PwC partner and relentless champion of shareholder value Marc Suidan stepped into the CFO office at The Beachbody Company in April 2022, intrigue was…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: Open AI's Controller on How AI Can Transform Accounting
On this episode of Controllers Classified, Brex’s CAO Erik Zhou is joined by Sowmya Ranganathan, OpenAI’s Controller. The conversation begins with a discussion…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER974: Crafting Strategy in a Data-Driven World | Eric Jenny, CFO, SOCi
It’s the type of story that we can’t resist repeating, and one that without question underscores Eric Jenny’s entrepreneurial spirit. Still, the entertainment…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER973: Cultivating Relationships and Spearheading Change | Alejandro Castro, CFO, ONX
It was during a 9-year tenure at food giant ConAgra Brands that Alejandro Castro became involved in a companywide initiative that would forever alter his…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER972: Recalibrating Your Strategic Lens | Rachel Stack, CFO, Cologix, Inc
Not unlike that of many of her CFO peers, Rachel Stack's journey toward becoming a CFO has been punctuated by pivotal transactions. No single example of this…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER971: Navigating Growth & Transformation | Sam Kemp, CFO, Built
Looking back on his days with GoDaddy, Sam Kemp recalls a pivotal page in the domain registry giant’s strategic M&A playbook. As he prepared to present to the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERControllers Classified: CAO Erik Zhou of Brex Speaks to CAO Angelina Hendraka of Redis.
On this episode of Controllers Classified, Brex’s CAO Erik Zhou is joined by Angelina Hendraka, the CAO at Redis. The conversation begins with a recap of…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER970: Growing in Good Company | Dennis Johnson, CFO, Qlik
It’s an all-too-familiar tale among the ranks of senior finance executives: A private equity firm acquires a company, reshuffles the finance team, and reserves…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER969: The Human Equation in Finance | Elizabeth Mann, CFO, Verisk
Elizabeth Mann began her career as a mathematician in academia, spending a decade in the field. Her initial plan had been to become a professor, on a path that…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERProjecting The Voice of Reason - A Planning Aces Episode
This episode of Planning Aces sheds light on the critical role financial leadership and strategic planning plays in guiding companies through turbulent times…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER968: From the Investor’s Point of View | David Snyder, CFO, Coya Therapeutics
It was the type of introduction that any MBA student would envy, and one at which David Snyder, 35 years later, still marvels. Back in the late 1980s, a…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER967: Leading with a Customer Mind-Set | Karen Walker, CFO, Sysdig
Like many of her CFO peers, Karen Walker had an early career that was guided by abundant opportunities surrounding finance-driven decision-making within…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERIntroducing Controllers Classified w/ Erik Zhou, CAO, Brex | Guest: Franklin Templeton CAO Lindsey Oshita
This Episode is CFOTL Special Supplement. Franklin Templeton Chief Accounting Officer Lindsey Oshita expains how challenges faced during an ERP integration…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER966: The Billionaire's Apprentice | Michael Perica, CFO, Rimini Street
CFO Michael Perica’s career journey began with an opportunity to work as a junior analyst for a national capital markets firm, where he would find a…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER965: Removing Complexity for Strategic Success | Emma Brown, CFO, Medius
For Emma Brown, it was as though she had just removed the sword from the fabled stone, a moment that would challenge the inclination to persistently question…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER964: Leveraging AI to Achieve Durable Growth | Luigi Testa, CFO, LinkSquares
Four years ago, when Luigi Testa first joined LinkSquares as CFO, the Boston-area tech firm employed roughly 40 people. Today, with nearly 400 employees, the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER963: How a Biotech Disrupter Is De-risking R&D | Jamey Mock, CFO, Moderna
It's no secret that Moderna's R&D efforts have expanded well beyond the realm of COVID-19. CFO Jamey Mock tells us that today the company has more than 40…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER962: Stay Calm And Carry On | Brandon Nussey, CFO, Coveo
More than any other human quality or characteristic, Brandon Nussey is known for his calm demeanor—or so Coveo’s finance leader tells us near the end of our…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERSeeding Organizational Ownership - A Planning Aces Episode
Planning Aces Hosts Brett Knowles and Jack Sweeney discuss how AI's integration into FP&A is still in early stages, with many teams 'dabbling' in AI rather…
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Bonus Replay: Your Company’s Value Proposition | James Moylan, CFO, Ciena
Jim Moylan is perhaps our first CFO guest to list the leasing of oil rigs as one of the experiences that best prepared him for a CFO role. Of course, he makes…
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Bonus Replay: Understanding Your Customer From the Inside Out | Jason Quinn, CFO, Vendr
When Jason Quinn landed in Europe back in 2008, he was the youngest of five American expats being deployed by digital disrupter SMB printer Vistaprint of…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER961: Finding Healthier Alternatives and Profits | Greg Robbins, CFO, Odyssey Wellness
Greg Robbins began his career inside the realm of Big Six accounting houses, an experience that he tells us laid the foundation for a career in financial…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER960: Understanding What Opportunity Looks Like | Christine Chambers, CFO, PetMeds
Our discussion with Christine Chambers has been going on for only a little more than 5 minutes when she tells us that she remembers sitting on the steps of a…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER959: A CFO Role as Broad as Space Is Wide | Mark Seidel, CFO, True Anomaly
If Mark Seidel had told us that he had spent many of his high school evenings peering through a telescope at the stars, we would have likely believed him…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER958: Entering the Home Fitness Connection Lane | Aina Konold, CFO, BowFlex
Among the industries on which the pandemic was most known to have afflicted an extra helping of earnings chaos, most business analysts agree that the home…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER957: Mission-Centric Finance: MDA's Transformation Story | Michael Kennedy, CFO, Muscular Dystrophy Association
When Michael Kennedy first stepped into the CFO office at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in 2018, he was surprised to learn that the association was…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER956: The Underpinnings of Operational Growth | Zhi Li, CFO, Customer.io
CFO Zhi Li's Career Background: Zhi Li's professional life begin at Bell Canada, where he was involved in operational finance within the Wireless Division. The…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERFP&A: The Silo Buster - A Planning Aces Episode
Insights from Planning Aces: CFO Lauren StClair talks about leveraging AI for faster analysis, transparency in reporting, and the challenge of maintaining…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER955: When It’s Time to Raise Your Hand | Lauren StClair, CFO, NerdWallet
It was back in 2016 when Lauren St. Clair realized that it was time to raise her hand. Online marketplace giant eBay had just completed a deal to acquire the…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER954: The Job Became His For the Asking | Peter Benevides, CFO, Olo
When Peter Benevides joined Olo back in 2015, the provider of restaurant technology's CFO office was vacant—as it would remain for the next 4 years, until he…
CFO THOUGHT LEADERBONUS REPLAY: Armed and Sheltered From the Storm | Tom Fennimore, CFO, Luminar Technologies
The Goldman Sachs “anti-raid” team was between conference calls with an embattled client company when word came that a senior member of the target company’s…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER953: Lessons From the Mobile Era | Rodrigo Brumana, CFO, Poshmark
CFO Rodrigo Brumana’s career journey began with a position as a computer programmer in Brazil. He would move in his early career years to the United States…
CFO THOUGHT LEADER952: Solving the Almond World's People Equation | Mark Lampe, CFO, Monte Vista Farming Co.
The episode features Mark Lampe, CFO of Monte Vista Farming Co., discussing the significance of understanding labor and its impact on business success. CFO…