By the time Sandeep Aujla arrived at Intuit in 2015, he had already invested 7 career-building years as a senior finance executive at Visa, so his path to the CFO office was presumably getting shorter and shorter. Still, it would be another 8 years before he would be appointed Intuit CFO.
While there’s little question that during those 8 years Aujla could have likely nabbed CFO appointments elsewhere. Certainly, many finance organizations experienced a migration of senior talent during the covid years. Aujla’s decision to stay and complete yet another tour within Intuit reminds us that the shortest path is not always the best.
Read MoreAujla’s journey at Intuit began with a dual mandate: to build a forward-thinking finance team and to deeply engage in business operations. Initially, he took on the role of acting chief risk officer for Intuit’s payments business, demonstrating his versatility and strategic thinking. This early experience laid the foundation for his future contributions, as he helped to transition Intuit from being primarily an accounting software provider to representing a broader platform offering services such as payments, payroll, and Mailchimp.
Aujla played a pivotal role in this transformation, co-leading the small business group and driving the strategy that shifted Intuit’s main revenue base from accounting software to a diverse array of services. His ability to adapt and innovate was crucial as Intuit evolved into a high-growth, high-margin company.
Despite opportunities to join other companies, Aujla remained at Intuit, benefiting from the company’s deliberate investment in his growth. Working closely with current CEO Sasan Goodarzi and former executive chairman Brad Smith, Aujla received mentorship and leadership development that prepared him for the CFO role. This investment, coupled with his extensive involvement in strategic initiatives, ensured that he was not only ready for the role but also deeply aligned with Intuit’s vision and culture.
As CFO, Aujla focuses on unlocking potential within the finance team and the broader organization. He emphasizes the importance of talent development, spending significant time recruiting, coaching, and nurturing top performers. His strategic mind-set, honed through years of navigating Intuit’s complex business landscape, well positions him to lead the company through its next chapter of growth.
“You always have to be proactive in managing your career, but this doesn’t mean being impatient or expecting a linear progression. Deliver top-tier performance in your role and don’t hesitate to raise your hand for projects or roles that are outside your comfort zone. You also need patience and a willingness to play the long game. When I left Visa for Intuit, I moved to a smaller company in a different space, no longer reported directly to the CFO, and took a smaller scope than what Visa was offering me as a counter. However, I knew that the role at Intuit would expand my skills across different business models, as well as better position me to be a C-suite leader downstream. It is this focus on growing your skills, feeling your brain hurt, and delivering positive tangible impacts that becomes the differentiator.” –Sandeep Aujla, CFO, Intuit
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CFOTL: Tell us about today’s Intuit … where does its future lie, and what does it represent inside its marketplace?
Aujla: Intuit is a young 40-year-old company with a long history of both disrupting and reinventing itself. This is the overarching theme. We are a company that supports 100 million customers, about 90 million of whom are consumers and 10 million, small businesses. We are very much rooted in helping to address the key needs of these customer bases, which is the the entire focus of our corporate strategy.
Read MoreWe are largely a fintech company that provides a platform of services that include software, of course, but also a set of money movement tools. In fact, not only are we one of the largest payment processors in the U.S., but also we are the third largest payroll provider in this country, servicing over 17 million employees. In addition, we have a capital business that I played a role in setting up, and last year, we helped more than 45 million people file their taxes. We have over 40 million monthly active users making financial decisions through our Credit Karma offerings, so we’re very much a platform that’s helping our 100 million consumer and business customers to make their very best financial decisions according to their own specific situations.
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Intuit | www.intuit.com | Mountain View, CA