David Larson still recalls the moment he challenged conventional thinking inside Thomson Reuters. A shared services team in Hyderabad, long viewed as transactional, held untapped potential. Rather than accept the status quo, Larson pushed to integrate the team into the broader finance function—despite resistance tied to time zones and skepticism. The effort required planning, persuasion, and patience, but ultimately reshaped how the organization operated.
That moment reflects a career defined less by linear progression and more by deliberate expansion. Larson began in tax at Ernst & Young before pivoting into M&A, where he “didn’t know anything about valuing companies” (tells us). Over two decades, he developed a deep understanding of how businesses function end-to-end, leading due diligence, integrations, and go-to-market alignment.
Read MoreHis willingness to step into the unfamiliar—relocating internationally, raising his hand for new roles, and moving beyond corporate development—enabled him to broaden into enterprise leadership. At Thomson Reuters, he progressed through finance leadership roles before becoming Chief Strategy Officer, gaining a long-term view of growth and competitive positioning.
Today, as CFO of Feedzai, Larson applies these lessons to an AI-driven business where trust and execution are paramount. He emphasizes that finance leaders must understand “how companies operate…from A to Z” (tells us), pairing data discipline with business insight.
For Larson, the CFO role has evolved beyond numbers. It is about shaping strategy, guiding investment, and helping organizations see the business clearly—end-to-end.
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CFOTL: Let’s find out about Feedzai—how would you describe the business today in simple terms?
Larson: At the core, what we do is deeply human, because every transaction represents something that matters to people… whether it’s life savings, a business investment, or education. Our goal is to prevent financial crime. When these crimes happen, it’s not just a monetary loss—it’s a loss of trust, stability, and peace of mind. Our mission is to build a world of safer money… because financial safety is really human safety. We work with leading financial institutions, using AI to detect and stop scams, fraud, and money laundering. On an annual basis, we safeguard more than 1 billion people and $9 trillion in payments.
CFOTL: How has the company’s funding shaped its growth so far?
Larson: The company started about 12 years ago with three founders who had strong engineering backgrounds. Over time, investors took a chance on the business, and that support helped it scale. Today, we’re in a healthy position—we have a strong balance sheet and the cash to continue growing. If we wanted to pursue something larger, we could bring in additional investors, but we’re beyond the phase where funding is a concern. What stands out is the consistency of our investor base… many have been with the company since the beginning and have a strong belief in what we’re building.
CFOTL: What really drives performance across the business today?
Larson: A lot of it comes down to customer relationships and trust. We follow a “land and expand” strategy—introducing specific use cases and then growing with the customer as their needs evolve. Our product suite supports the full end-to-end risk and compliance process, from identification to fraud to anti-money laundering. One thing that stood out to me coming into the role is how long sales cycles can be—banks are complex, highly regulated organizations. So building trust and acting as a true partner is critical. That’s really the benchmark we live by—customer trust and satisfaction.
Feedzai | www.feedzai.com | New York, NY