336: All Eyes on Cash | Tony Tripodo, CFO & Author: "The Successful CFO"

There was a time when Tony Tripodo envisioned building a finance career around his tax expertise. The decision to step beyond his specialization and onto a broader finance leadership path was not one he took lightly, but one from which he would perhaps garner greater satisfaction in the years ahead as it challenged his relationship-building skills and allowed him to unearth new talents as the demands of finance leadership grew. Join us when Tony recounts his career journey from “tax nerd” to controller to CFO and shares his latest career chapter as a board member, EVP, and CFO (emeritus) of Helix Energy Solutions. Also, learn what compelled Tony to write a book, The Successful CFO, and why he believes that organizations need to place greater focus on CFO succession planning.

Listen to the Episode Below (00:46:42)

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00:46:42

336: All Eyes on Cash | Tony Tripodo, CFO & Author: “The Successful CFO”

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What’s exciting you about finance and business today?

Tripodo: “I think that business and finance are getting more complex. Certainly, the financial crisis of 2008 has made it more complicated to be a CFO. The banks have stricter standards in terms of lending money. The capital markets are not always open, although they are open now. In a way, the more complex it is, the more exciting it is. I think that there is more to learn. Also, as the world becomes closer as we become more global organizations, I think that it’s also exciting to deal with different cultures. I guarantee you that as a CFO, if you have operations in Europe, your European financial talent typically have different cultural biases than the folks with whom you may be dealing in the U.S. I find that exciting as well. How you adapt to those different cultures is very important because they may be motivated differently in Europe, in Southeast Asia, in South America, than they are in the United States or Canada.”

Book Pick: The Successful CFO by Tony Tripodo

Quick Hits: 60-Second Insights

Guest: Tony Tripodo, Executive Vice President, Senior Advisor, Board Member

Company: Helix Energy Solutions

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

Contact: www.helixesg.com @Helix_ESG