The Future of Finance is Listening

Episodes | CFO THOUGHT LEADER

710: Supply, Demand, and Oil in the Gears | Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, CFO, Analog Devices, Inc.

It was nightly business conversations at his parents' dinner table that first led Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah to consider alternatives to business when it came to building a career. "As most small business owners do, my parents worked all the time—and as with most small businesses, things could at times be financially challenging," explains Mahendra-Rajah, who vividly…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:45:41)
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709: Investor, Advisor, Operator | Mark Shifke, CFO, Billtrust

Billtrust CFO Mark Shifke likes to label himself an “accidental CFO”—a tag that a number of our guests have appropriated from time to time when faced with explaining a past filled with less-than-traditional career experience. However, in the case of Shifke, the term arguably has little to do with career experience, for Billtrust’s CFO spent…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:40:06)
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708: Making FP&A Your Cross-Functional Glue | Waifa Chau, CFO, Nylas

Several actions proved key as Waifa Chau advanced from financial planning and analysis (FP&A) roles to chief financial officer positions. Collaborating with other functions, gaining an in-depth understanding of the overall business, and helping his colleagues to understand how FP&A benefits an organization have driven his success, says Chau, currently CFO with Nylas, Inc., a…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:42:49)
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707: Light from a Distant Star | Ian Charles, CFO, Flexe

Of course, every finance leader needs to understand the mechanics of accounting and know how to identify the financial implications of management’s decisions. Their preparation should also include learning from their experiences—and this includes mistakes, says Ian Charles, chief financial officer with Flexe, an on-demand warehousing solution. In particular, identifying the optimal candidate for a…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:34:23)
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706: A Career of Build-and-Scale Moments | Trent York, CFO, Restore Hyper Wellness

Nearly 20 years later, CFO Trent York tells us that he can still hear the finance executive’s exact words. “Trent, I don’t need you tell me how not to do something—I need you to help me to figure out how to work through the issue and what needs to be addressed in order for us…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:39:26)
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705: Expanding the Lane to Organic Growth | Bill Kelley, CFO, TreeHouse Foods

When the TreeHouse Foods financial planning and analysis (FP&A) team notice CFO Bill Kelley entering the room, chances are that a number of team members shoot a quick glance at the company’s latest revenue figures. “I'm probably more predictable than I want to be,” explains Kelley, who has made revenue management a top priority for…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:40:14)
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704: When Investors Come to Mind | Puneet Pamnani, CFO, KORE Wireless

When asked about a personal habit that has served him well over the years, finance leader Puneet Pamnani raises his voice slightly and seeks to mimic the delivery of his wife’s tone:  “This is what you do for a hobby? You read company annual reports?” To which Pamnani defends his favorite pastime with the retort:…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:40:56)
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703: Driving Future Performance | Harmit Singh, CFO, Levi Strauss & Co.

When it comes time for Harmit Singh to brief Levi Strauss & Co.’s management team regarding the latest performance results, Levi’s CFO will often share a briefing document that features a front page bearing the heading “What’s Working and What’s Not.” “It’s more difficult to understand what’s not working, and it’s the ‘What’s not’ that…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:44:53)
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702: Making Relationships Matter | Andrew Kenny, CFO, Scoular

Andrew Kenny still remembers the smell of day-old pizza that lingered in the back of the Cairo conference room as negotiations between his company, food processing giant ADM, and a future joint venture partner entered day five. “Planting a flag in Egypt was extremely important for us because it was not just about having a…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:51:37)
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701: Real-Time Insights, Yet Another Covid Legacy | Adam Meister, CFO, Talend

There’s little question that the pandemic has led business leaders to amp up digital initiatives across most industries. In response, CFOs have more frequently been called upon to serve up some detailed answers for investors eager to keep a grasp on all spending tied to such initiatives. However, capital spending numbers were only an appetizer…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:41:23)
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700: The Rewards of Adding Structure | Alex Amezquita, CFO, Herbalife Nutrition

Space is not typically the realm that CFOs point to when we ask about experiences that prepared them for a finance leadership role. However, the first 10 years of Alex Amezquita’s professional life frequently involved celestial spaces. "I was an engineer and chip designer, and some of those chips are floating around space on satellites…
Listen to the Episode Below (00:41:50)
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