Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO John Wilson reveals how AI-driven demand has ignited explosive growth across the data center industry. He underscores the critical need to secure capital from both equity and debt markets, adapt growth plans, and maintain operational excellence. Wilson emphasizes proactive pre-leasing and strategic negotiations to maximize returns while balancing term, rate, […]
Building Networks & Nurturing Talent: Key CFO Insights from Amy Butte
Inside The Mentoring Round, Navan CFO Amy Butte recalls the unexpected responsibilities she faced at the New York Stock Exchange, underscoring how the CFO role extends beyond accounting. She reveals the importance of connecting with people—whether on a trading floor or in a finance function—and highlights the power of vulnerability in leadership. Butte also stresses […]
UiPath CFO Ashim Gupta on Strategic AI Investments & Agentic Automation
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Ashim Gupta of UiPath reveals how he balances R&D investments with strict operational discipline. Reflecting on UiPath’s rapid rise from its Romanian origins to global acclaim, Ashim explains that while R&D drives innovation, operational costs must be tightly managed. He also unveils UiPath’s strategic pivot to agentic automation—integrating AI, robotics, […]
Optimizing Cloud Spend: The Future of Consumption-Based Pricing
In this episode of The Mentoring Round, former Tableau CFO and Caliper CEO Damon Fletcher shares insights on the challenges of customer acquisition as a startup and the growing trend of consumption-based pricing in software. He discusses how Snowflake’s billing model can lead to escalating costs and how Caliper’s analytics-driven approach helps businesses identify inefficiencies, […]
Untouchable ARR: How One CFO Transformed Finance Leadership
Inside the The Mentoring Round, CFO Lior Maza of Priority Software shares how he expanded a lean finance function alongside the company’s employee count (from 150 to 560). He explains the game-changing role of SaaS metrics—ARR, NRR, and churn—while emphasizing that ARR is “untouchable” in pricing negotiations. Maza also describes how NPS (Net Promoter Score) became […]
The Art of Smart Acquisitions: Bill Korn on M&A Strategy
In the The Mentoring Round, Bill Korn, Strategic Board Advisor and CFO-Emeritus, shares his expertise on M&A strategy. With 24 acquisitions under his belt, Korn emphasizes that the key to long-term value isn’t just execution—it’s having the right strategic fit. He recounts bold moves, including acquiring companies larger than his own, and reveals how calculated […]
How Finance Drives Culture & Growth | Matt Collis, CFO, PairSoft
Inside The Mentoring Round, PairSoft CFO Matt Collis shares his leadership philosophy on transparency, communication, and cultural alignment. He believes employees want to add value but need clarity on expectations to stay engaged. Collis relies on finance as a cross-functional connector, ensuring teams understand why financial decisions are made. His approach—delivering “sermonettes” to provide context—ensures […]
The ‘Lego’ Approach to Data: Flywire CFO Discusses AI Strategy
Inside The Mentoring Round, Flywire CFO Cosmin Pitigoi emphasizes the critical importance of well-structured data in leveraging AI effectively. He compares unstructured data to a “big bucket of Lego,” highlighting that without proper organization and clear definitions—such as what constitutes a customer—AI models may fail to provide meaningful insights. Pitigoi advocates for robust data governance and […]
From Generalist to Finance Leader: Lessons from an Accidental CFO
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Stacy Tumarkin shares how she was unexpectedly tapped—twice—to step into a CFO role. She explains that despite initial reservations, taking on “Strategic Finance” responsibilities at Kubecost allowed her to guide the company’s scaling efforts and shape its next phase of growth. Tumarkin highlights the value of a broad operational background, […]
CFO Russ Keefe on Balancing Growth and Efficiency with Burn-to-NAR
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Russ Keefe highlights the metrics and tools fueling Corelight’s growth. He underscores the significance of Net Promoter Score and gross dollar retention for tracking customer expansions, and explains “burn-to-NAR,” a metric blending growth with efficiency. Keefe also details how the company integrates AI—both in product development and internal processes—emphasizing that […]
Finance as the Quarterback: A CFO’s Strategic Advantage
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Eugene Wong shares how he discovered that bridging disconnected teams can accelerate growth. He describes how finance can serve as the “quarterback,” identifying misalignment across departments and convening sidebars to maintain synergy. CFO Wong emphasizes scaling while sustaining efficiency and employee passion. Looking ahead, top priorities include streamlined growth, engaged […]
Strategic AI Adoption in Finance: CFO Hetu Patel at Thrive Market
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Hetu Patel explains how Thrive Market leverages AI for a competitive edge. He highlights the success of AI-driven product recommendations that enhance new member experiences, the promising use of generative AI in member services, and AI’s powerful role in marketing creativity and operational efficiency. Patel emphasizes fast-follower strategies for adopting […]