A Finance Strategic Moment
During his first Salesforce meeting with the Chief Product Officer, Naeem Ishaq pitched new pricing ideas without solid data. Sent away to “figure out the (numbers) first,” he refined the fundamentals, persevered, and ultimately earned a trusted seat at the strategy table—opening doors for bigger initiatives and long-term growth.
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Now Watch Our Complete Episode Featuring CFO Naeem Ishaq of Checkr
Naeem Ishaq, CFO of Checkr, shared how his entrepreneurial roots—shaped by his father’s immigrant journey—influenced his drive to innovate and persevere in finance leadership. After honing his skills at Intel, Salesforce, and Square, Ishaq now helps steer Checkr past the $700 million mark in annual revenue. He stresses the measurable productivity benefits of AI while championing its deeper, harder-to-quantify power to spark creativity and strategic thinking. Recalling a tough “figure out the (numbers) first” moment early in his career, Ishaq highlights the importance of mastering fundamentals yet never giving up, asserting that the greatest breakthroughs happen when finance embraces bold, data-driven risks.
CFO Strategy Playbook
- Champion AI to elevate creativity and insight.
- Broaden cross-functional collaboration to foster synergy.
- Never give up, master fundamentals first.