Six months into his CFO role, he led Brex’s rapid response to the 2023 SVB collapse—designing a payroll-bridge product, securing $1B in lending commitments, and rallying 1,000 employees. Customers ultimately regained access to funds, but the moment underscored finance’s power to protect ecosystems and deliver outsized impact in crisis.
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Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring Brex President & CFO Ben Gammell of Brex
Brex’s finance leader traces an unconventional path from investment banking to operator, then to CFO and President, using “tours of duty” to build empathy and execution muscle. He recounts why Brex built its payments stack in 2018, enabling direct MasterCard integration and cards in 50+ currencies, and how a build-buy-partner lens underpins partnerships with Navan and Cooper. He outlines phased UK/EU expansion, starting with U.S. multinationals while the U.S. remains priority. On AI, tools accelerate historical analysis yet degrade beyond ninety days; human judgment guides forecasts. Priorities include capital discipline, IPO-ready controls, automation, and data science to improve usage-based predictability.
| CFO’s Strategy Playbook |
|---|
| • Treat capital as finite; invest with focus. |
| • Build, buy, or partner where advantage endures. |
| • AI accelerates insight; humans steer long-range forecasts. |