The Source for CFO Thought Leadership

AI adoption

1107: When Finance Leads with a CEO Mindset | John Rettig, CFO, Bill

What sets John Rettig’s CFO journey apart from most is not just its length—spanning more than two decades—but its unusual symmetry. His CFO career roughly divides into two decade-long tenures: first helping scale a digital advertising firm from $15 million to $250 million in revenue, and now serving as CFO of Bill, where he’s helped…
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When Finance Drives Strategic Change | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health

Facing rising costs and regulatory pressures, Aaron Alt led a critical analysis of a retailer's in-store pharmacy operations. The detailed P&L review revealed the unsustainable costs, prompting a strategic decision to partner with an external provider. This move maintained customer traffic while offloading operational risks, illustrating finance’s role in strategic transformation. Now Watch the Complete…
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Ep 45: Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI

In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles spotlight the FP&A strategies and AI adoption journeys of three CFOs—Gillian Munson (Vimeo), Dan Fletcher (Planful), and Chad Gold (FullStory). Each finance leader discusses how AI is reshaping their planning processes, from accelerating automation and revenue generation to transforming cross-functional collaboration. Brett introduces […]

1104: Navigating Cardinal Health’s Growth Journey | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health

As Cardinal Health nears its second anniversary since the company’s first investor day under CFO Aaron Alt’s leadership, steady progress has been made in its ambitious transformation. Alt reflects on the company’s trajectory since his appointment, saying, “We’ve deployed several billion dollars in acquisitions to drive our strategy.” This shift highlights the company’s focus on…
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Achieving Strategic Optionality Through Operational Rigor | Chad Gold, CFO, Fullstory

Sensing 2021’s frothy market, Gold ran a dual track—pursuing fresh capital while quietly courting strategic buyers. Years of relationship‑building and rigorous records paid off when Vista Equity acquired Salesloft, delivering liquidity without ceding control and validating his mantra that finance should anticipate peaks and “make the news.” Now Watch the Complete Episode with CFO Chad Gold […]

1100: Lines, Not Dots: Turning Optionality into Outcomes | Chad Gold, CFO, Fullstory

Imagine an accounts‑receivable clerk clicking through four different systems just to finish one routine task. Chad Gold sees that bottleneck instantly. Fullstory’s newly launched Workforce product maps every mouse‑stroke of such employee journeys, then surfaces friction points so companies can “make them more productive, so they can do even more value‑added things,” Gold tells us. CFOTL:…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:50:22)
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ON LOCATION: AI on the Frontlines – Live Insights from Planful Perform25

Broadcasting from Planful’s Perform 25 conference in Miami, CFO Thought Leader presents frontline finance insights in an on‑location special. CEO Grant Halloran rejects the narrative that generative AI replaces people; instead he calls it the only viable antidote to a looming three‑million‑professional accounting shortage and collapsing CPA pipeline. Halloran outlines a 30‑second, company‑wide forecasting experience that lifts…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:54:43)
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AI on the Frontlines: Live Insights from Planful Perform25

On Location at Planful Perform 25 in Miami, CFO Thought Leader captures candid frontline views on AI’s sweeping impact. CEO Grant Halloran details how intelligent automation meets a crippling finance‑talent shortage, promising faster decision cycles without head‑count spikes. CFO Dan Fletcher spotlights daily reforecasting, agent‑driven data interrogation, and strict ROI tests before approving new hires. Both leaders emphasize […]

Mapping Growth Through Uncertain Seas | Bea Ordonez, CFO, Payoneer

Bea Ordonez accepts nonstop upheaval as the new norm. She’s fortified Payoneer with resilient, high‑performing teams, rapid decision cycles and laser‑sharp customer focus. By treating every macro shock as opportunity, she converts volatility into competitive speed, seeking to position Payoneer for sustained global growth and advantage. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Bea Ordonez Payoneer’s […]

1095: Turning Volatility into Cross‑Border Opportunity | Bea Ordonez, CFO, Payoneer

Bea Ordonez still recalls the whirlwind of her first CFO post: a raw fintech start‑up where, in two short years, she recruited “over a hundred people,” built the processes they would follow and decided what kind of culture would bind them, she tells us. Immersing herself in every workflow taught her that finance leadership begins on…
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Debt Down, Opportunity Curve Upward | Jerome Upton, CFO, Genworth Financial

A Finance Strategic Moment Facing a liquidity crunch, Upton convened a cross‑functional team, ran downside‑focused scenario models on every business, and pinpointed one unit for divestiture. A swift minority IPO abroad raised capital at a premium valuation, cut leverage, strengthened Genworth’s balance sheet—and put Upton’s strategic acumen squarely on the CEO’s radar. Now Watch our […]

1090: Broadening the Field: Turning Risk into Reach | Jerome Upton, CFO, Genworth

Jerome Upton still remembers the silence that descends just before a game begins. As captain of a college team, he’d scan the huddle, gauge nerves, and ask, “What does winning look like today?” “That’s where I learned the power of shared goals,” Upton tells us. Years later, the Genworth Financial CFO opens staff meetings similarly—then gives…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:46:32)
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