At AppDynamics, Dan Zhang tackled a critical gap in sales predictability during a SaaS transformation by building an analytics stack and leading early-morning trainings. Her hands-on approach earned her Sales MVP—despite not being in sales—proving that finance can drive frontline impact and unlock strategic value across the business. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO […]
Why Finance Teams Must Learn Faster Than Ever | Tim Vipond, Co-Founder, CEO of CFI
When Tim Vipond was asked to help rebuild Newmont Goldcorp’s corporate model, the scale was daunting: “20 tabs across… each tab being many hundred rows deep,” he tells us. The model had to account for the intricate economics of mining—from extraction to refinement—and it all had to tie together in a single consolidated NAV model.…
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Turning Acquisitions into Momentum, Not Disruption | Josh Schauer, CFO, insightsoftware
Josh Schauer helped transform insightsoftware from a fragmented “house of brands” into a unified, vertically structured organization. By aligning products around buyer personas, he and the leadership team created focused business units—clarifying strategy, enhancing go-to-market execution, and reinforcing finance’s role as a driver of enterprise-wide alignment and strategic identity. Now Watch the Complete Episode featuring […]
1113: The Strategic Leap from Finance Partner to Business Architect | Josh Schauer, CFO, insightsoftware
When Josh Schauer joined Longview, a Toronto-based software company, he had no idea that a transformative chapter of his career was just a few years away. In 2020, Longview was acquired by insightsoftware—a turning point that brought both uncertainty and opportunity. “It’s kind of equal parts fear and optimism,” he tells us. “You wonder: Am…
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Building Value Through Operational Insight | James Redfern, CFO, Reltio
James Redfern, who spent a decade at Morgan Stanley, told us that people management in investment banking was “more loosely defined.” When he later moved into a more operational role, he realized that people—were the key to driving performance. Redfern would make “intentional people management” a core part of his finance strategic playbook. Nearly a […]
When the Role is Earned by Leading | Amanda Whalen, CFO, Klaviyo
In her first CFO role, Amanda Whalen revamped cost accounting, restructured sales incentives, and overhauled P&L reporting—driving a 10% profit increase in one year. The experience revealed finance’s power to align teams, influence decisions, and shape business outcomes—ultimately convincing her to pursue finance leadership as her long-term path. [ssp-player] Now Watch our Complete Episode Featuring […]
1110: When Leadership Mattered | Amanda Whalen, CFO, Klaviyo
Amanda Whalen’s first CFO role began with a question. “You’re not a finance technical person,” her company’s president told her, “but you’re the strongest leader on my team. Will you be willing to be the CFO and help me transform the finance function?” She accepted. Over the following year, Whalen tells us, her team tackled…
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Forecasting Without the Illusion of Precision | Rene Ho, CFO, SAP Taulia
During a high-pressure period at Visa following a restatement, Rene Ho shifted forecasting away from false precision. He required teams to present scenario ranges with clear reasoning, holding them accountable for understanding—not just outcomes. The result: deeper business insight and a forecasting culture grounded in strategic awareness, not guesswork. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring […]
1105: The Steady Climb: Scaling with Purpose in FinTech | Rene Ho, CFO, SAP Taulia
It’s not uncommon for CFOs to exit soon after a major acquisition—especially when a larger enterprise takes the reins. But Rene Ho stayed. Ho had been CFO of Taulia, a working capital fintech, when it was still an independent company. After helping lead the firm through its acquisition by SAP, he chose to stay on,…
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From Product To Ownership Ecosystem | Tom Egan, CFO, Hometap
A Finance Strategic Moment Amid 2020’s Covid uncertainty, Tom Egan drew on his Lehman‑era lesson that contracts follow relationships. He immediately called Hometap’s two banks, shared worst‑case projections and asked for covenant flexibility. The transparency earned rapid waivers, safeguarded liquidity and proved that trust, not paperwork, is the true collateral when markets fracture. Now Watch the […]
1101: Turning Home Equity into a Platform, Not a Product | Tom Egan, CFO, Hometap
When Tom Egan walks a homeowner through the math—“If your house is worth a million dollars and you owe five hundred thousand,” he says—the traditional options surface quickly: load the balance sheet with a costly home‑equity loan or sell and hope you can find somewhere new to live. That binary choice, he explains, is exactly what…
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Capital Discipline Over Technology Spend | Kevin Ingram, CFO, FM
A Finance Strategic Moment Realizing most people view insurance as abstract, Kevin Ingram reframed FM’s ‘product’ as the capacity its capital and reinsurance provide. He crafted plain‑spoken explanations of balance‑sheet strength, trained teammates to use them, and demystified insurance for clients—sharpening differentiation and empowering every account manager to sell FM’s capital story daily. Now Watch the […]