What's Rarely Measured Matters Most

capital allocation

1166: Building Equity Value in a Capital-Intensive World | Derek Doyle, CFO, C Spire

Fiber is “a lot of investment up front for that stream of cash flow in the future,” Derek Doyle tells us. At C Spire, that reality defines nearly every strategic decision. The advanced technology and communications company has been reinventing itself for more than 70 years, Doyle tells us. Today, it is the largest privately…
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1162: Scaling Growth Across the World’s Most Complex Markets | Guillermo Lopez, CFO, dLocal

In his early 30s, Guillermo Lopez walked into finance as an outsider. “Nobody was giving me a chance in finance because I was an engineer,” he tells us. Then a boss took “a risk” and moved him into a finance role—partly because he was “good with numbers,” and partly because his consulting background meant he…
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1159: Decision Velocity: The Hidden Advantage of Top-Performing Organizations | Dean Neese, CFO, Placer.ai

The lesson arrived abruptly in a boardroom in Battle Creek. After months of analysis, charts, and market data, the president of Kellogg’s cereal division looked up and said, “That’s all interesting. I just don’t know what to do with it,” Dean Neese tells us. The comment landed hard. It forced him to confront a blind…
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1156: From Turnaround CFO to Enterprise-Scale Strategist | Kevin Rubin, CFO, Zscaler

When Kevin Rubin arrived at Zscaler in May 2025, he joined an established organization following the retirement of the company’s longtime CFO, taking responsibility for continuing the work of a finance leader who had already built a strong foundation. Rubin describes stepping into a business with scale, experienced leadership, and a customer base that included…
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From Performance Metrics to Innovation Zones | Bruce Schuman, CFO, Universal Technical Institute

Bruce Schuman describes a strategic pivot from selling discrete data center components to delivering end-to-end solutions. As memory, storage, and connectivity became as critical as CPUs, finance helped reframe the business model around customer problems, aligning investment and execution to support integrated, solutions-led growth. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Bruce Schuman of Universal […]

When One Plus One Actually Equals Three | Matt Novick, CFO, TripleLift

At PlaceIQ, an unexpected acquisition inbound forced Matt Novick to deeply assess unit economics and true revenue and cost synergies. The experience reshaped his strategy: always be transaction-ready by understanding the business end-to-end, so finance can quickly evaluate opportunities, avoid misfits, and operate with strategic precision. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Matt Novick […]

1150: Making AI Practical in Finance, Not Theoretical | Matt Novick, CFO, Triplelift

Matthew Novick traces one of his earliest business lessons not to a boardroom, but to a furniture store in Portland, Maine. Growing up in his family’s business, he learned how to read credit reports, price products, and assess who was “credit worthy,” skills that showed him how decisions affect a business long before he ever…
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Pilot, Learn, Scale What Works | Troy Anderson, CFO, Kelly Services

Troy Anderson stepped into a troubled $2B Xerox unit and uncovered mispriced contracts, communication gaps, and failing operations. After renegotiating key agreements and restoring transparency, he recommended shutting down an unsalvageable business. His decisive analysis saved years of wasted investment, restored credibility, and allowed the company to plan with clarity and confidence. Now Watch the […]

1143: Building a Transformation-Ready Finance Function | Troy Anderson, CFO, Kelly Services

When Troy Anderson accepted the CFO seat at Kelly Services in 2024, he stepped into an organization that, as he tells us, “had done a number of acquisitions … and really invested in the business.” The legacy staffing firm had spent nearly $1 billion to expand its reach but had yet to fully integrate those…
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When Finance Teaches Innovation How to Scale | Michael Levine, CFO, Fireblocks

Upon joining Fireblocks, Michael Levine discovered engineers building “$400,000 cars” without ROI discipline. He introduced a financial lens to product development—teaching teams to balance innovation with economic viability. By reframing decisions around capital allocation and scalability, he aligned engineering excellence with business outcomes, turning finance into a shared growth language. Now Watch the Complete Episode […]

1138: Stablecoins, Real Utility, and the Next Curve | Michael Levine, CFO, Fireblocks

On a quiet afternoon in Punta Cana, Michael Levine sat alone on a stretch of white sand. The turquoise water and silence offered the perfect scene for rest—until he realized what was missing. “I didn’t have my phone and I didn’t have my laptop,” he tells us. “That’s what makes me happy… I love doing…
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Focus Where Advantage is Durable | Ben Gammell, President & CFO, Brex

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. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring […]