The Source for CFO Thought Leadership

Career

999: A Bias for Action | Jason Godley, CFO, Xactly

On a remote Wyoming cattle ranch, young Jason Godley faced a dire situation: The baler attached to his tractor had suddenly caught fire. Alone, with no immediate help and devoid of modern conveniences like a cell phones 12-year-old Godley had to think quickly and act decisively. His decision to drive to a neighbor’s house to…
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996: Cultivating a CFO’s Toolkit | Aaron Levine, CFO, Prophix

From his early days in auditing at PwC to his current role as CFO at Prophix, Aaron Levine has had a career that has closely tracked the evolving nature of the financial leadership role. His journey has been marked by a series of strategic transitions and expansions of his skill set that illustrate the broadening…
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993: Building Resilient Careers: Lessons From an Expat CFO | Hilary Norris, CFO, GTreasury

A little more than 15 years ago, Hilary Norris had landed her "dream job" at a tech company in sunny California—a perfect alignment of her professional goals and personal life. However, the idyllic scenario was disrupted when the company was acquired, a common turning point that often spells uncertainty for existing executives. Facing a potential…
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991: Transforming Investment Wisdom Into Management Strategy | Jeff Bray, CFO, Semperis

Long ago, the power of focus was a lesson that Jeff Bray learned early in his career while transitioning from the role of analyst to that of portfolio manager. He recalls a strategic moment when he realized that narrowing his investments from many down to just three to five key areas would greatly amplify his…
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989: The Homecoming: A Tale of Growth, Leadership, and Return | Jeremy Johnson, CFO, Dayforce

Back in September 2021, Jeremy Johnson, senior vice president of finance at Ceridian (now Dayforce), decided that it was time to test his mettle—a step that would lead him to returning from a long personal journey with a leadership perspective somewhat different from what he had expected might be the case. Determined to challenge himself…
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A CFO Helps Cardinal Health Find Its Value-Creation Groove

This story originally appeared on Forbes.com Back in August 2022, when Cardinal Health, Inc.’s finance chief, Jason Hollar, succeeded CEO Mike Kaufmann as the healthcare giant’s top executive, among the immediate challenges facing new CEO Hollar was filling the company’s CFO vacancy. At the time, an activist investor with an eye toward management change had […]

988: The Quest for Sustainable AgTech | Bob Houghton, CFO, Pivot Bio

In the heart of a bustling paper mill, where the scent of fresh pulp intermingled with the hum of machinery, Bob Houghton kicked off his finance career. Fresh out of college and a number of states removed from his Minnesota roots, Houghton understood the intricate dance of departments working in unison to produce everyday essentials.…
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986: Blending Finance With Operational Ingenuity | Erin Sawyer, CFO, Certinia

Reflecting on her career choices, Erin Sawyer tells us that one pivotal point stands out—a decision that involved moving her family across the country. This step triggered not only a geographical shift but also a change in Sawyer's professional life, when her work alongside a CEO ultimately fueled her aspirations to become a chief financial…
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The Mentoring Round | Chermaine Hu, CFO, Episode Six

Te Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Chermaine Hu tells us how her early uncertainty about entering the investment banking world led her to seek roles that allowed for perpetual growth and self-improvement. Moving to New York and not getting a promotion taught her two critical lessons: the indispensability of building strong relationships within the organization […]

979: The Changing Stripes of Finance Leadership | Chermaine Hu, CFO, Episode Six

At the very beginning of our talk with CFO Chermaine Hu, she revealed an irony about the CFO title that we rarely get to expose. To wit: The very title toward which any executive has invested so many illustrious career years conveys ownership of what might seem to be a less than illustrious role—or at…
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977: Unlocking Rep Performance for Sales Success in Tech | David Freeman, CFO, Starburst

Joining Intel Corp. in 1999 as a recent college graduate, David Freeman began his finance career as part of the tech giant’s plus-size finance team that supported various business groups. Looking back, Freeman finds that few aspects of the tech giant’s business were more influential in shaping his early career years than the company’s direct…
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The Mentoring Round | Eric Jenny, CFO, SOCi

Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Eric Jenny recalls his strategic decision to shift focus from mid-market to enterprise clients based on data analysis. CFO Jenny tells us he aspires to a finance leadership mind-set that focuses on creating a supportive company culture, where the team is encouraged to think big and innovate.