What's Rarely Measured Matters Most

CFO role

1153: From Big-Company Discipline to Private-Equity Speed | Jorge Pliego, CFO, Improving

In his late 20s, Jorge Pliego found himself financing a major expansion in Mexico—not by calling corporate for cash, but by rethinking the entire structure. At Procter & Gamble, he was given the chance to fund a new paper products facility locally, navigating tax and financing incentives until the deal carried “zero” interest cost, Pliego…
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Why Restraint, Not Reach, Defines Modern Finance Leadership | Manny Korakis, CFO, Presidio

Manny Korakis points to McGraw Hill’s growth and value plan as his defining finance moment, when portfolio management replaced pure accounting focus. Finance drove decisions on which assets to acquire or divest, shifting the function toward enterprise value creation and long-term growth rather than record-keeping alone. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Manny Korakis […]

1152: Value Creation Starts with Portfolio and Capital Discipline | Manny Korakis, CFO, Presidio

In his first “60 to 90 days” as CFO of Presidio, Manny Korakis learned that preparation doesn’t cancel pressure, he tells us. “Now the buck stops here,” he tells us, and he “didn’t really appreciate the pace” required until he was living it daily, he tells us. Korakis traces his move into enterprise thinking back…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:38:19)
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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 […]

From Motion to Progress: Rewriting the CFO’s Role in Data | Ed Hagan, CFO, Satisfi Labs

A flood of 15 million intercompany transactions in one month showed Ed Hagan that finance was drowning in data, not driving decisions. He realized the CFO must act as the true information leader, not the cleanup crew—prompting him to reorient his career toward fixing data quality and unifying finance and technology to create real strategic […]

1149: Predictable, Profitable Growth in an AI-Native Business | Ed Hagan, CFO, Satisfi Labs

At 19, working part-time in a bank branch while attending college, Ed Hagan made a simple recommendation: expand the branch. The idea was taken seriously enough that he was transferred to the bank holding company’s finance and accounting department, where he suddenly found himself helping with acquisitions, preparing board materials, and contributing to an IPO.…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:56:24)
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Building the Finance Engine for a Market in Motion | Cristina Kim, CFO, Octaura

CFO Cristina Kim’s second week brought a pivotal shift: she caught herself stress-testing the company’s aggressive targets like an outside investor, then realized her role had changed. As CFO, her job wasn’t to score the plan but to help build it—guiding the team toward ambitious goals with discipline and shared ownership. Now Listen to our […]

1147: From Investor Lens to Operator Seat | Cristina Kim, CFO, Octaura

In her second week as CFO, Cristina Kim sat with Octaura’s leadership team reviewing a three-year strategy and ambitious 2026 targets, she tells us. As the numbers appeared on the screen, her instinct was to do what she had done for nearly two decades: probe what might go wrong, stress-test assumptions, and look for what…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:51:59)
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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…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:49:00)
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1134: When Finance Becomes a Force for Influence | Chris Sands, CFO, InvoiceCloud

“InvoiceCloud is not just payments,” Chris Sands tells us. Sitting inside the company’s finance organization, he sees a platform built to change habits—helping businesses shift customers from paper invoices and mailed checks to fully digital transactions. The success metric, he adds, is simple: “Do more of their customers stop receiving paper invoices, stop mailing in…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:37:11)
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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 […]