Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Michael Kennedy tells us that while he had anticipated a significant workload at MDA, the reality was far beyond his initial expectations. This is a common experience for many CFOs when they transition into roles that demand organizational transformation. Leaders tell us they often underestimate the scale of the tasks […]
957: Mission-Centric Finance: MDA’s Transformation Story | Michael Kennedy, CFO, Muscular Dystrophy Association
When Michael Kennedy first stepped into the CFO office at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in 2018, he was surprised to learn that the association was spending $8 million annually on office space across the country. “Why were we in these offices?,” asks Kennedy, voicing the question that helped to kick off the first of…
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The Mentoring Round | Zhi Li, CFO, Customer.io
Inside the Mentoring Round, CFO Zhi Li shares a lesson he learned within the first 60 days of becoming a CFO – the importance of delivering bad news promptly and transparently. He confessed that he initially focused more on the positives, but with time, he realized the significance of owning up to the negatives. This, […]
956: The Underpinnings of Operational Growth | Zhi Li, CFO, Customer.io
Just as Zhi Li was entering the world of investment banking in 2008, many of his future CFO peers were making hasty exits from the banking realm. “We were the smallest incoming associate class ever,” recalls Li, who joined Credit Suisse’s New York office during some of the darkest days of that economic downturn. “After…
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The Mentoring Round | Lauren StClair, CFO, NerdWallet
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Lauren StClaire reflects on her early days as a CFO and how she came to embrace the power of saying “no” or “not right now,” a skill that many new leaders find difficult to master. Despite having mentors and sponsors who shared their wisdom and experiences, CFO StClair tells us […]
955: When It’s Time to Raise Your Hand | Lauren StClair, CFO, NerdWallet
It was back in 2016 when Lauren StClair realized that it was time to raise her hand. Online marketplace giant eBay had just completed a deal to acquire the Spanish online ticket platform Ticketbis, and StClair, a 9-year eBay veteran, was itching to get overseas. eBay had entered the online ticket business in 2007 with…
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The Mentoring Round | Peter Benevides, CFO, Olo
A CFO Finds Traction Solving The Almond World’s Labor Equation
As California’s 2023 almond harvesting season nears its end, the management of Monte Vista Farming Company has begun to turn its attention from the almond producer’s seasonal flow of “almonds in” and “almonds out” to people and operations. “After what we pay our growers for the almonds, our number one cost becomes labor,” explains Mark […]
954: The Job Became His for the Asking | Peter Benevides, CFO, Olo
When Peter Benevides joined Olo back in 2015, the provider of restaurant technology's CFO office was vacant—as it would remain for the next 4 years, until he ultimately got the position thanks to a nod from the firm's CEO and perhaps a sprinkling of magic dust from Olo board members and investors. Of course, things…
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The Mentoring Round | Rodrigo Brumana, CFO, Poshmark
CFO Rodrigo Brumana reflects on his initial days as a CFO, emphasizing the importance of team communication and organizational structure. He candidly admitted that he should have prioritized identifying and solving infrastructure issues, especially in finance and accounting.
952: Solving the Almond World’s People Equation | Mark Lampe, CFO, Monte Vista Farming Co.
As California’s 2023 almond harvesting season nears its end, the management of Monte Vista Farming Company has begun to turn its attention from the almond producer’s seasonal flow of "almonds in" and "almonds out" to people and operations. “After what we pay our growers for the almonds, our number one cost becomes labor,” explains…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:42:29)
At GoDaddy, CFO McCaffrey “Made a Connection” With a CEO’s Strategic Vision
When 21-year PwC veteran Mark McCaffrey decided that it was time to open his post-PwC career, he briefed the firm’s U.S leadership about his plans, diligently outlined 24 months of departure prep, and set aside an extra helping of patience. Two weeks later, he had a CFO job offer from publicly traded Internet domain […]