Inside the Mentoring Round, CFO Karen Williams of American Express Global Business Travel showcases a growth mindset, turning career hurdles into invaluable learning experiences. Her journey from networking struggles at Mars to recognizing its significance underscores the power of building essential professional relationships. Williams’s emphasis on “connecting the dots” to glean insights from past missteps […]
1,014: Passion and Purpose: Building a Vibrant Finance Culture | Karen Williams, CFO, American Express Global Business Travel
Karen Williams's journey to becoming a successful CFO began with a crucial lesson learned early in her career at the UK headquarters of candy giant Mars. As a young professional, she tells us, she had failed to grasp the importance of relationship-building and expressing her passion for the business. At times, this void had kept…
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Ep 36: Standardize, Streamline & Scale
On the latest episode of Planning Aces three dynamic CFOs—Robert Cornella (RNDC), Karen Williams (American Express Global Business Travel), and Tony Querciagrossa (Pinstripes)—share a menu of FP&A insights and experiences. Robert Cornella emphasized the importance of understanding value chain economics and achieving operational harmony within complex mergers. His experience at Coca-Cola highlighted the necessity of…
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1,013: The Curious CFO: Crafting the Future of Space | Muhammad Shahzad, CFO, Relativity Space
Mo Shahzad is not one for trivial conversations. At Relativity Space, he’s known for a deep curiosity that is often manifested by his engagement with team members in discussions about their interests and passions. This intellectual curiosity is not just a personal trait—it’s a vital tool toward empowering his role as CFO. Shahzad's ability to…
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The Mentoring Round | John Lutz, CFO, Sellars
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO John Lutz of Sellars highlights the company’s innovative use of recycled paper technology, providing a unique market advantage. His current priorities include enhancing IT systems and customer interaction platforms, along with further automating processes to leverage data effectively. Separately, Lutz reflects on his days at Charter Steel, where he identified […]
The Mentoring Round | Carol Lee, CFO, LogicMonitor
` Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Carol Lee of LogicMonitor discusses the key lessons that can be learned from the buy-side and sell-side of M&A, why financial planning must be your organization’s numerical roadmap, and the strategic advantages AI is bringing to financial analysis and customer interactions.
1,011: Balancing Agility and Structure for Strategic Growth | Carol Lee, CFO, LogicMonitor
Beginning her career as an analyst, Carol Lee honed her technical skills both in pre-revenue start-ups and a multinational corporation with over $10 billion in revenue. These contrasting environments, she tells us, equipped her with a unique perspective on what it takes to be both scrappy and scalable. CFOTL: Tell us about LogicMonitor … what…
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#14 Ashim Gupta
(UiPath) CFO Tenure: 5 yrs. (Named in 2019) CFO Appts.: 1 Career Span: 24 yrs. C-Suite: 5 yrs. BACK TO RANKINGS
The Mentoring Round | Michael O’Grady, CFO, Permutive
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Michael O’Grady explains how he initially struggled to understand why he wasn’t succeeding despite positive feedback from colleagues. O’Grady explains how he developed strategies to block time for important tasks and manage daily operational duties more efficiently. O’Grady Highlights the importance of clear communication and education about key financial metrics […]
# 2 Dave Conte
(Databricks) CFO Tenure: 5 yrs. CFO Appts.: 4 Career Span: 36 Yrs. C-Suite: 18 Yrs. BACK TO RANKINGS
# 1 Colette Kress
(Nvidia) CFO Tenure: 11 yrs. CFO Appts.: 1 Career Span: 33 yrs. C-Suite: 11 yrs. BACK TO RANKINGS
1,010: When SaaS Became His Native Language | Michael O’Grady, CFO, Permutive
Michael O'Grady's finance strategic moment occurred in 2014 at higher-ed tech company Ellucian. Faced with transitioning from a traditional perpetual license model to a SaaS one, he identified the need for a unified approach across all business functions. Recognizing that the company's executives had differing visions, he proposed skipping the annual budget process to focus…
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