Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Dayton Kellenberger shared a key moment from his time at Coleman Company that reshaped his view of finance. Tasked with addressing declining gross margins, Kellenberger used a detailed price-volume mix analysis to uncover that low-margin products were unintentionally replacing higher-margin ones. His findings led to a transformation in how Coleman priced […]
The Mentoring Round | Daniel Welch, CFO, Kate Farms
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Daniel Welch emphasizes the dual nature of Kate Farms as both a healthcare and consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, with long-term customers who rely on its plant-based medical nutrition products. He highlights the importance of understanding customer lifetime value relative to acquisition costs, particularly in the company’s e-commerce expansion. Welch also […]
1,034: From Earnings Growth to Long-Term Success: A CFO’s Strategic Shift | Deanna Strable, COO & president (CFO emerita), Principal Financial Group
When Deanna Strable was approached to take on the role of CFO at Principal Financial Group, she was taken by surprise. Having spent most of her 30-year career in leading business units rather than focusing on finance, Strable initially questioned whether she was the right fit for a position traditionally held by financial experts. “Ultimately,"…
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1,023: How Finance Propelled a Tech Enthusiast Into the C-Suite | Doug Potvin, CFO, Trinity Logistics
Doug Potvin's journey to becoming the CFO of Trinity Logistics reveals the power of adaptability and continuous learning. Initially captivated by technology in high school, he pursued a degree in computer science—only to discover a passion for finance during a college course. This pivot led him to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), where he…
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The Mentoring Round | Todd Patriacca, CFO, BVI Medical
Inside The Mentoring Round CFO Todd Patriacca emphasizes the strategic implementation of technology automation, focusing on areas that enhance efficiency and reduce internal costs. He advocates for leveraging automation to handle routine tasks, allowing teams to concentrate on strategic exceptions. Todd also champions Lean methodology, applying its principles of continuous improvement and waste elimination to […]
The Mentoring Round | Seth Wunder, CFO, Acorns
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Seth Wunder shares a finance strategic moment that explores an earlier career chpater where he was working for an underperforming mission-driven company in 2016-2017. He realized that a strong customer experience must align with financial sustainability. Through close collaboration with management, he learned the importance of balancing growth and profitability […]
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 […]
1,002: Transforming Retail: A Strategic Journey | Joan Hilson, CFO, Signet Jewelers
When David's Bridal, a New York City staple, filed for bankruptcy in 2018, Joan Hilson was at the helm as CFO. The experience was a crucible, teaching her invaluable lessons about crisis management and strategic pivoting. "Navigating the bankruptcy of David's Bridal forced me to re-evaluate our strategies and become more resilient," Hilson recalls. This…
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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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976: A Troubleshooter’s Guide to Financial Leadership | Craig Wert, CFO, Jobber
Lessons from Craig Wert's finance career reveal the power of adaptability, problem-solving skills, and the ability to seize opportunities in unexpected places. Having started his career without a clear road map to the future, Wert later found that his liberal arts background and early experiences in investment banking had laid a good foundation for a…
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974: Crafting Strategy in a Data-Driven World | Eric Jenny, CFO, SOCi
It's the type of story that we can't resist repeating, and one that without question underscores Eric Jenny's entrepreneurial spirit. Still, the entertainment value of his tale of zapping wasp nests with a homemade rubber band gun for a dollar a pop was at risk of eclipsing the more traditional milestones that populate a career…
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972: Recalibrating Your Strategic Lens | Rachel Stack, CFO, Cologix, Inc.
Not unlike that of many of her CFO peers, Rachel Stack's journey toward becoming a CFO has been punctuated by pivotal transactions. No single example of this turns out to have been more complicated or rich with lessons than what Stack refers to simply as "the take-private of Zayo." However, before the path forward for…
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