Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Hetu Patel explains how Thrive Market leverages AI for a competitive edge. He highlights the success of AI-driven product recommendations that enhance new member experiences, the promising use of generative AI in member services, and AI’s powerful role in marketing creativity and operational efficiency. Patel emphasizes fast-follower strategies for adopting […]
1062: Scaling with Purpose and Profit | Hetu Patel, CFO, Thrive Market
Four years into his 12-year career chapter at Amazon, Hetu Patel was appointed Finance Director for Prime—a role he credits with opening his eyes to strategic finance. In the days ahead Patel would be handed a milestone assignment, where he worked on a groundbreaking framework attributing the total value of Prime membership to each bundled…
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Leading Through Windfalls: CFO Guidance on Secondary Transactions
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Kfir Lippmann dives into the lesser-known yet critical impact of secondary transactions. While IPO preparation is high-stakes, these transactions can dramatically affect morale—especially when younger employees receive large sums quickly. Lippmann emphasizes coaching them on responsible spending and long-term thinking, rather than letting sudden wealth create divisions. Balancing transparency, fairness, […]
1061: Innovate, Scale, Repeat: A CFO’s Blueprint for Rapid Expansion | Kfir Lippmann, CFO, Salt Security
CFO Kfir Lippmann began his career at Ernst & Young in Tel Aviv, auditing high-growth tech clients and navigating the intricacies of IPO-bound businesses. The experience gave him a deep understanding of strategic finance early on, Lippmann tells us. Later, he joined Monday.com when it was still a small startup, helping scale the organization through…
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1058: Empowering Industry with SaaS-Driven Material Technologies | Brian Registe, CFO, QuesTek
It was only last October that the world witnessed SpaceX catching its super-heavy rocket booster as it emitted fiery bursts from the booster’s underside. Among those watching perhaps more attentively than ever was this episode’s CFO guest, Brian Registe, who today oversees the finance function of Questek—a company whose materials-by-design technologies are enabling SpaceX and…
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1057: Building Strategic Value: Inside the Finance Engine Room | Georgy Egorov, CFO, ZeroAvia
“Maybe it was a little bit of beginner’s luck,” Georgy Egorov tells us, reflecting on his first CFO appointment at a biotech startup. Although the life sciences firm’s blend of knowledge-driven resources and AI placed it at the forefront of drug discovery innovation, Egorov identified a critical vulnerability: the company’s model depended too heavily on…
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AI & Cloud Transitions: CFO Zack Johnson on Future-Ready Finance
1056: The Three Ps: A Data-Driven Approach to Sustainable Growth | Zach Johnson, CFO, Cribl
Ask any business manager about the “three Ps in business” and they will likely say People, Process, and Product. However, ask any finance team member at Cribl that question, and you’ll likely hear a different answer: Precision, Predictability, and Performance. These are the three Ps that guide CFO Zach Johnson’s data-driven approach to financial leadership.…
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1055: At the Intersection of Product Love and Financial Leadership | Joanne Cheng, CFO, Jellyfish
Joanne Cheng’s career had already carried her through multiple successful exits and finance leadership roles when an unexpected opportunity arose. Having proven her ability to guide companies to liquidity events and beyond, Cheng had established a new benchmark for any next move: she wanted to steer a firm toward an IPO while serving as its…
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1054: AI as a Game-Changer for Revenue and Operations | Chris Nagy, CFO, SalesLoft
In March 2020, as global lockdowns disrupted industries worldwide, Chris Nagy encountered a pivotal moment as CFO. Overnight, his company lost 25% of its revenue due to the closure of in-person focus group facilities. Responding swiftly, Nagy redirected resources to fast-track a shelved video conferencing product. By year-end, the initiative recovered half of the lost…
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CFO David Morris on Guardian Pharmacy’s Road to IPO and Growth Strategy
In this episode of “The Mentoring Round,” Guardian Pharmacy CFO David Morris reflects on decades of growth and persistence, emphasizing the importance of human capital, data-driven decisions, and patient, long-term strategy. Morris shares insights into Guardian’s journey from a single pharmacy to 50 nationwide, discussing the strategic milestones of investing in talent, data infrastructure, and […]
1,046: Transforming Finance from Reactive to Proactive Leadership | David Eckstein, CFO, Vanta
When David Eckstein inherited a struggling business unit earlier in his career, there was little question he faced an uphill battle. The unit wasn’t one he had built, nor had he developed the frameworks or discounting policies in place. Who was responsible for the unit’s troubles? And shouldn’t this problem child belong to someone else?…
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