How seven finance leaders approach financial risk and innovation. In this eBook, industry-leading CFOs give us insights into how they approach risk—exploring their unique perspectives and financial strategies. Download the eBook
714: A Career Beneath the Headlines | Christian Lee, CFO, Transfix
In March of 2009, when the economy was still in the clutches of the global financial crisis, Time Warner spun out its subsidiary Time Warner Cable into an independent company. “As we spun off, we paid a massive dividend to the parent of $18 billion, and our central thought became: ‘How do we survive? How…
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711: Building Your Network | Nicole Anasenes, CFO, Ansys
Asked to recall the experience of stepping into a CFO role for the first time, Nicole Anasenes doesn’t mince words. “It’s a very lonely, scary moment,” comments Anasenes, as she considers her early days at technology company Infor—a CFO appointment that preceded more recent CFO engagements at Squarespace and now technology firm Ansys. “If only…
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Ep 7: Competencies & Culture
Brett and Jack discuss how building competencies inside companies is central to establishing an enduring culture. Featuring the commentary and insights of workplace champions: Harmit Singh, CFO, Levi Strauss & Co., Bill Kelley, CFO, TreeHouse Foods, Mark Shifke, CFO, Billtrust Unedited Transcript Hi, everyone this is Jack Sweeney. It’s good to be with you. I […]
700: The Rewards of Adding Structure | Alex Amezquita, CFO, Herbalife Nutrition
Space is not typically the realm that CFOs point to when we ask about experiences that prepared them for a finance leadership role. However, the first 10 years of Alex Amezquita’s professional life frequently involved celestial spaces. "I was an engineer and chip designer, and some of those chips are floating around space on satellites…
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Defining Your Social Space
The Berlin headquarters of software developer Contentful occupies an old brick warehouse with heavy metal doors, broad functional corridors, and spaces native to its industrial past. Standing six stories high, the structure once accommodated its worker population with a miniature kitchen on every floor, a favorite employee perk perhaps first introduced by a coffee-loving tenant. […]
695: As Public Perception Changes, Opportunity Advances | Louie Reformina, CFO, Turning Point Brands
Chances are that CFO Louie Reformina never expected to be in the rolling papers business. Having advanced down a career track populated with different private equity firms, a stint at Goldman Sachs, and a Stanford Business School degree, Reformina could have landed inside any number of industries granting him multiple C-suite doors of entry. However, not…
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694: Specific and Time-bound, Aggressive Yet Realistic | Ana Sirbu, CFO, Nitro
Not unlike other finance leaders, Nitro CFO Ana Sirbu wants you to know that she’s a “prioritizer.” Both personally and professionally, Sirbu has created a list of objectives that never strays far from her mind’s eye. Meanwhile, she undoubtedly keeps a second list—a listing of key results. “Effective key results are specific and time-bound,…
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688: Ready for Takeoff | Kevin Ingram, CFO, FM Global
Back in 2014, when FM Global wanted to entice finance executive Kevin Ingram to move back to the U.S. from England, the UK finance director was offered a position that no one at the company had ever heard of before. “My CEO came to me and said, ‘It’s called Senior Vice President of Corporate…
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675: When Complexity Equals Waste | Jim Harper, CFO, Goodroot
According to Goodroot CFO Jim Harper, the best way to transform the current U.S. healthcare system is to replace its connective tissue. “It’s going to be a long slog, and it’s got to be done one system at a time,” explains Harper, who uses the word “system” when referring to the individual points of connection…
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673: Advancing Down the Transformation Path | Will Bondurant, CFO, Castlight Health
Years from now, when Castlight Health CFO Will Bondurant reflects back on the varied chapters of his finance career, he may title the current one "The Turnaround"—that is, if he and Castlight CEO Maeve O’Meara are able to achieve what the firm's previous management team had not been able to: a strategy transformation. Like his…
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670: Judgment: At the Heart of Every Decision | Gary Golden, CFO, Cherwell Software
If we were asked to boil down our discussion with CFO Gary Golden to a single word, our answer would be: “judgment.” It perhaps goes without saying that having good judgment is a prerequisite for every finance leader, and the quality frequently tops the list of reasons that CEOs give when asked to describe what…
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