At Sama, Tony MacDonald recognized the organization was overextended across too many initiatives. Rather than confront leadership directly, he used data to demonstrate where focus would drive stronger returns. By letting facts guide decisions, he helped narrow priorities—shifting the company from scattered effort to disciplined, higher-impact growth. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Tony […]
1172: Finance Isn’t the Brake—It’s the Steering Wheel for Growth | Tony MacDonald, CFO, Sama
Tony MacDonald prefers a different image of the CFO role—one that replaces restraint with direction. “I would like to be considered as one of the people on the stagecoach that helps hold the reins,” he tells us, describing sales as “the horses that I want galloping always full speed ahead.” That mindset was shaped during…
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When a CFO Questions the KPIs | Andrew Bender, CFO, BNI Global
Early in his tenure at BNI Global, Andrew Bender found himself preparing the company’s financial package for the board. Something didn’t feel right. There were plenty of KPIs.But the connection between those metrics and financial performance was unclear. So he paused and asked a question many finance leaders hesitate to voice: Now Watch Our Complete […]
Why Growth Demands Smaller “Chunks” of Accountability | Toby Driver, CFO, Ideagen
As Ideagen scaled from roughly £50M ARR to five times that size, complexity threatened accountability. Driver helped lead a shift to a regional operating model, breaking the business into three clear regions with defined ownership. Finance redesigned reporting and management information, restoring focus, accountability, and execution discipline—leaving the company stronger and more scalable. Now Watch […]
Empowering Purpose-Driven Organizations for Greater Reach | Matthew Hardy, CFO, Bonterra
At Digital Insight, Hardy shifted focus from product-line P&Ls to total-offering value, bundling implementation/training to cut churn and deepen product adoption. The move boosted annual growth from 12% to 16%, improved retention, and drove higher bookings—directly increasing enterprise value at exit. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Matthew Hardy of Bonterra Matthew Hardy, CFO […]
Ep 45: Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI
In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles spotlight the FP&A strategies and AI adoption journeys of three CFOs—Gillian Munson (Vimeo), Dan Fletcher (Planful), and Chad Gold (FullStory). Each finance leader discusses how AI is reshaping their planning processes, from accelerating automation and revenue generation to transforming cross-functional collaboration. Brett introduces […]
Ep 42: From Misaligned Commissions to Unified Goals
In our latest Planning Aces episode, Jack Sweeney teams with performance management guru Brett Knowles to spotlight three finance leaders tackling one of business’s most critical challenges: aligning sales, operations, and finance around a common goal. First, Orion Innovation CFO Cyrus Lam recalls how transparent metrics and well-crafted incentives helped double profit margins by bridging…
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Unlocking Customer Insights | Sruthi Lanka, CFO, Public.com
CFO GUEST: Sruthi Lanka of Publico.com