In this episode of “Planning Aces,” finance leaders explore the evolving role of FP&A as a strategic partner emphasizing the importance of reliable data in aligning decision-making and resetting priorities. The CFOs discuss how setting clear constraints enhances strategic planning and drives more thoughtful decision-making. Leveraging AI emerges as a key theme for optimizing financial […]
The Mentoring Round | Kabir Ahmed Shakir, CFO, Tata Communications
Inside The Mentoring Round CFO CFO Kabir Ahmed Shakir highlights the importance of business intimacy, functional skills, and diversity within his finance team.Additionally, he emphasizes the company’s focus on driving profitable, sustainable growth through margin expansion, operational efficiency, and strategic reinvestment. This approach has enabled Tata to fund acquisitions, such as Switch and Kalera, using […]
1,026: Partnering for Growth in the Age of AI | Kabir Ahmed Shakir, CFO, Tata Communications
According to CFO Kabir Ahmed Shakir, when AI giant Nvidia sought to expand its alliances in India, it knew exactly with whom to partner: "They did their homework, and they tapped on Tata Communications’ door.” This partnership, Shakir tells us, has proven to be but one of a number of alliances in Tata's journey toward…
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Ep 37: Navigating Communication Challenges
This episode Jack an Brett discuss the commentary of the three Planning Aces, CFO Sandeep Aujla from Intuit, CFO Shelagh Glaser from Synopsys, and CFO Seth Wunder from Acorns. Each Planning Ace highlights their distinct approaches to strategic finance, organizational structure, communication, and business growth. Interestingly, while all three CFOs highlight the importance of strategic…
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The Mentoring Round | Steve Vintz, CFO, Tenable
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Steve Vintz of Tenable shares key career insights, emphasizing his passion for growth companies and entrepreneurship. Early on, he realized the appeal of smaller, venture-backed companies over large corporations, leading him to a career focused on growth-oriented businesses. Vintz discusses a critical acquisition decision where he advocated against proceeding with […]
The Mentoring Round | Sandeep Aujla, CFO, Intuit
Inside the Mentoring Round, CFO Sandeep Aujla explains why his eight-year investment at Intuit was driven by the continuous learning opportunities and professional growth the company offered. Although he could have become a CFO sooner elsewhere, Aujla tells us chose to stay at Intuit to deepen his expertise, gain more diverse experience to better prepare […]
1,016: When Career Years Are Investment Years | Sandeep Aujla, CFO, Intuit
By the time Sandeep Aujla arrived at Intuit in 2015, he had already invested 7 career-building years as a senior finance executive at Visa, so his path to the CFO office was presumably getting shorter and shorter. Still, it would be another 8 years before he would be appointed Intuit CFO. While there's little question…
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The Mentoring Round | Karen Williams, CFO, American Express Global Business travel
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 […]
994: Balancing Top-Line Growth and Bottom-Line Results | Naresh Bansal, CFO, Menlo Security
Ask any CFO about their career-building years, and they will likely attribute their success to their adaptability and ability to render strategic insight. This tendency was recently amplified for us when we heard about the experience of Naresh Bansal, a seasoned finance executive who during a pivotal chapter early in his early career discovered that…
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The Mentoring Round | Jeff Bray, CFO, Semperis
Inside The Mentoring Round, Semperis CFO Jeff Bray emphasizes the importance of concentrating investments on the best ideas rather than spreading resources too thinly. In his transition from an analyst to a portfolio manager, he shifted the strategy to focus on the top three to five investment ideas from each analyst, significantly enhancing portfolio performance. […]
The Mentoring Round | Emma Brown, CFO, Medius
CFO Emma Brown’s pivotal career theme is simplification. In a high-pressure turnaround, she realized that complexity hindered understanding. Stripping back to basics, she rebuilt a cash flow, cutting through complexities to identify and solve underlying business problems. This approach, simplifying structures and focusing on essentials, transformed a $40 million loss into a $15 million profit. […]
965: Removing Complexity for Strategic Success | Emma Brown, CFO, Medius
For Emma Brown, it was as though she had just removed the sword from the fabled stone, a moment that would challenge the inclination to persistently question her own judgment when it came to business. As is often the case, Brown’s moment of insight occurred in a high-pressure situation. Faced with poor financial visibility and…
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