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 […]
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…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:51:12)
1,018: From Complexity to Clarity: Simplifying Business Segments for Investor Insight | Shelagh Glaser, CFO, Synopsys
When asked to share a single career chapter that has influenced her strategic mind-set as a finance leader, Synopsys CFO Shelagh Glaser knew exactly what to cite. She described a period that had unfolded during her 29 years at Intel Corp., when—seemingly overnight—consumer appetite for tablets had begun to upend Intel's enduring PC chips business.…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:55:03)
The Mentoring Round | Ashley Johnson, CFO Planet
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Ashley Johnson emphasizes that financial planning and analysis (FP&A) should empower leaders to own their budgets rather than simply dictate them. She forbids the question, “Is this in my budget?” and instead encourages leaders to consider their priorities and trade-offs.She believes in a proactive approach to budgeting, where FP&A supports […]
1,007: The Art of Financial Storytelling | Ashley Johnson, CFO, Planet
When she was an international studies major living abroad, Ashley Johnson tells us, she met a U.S. ambassador whose unvarnished advice subsequently led her to divert her career path away from the diplomatic corps of the U.S. Foreign Service. "I had thought that I would be going into the State Department," she recalls. However, a…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:57:40)
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. […]
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…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:45:41)
916: Maximizing M&A Speed to Value | Michael Cox, CFO, IRIS Software Group
CFO Michael Cox says that it was near the end of 2022 when the IRIS Software Group began to realize that the guiding philosophy that had motivated and incentivized the UK-based software company to complete 30 acquisitions within 6 years needed an upgrade. Cox tells us that the IRIS management team was discussing the…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:49:14)
Using AI to Help Drive the Investment Process | Ben Chrnelich, CFO, Symphony
CFO GUEST: Ben Chrnelich of Symphony CFOTL: Since the start of the year, chat GPT is everywhere, it seems, and it’s impacting everything. Can you tell us within your organization, whether it’s been part of the discussion whether whether people have come to you, and you’ve been surprised at the different conference tables, it’s been […]
Top of Mind KPIs, ESG Investments & Marathons | Paolo Poma, CFO, Lamborghini
CFO GUEST: Paolo Poma of Lamborghini CFO Paolo Poma: [00:00] 80% of the time as to be dedicated to internal reporting Action Plan steering the company adjust 20% to external reporting. That is important because the added value comes from internal steering, which are the main KPIs, we check off course profitability, on p&l level […]