Jim Rogers applied lessons from Groupon’s rapid growth by steering Tempus toward disciplined expansion. He prioritized oncology as the core focus, deferring broader disease or international moves until sustainable, long-term growth could be assured—ensuring strategy aligned with impact without disrupting day-to-day operations. Now Watch the Complete Episode Featuring CFO Jim Rogers of Tempus AI Jim […]
1123: From Accounting Rigor to Strategic Leadership | Jim Rogers, CFO Tempus AI
The pivot began when Jim Rogers raised his hand. Groupon was shifting from mobile daily deals to a goods business in Europe, and—still early in his career—he volunteered to help lead the finance work. That step, he tells us, bridged his path from technical accounting into FP&A and set a pattern: seek out the build…
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1122: Capital Allocation as a CFO’s North Star | Chris Miorin, CFO, apexanalytix
Chris Miorin’s path to the CFO office began in a crucible of leadership. At West Point, and later at Ranger School, he was forged in environments designed to test resolve. Commissioned shortly after 9/11, he knew combat was certain. Leading an infantry platoon in Iraq, he found himself working side-by-side with a colonel “30 years…
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1112: The Value of Seeing Finance from the Front Lines | Nathan Winters, CFO, Zebra Technologies
When Nathan Winters led a supply chain team earlier in his career, he noticed something that would shape his leadership style: “The credibility you get by the operating leaders when they see you out in the field… is incredibly important.” Whether visiting customers, walking a manufacturing floor, or sitting in on operating meetings, Winters found…
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Riding the AI Wave: Revenue Strategy at Gong | Tim Ritters, CFO, Gong
A Finance Strategic Moment Facing rising downgrades, Tim Ritters led Gong’s finance team to deeply analyze product usage patterns by persona and behavior. These insights empowered customer success efforts and cut churn and downgrade rates by half within two years—proving that in tough markets, usage data can be a powerful lever for retention. Now Watch […]
1106: Scaling Smarter: Inside the Finance Revenue Engine | Tim Ritters, CFO, Gong
During his decade at Google, Tim Ritters worked at the intersection of product and finance, helping to launch financial systems in collaboration with engineering, marketing, and product teams. The role gave him early exposure to cross-functional work and large-scale data environments. “Day one, you’re working cross-functionally,” Ritters tells us. He adds that this mindset became…
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Balancing Growth With Risk Insight | Andrea Hecht, CFO, CSAA Insurance Group
A Finance Strategic Moment Facing rapid premium growth and capital constraints in 2024, Andrea Hecht led CSAA to issue a $500M surplus note—a strategic move that preserved momentum without compromising stability. Acting from a position of strength, the finance team avoided slowing growth and secured capital to support expansion beyond $7.6B in premium. Now Watch […]
1096: Why Usage Beats Revenue in Video SaaS | Gillian Munson, CFO, Vimeo
When Gillian Munson pictures a Vimeo customer, she doesn’t start with a filmmaker, she imagines an insurance company executive or a corner grocery store owner uploading a training clip into Vimeo’s ever thirsty player, and hitting publish without ever surrendering control—or ad space—to a third‑party network. That simple embed workflow, she tells us, explains why “eight…
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Inside Hybrid Cloud Growth Strategy | Dilip Upmanyu, CFO, Cloudera
A Finance Strategic Moment While preparing IBM variance reports, Dilip Upmanyu first realized numbers persuade only when tied to the actions that create them. He dissected every P × Q driver, practiced explaining causes clearly in NetIQ earnings prep, and won credibility to recommend improvements—transforming finance from scorekeeper to strategic influencer. Now Watch our Complete Episode Featuring […]
1094: Mapping Revenue Levers for Next‑Gen Data Businesses | Dilip Upmanyu, CFO, Cloudera
Back in the 1990s, Dilip Upmanyu sat in a room filled with servers as he pieced together a homegrown database of costs and SKUs. His employer at the time couldn’t tell which products paid the bills; by dawn, the young financial analyst could. That improvised profitability model, he tells us, still informs his investment mindset today.…
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1091: Making Finance the Force Multiplier | Chris Greiner, CFO, Zeta Global
It was a morning commute Chris Greiner had made hundreds of times before. Living in old Shanghai and working in the city’s sleek business district, Greiner’s daily drive to the Jin Mao Tower often stretched well beyond an hour. But on this particular day, his driver told him they’d arrive in just 30 minutes. Puzzled…
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Debt Down, Opportunity Curve Upward | Jerome Upton, CFO, Genworth Financial
A Finance Strategic Moment Facing a liquidity crunch, Upton convened a cross‑functional team, ran downside‑focused scenario models on every business, and pinpointed one unit for divestiture. A swift minority IPO abroad raised capital at a premium valuation, cut leverage, strengthened Genworth’s balance sheet—and put Upton’s strategic acumen squarely on the CEO’s radar. Now Watch our […]