When Mark McCaffrey first stepped into the CFO role at GoDaddy, he was expecting a world that was on the brink of reopening after the pandemic. However, as the lockdown continued, he found his leadership adaptability skills being tested daily. The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership One of the key takeaways from our discussion with […]
The Mentoring Round | Michelle Hook, CFO, Portillo’s
CFO Michelle Hook’s opening advice leaves a lasting impression: “bring your full self to work.” Our conversation takes an interesting turn towards the importance of team dynamics. CFO Hook shares her belief that a strong, cohesive team is the backbone of any successful venture. Meanwhile, Hook reveals to us her love for sports, particularly Michigan […]
950: Championing the Customer Transformation | Mark McCaffrey, CFO, GoDaddy
When 21-year PwC veteran Mark McCaffrey decided that it was time to open his post-PwC career, he briefed the firm’s U.S leadership about his plans, diligently outlined 24 months of departure prep, and set aside an extra helping of patience. Two weeks later, he had a CFO job offer from publicly traded Internet domain…
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The Mentoring Round | Tony Boor, CFO, Blackbaud
While the leadership journeys of many of our CFO guests began on an upper floor of a glass-and-steel skyscraper affording a wide-angle view of a cosmopolitan metropolis, that of Blackbaud CFO Tony Boor started at street level in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. Less than an hour’s drive north […]
The Mentoring Round | Davinder Athwal, CFO, Phenom
CFO Davinder Athwal emphasizes the importance of having a mind-set that embraces failure and encourages taking calculated risks. He makes the crucial point that being a CFO doesn’t equate to succeeding at everything. In fact, he believes that failure can often lead to valuable lessons. This is a refreshing perspective in a world where finance […]
949: Achieving a Learning Mind-Set | Davinder Athwal, CFO, Phenom
Phenom CFO Davinder Athwal tells us that he has a personal connection to his company's mission. Near the beginning of our talk, he shares a touching story about his father, a highly skilled individual who struggled to find a job in the UK. This personal experience fuels his passion for Phenom's mission: to help a…
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MedSpeed CFO’s M&A Roots Expose The Human Side Of Enterprise
For corporate finance executives, few professional experiences are as adeptly converted into social currency as those manifested inside the realm of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). It seems that regardless of whether a finance executive has been involved in one deal or 40, they are usually able to quickly share a takeaway or two. For finance […]
CFO Ana Chadwick’s Career Links Pitney Bowes’s 21st Century Ambitions With GE Capital’s Historic End Chapter
Back in 2020, the call that longtime General Electric veteran Ana Chadwick accepted from a recruiter would prove to be the one solicitation in a career’s worth of such outreaches that would ultimately result in an executive search fee. Still, while Chadwick would be a prize placement for any headhunter, it is clear that this […]
Ep 28: How Planning Aces Are Made
This episode features insights and commentary from three finance leaders: CFO Michael Linford of Affirm, CFO Ana Chadwick of Pitney Bowse, and CFO Jason Leet of Zylo. Planning Ace's Cohost Jack Sweeney points out that all three of this episode's finance leaders have noteworthy M&A backgrounds, including Michael Linford's role as the first CFO after…
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Roles & Responsibilities in Finance | Doug Lindroth, CFO, Tealium
When a Restructuring Became A CFO’s Flight Path | Donald McClure, CFO, Identity Digital
943: Finding the Path Forward | Donald McClure, CFO, Identity Digital
Back in 2017, Donald McClure had only recently been appointed vice president of FP&A at Brinks Home Security when the company’s CFO at the time decided that it was the right time for retirement. Unbeknownst to McClure—and perhaps even to the firm’s subsequent new CFO hire—a transformative chapter was about to get under way at…
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