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1,033: The “Buy and Build” Moment: Preserving Your Firm’s Entrepreneurial Spirit | Ben Averis, CFO, Yoto

Ben Averis’s journey toward becoming CFO of Yoto was shaped by many diverse experiences in finance, ranging from his early days at PwC in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to leading roles in private equity–backed businesses. His exposure to the "buy and build" strategy during M&A transactions taught him the challenges of scaling businesses while at…
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1,025: From Cost Management to Strategic Investment | Chikako Tyler, CFO, California Bank & Trust

In her role as CFO of California Bank & Trust, Chikako Tyler once found herself facing the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank—as it turned out, not the first financial crisis of her career, but the second. However, unlike with the first—the Great Recession, which forced her to leave a rewarding career in commercial real estate—this…
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1,020: A Savvy Investor Cracks the Operator’s Code | Seth Wunder, CFO, Acorns

At a recent executive team dinner, several Acorns executives were reminiscing about their childhood professional aspirations. While many had had career dreams that had lost their luster—to be an astronaut and such—Seth Wunder shared that his early focus on the world of investing was not only unwavering but also formative. "I grew up in a…
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The Mentoring Round | Eric Emans, CFO, Nintex

Inside the Mentoring Round, CFO Eric Emans emphasizes the importance of overcoming the fear of failure early in one’s career, as learning often comes from making mistakes. He fosters an expectation-based culture where finance professionals are encouraged to engage with the business, challenge assumptions, and drive insights. Emans believes this approach distinguishes great organizations from […]

1,017: Two Hands, One Vision: A Balanced Approach to Finance | Eric Emans, CFO, Nintex

Eric Emans, CFO of Nintex, tells us that his career has been built upon learning from mistakes and driving an expectations-based culture in finance: "I see the fear of failure as being so detrimental to so many people early in their career. In their mind, failing is often outsized, but most of the time, the…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:42:28)
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1,003: Beyond Borders—Navigating an International Career | Robert Cornella, CFO, RNDC

Robert Cornella's path to the CFO office at Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) wasn't meticulously planned; it was shaped by pivotal moments and unexpected opportunities. A significant milestone arrived with his appointment as CFO of Coca-Cola Germany, a defining chapter in his career. Before his tenure in Germany, Cornella had already achieved several notable accomplishments.…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:52:33)
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ON LOCATION: Among the Planning Masses at Perform24

Planful CEO Grant Halloran shares his insights on the current state of AI adoption in the enterprise, emphasizing the need to temper excitement with reality. He highlighted the importance of understanding legal and security aspects, listening to customers, and pacing AI development with their ability to use it effectively. Halloran also discussed the potential of…
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The Mentoring Round | Chermaine Hu, CFO, Episode Six

Te Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Chermaine Hu tells us how her early uncertainty about entering the investment banking world led her to seek roles that allowed for perpetual growth and self-improvement. Moving to New York and not getting a promotion taught her two critical lessons: the indispensability of building strong relationships within the organization […]

979: The Changing Stripes of Finance Leadership | Chermaine Hu, CFO, Episode Six

At the very beginning of our talk with CFO Chermaine Hu, she revealed an irony about the CFO title that we rarely get to expose. To wit: The very title toward which any executive has invested so many illustrious career years conveys ownership of what might seem to be a less than illustrious role—or at…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:56:54)
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The Mentoring Round | Rachel Stack, CFO, Cologix

Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Rachel Stack highlights the significance of the “small stuff” in finance, such as audits, taxes, and financial reporting. CFO stack points out that while the excitement often lies in mergers and acquisitions or debt transactions, the bulk of a finance organization’s energy is dedicated to these fundamental tasks. Reflecting back […]

972: Recalibrating Your Strategic Lens | Rachel Stack, CFO, Cologix, Inc.

Not unlike that of many of her CFO peers, Rachel Stack's journey toward becoming a CFO has been punctuated by pivotal transactions. No single example of this turns out to have been more complicated or rich with lessons than what Stack refers to simply as "the take-private of Zayo." However, before the path forward for…
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967: Leading With a Customer Mind-Set | Karen Walker, CFO, Sysdig

Like many of her CFO peers, Karen Walker had an early career that was guided by abundant opportunities surrounding finance-driven decision-making within organizations. It was a path that often led Walker to engage more closely with sales and operations, as was the case at CNET Networks, where she tells us that she recognized the limitations…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:47:41)
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