Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Bob Houghton’s first investor relations role at General Mills highlights the importance of external representation and engagement with investors in shaping a finance leader’s career. Houghton’s observation that well-rounded experiences attract proactive recruitment efforts for CFO and other finance leadership roles illustrates the market value of a broad and diverse […]
988: The Quest for Sustainable AgTech | Bob Houghton, CFO, Pivot Bio
In the heart of a bustling paper mill, where the scent of fresh pulp intermingled with the hum of machinery, Bob Houghton kicked off his finance career. Fresh out of college and a number of states removed from his Minnesota roots, Houghton understood the intricate dance of departments working in unison to produce everyday essentials.…
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The Mentoring Round | Jennifer Loo, CFO, Tala
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Jennifer Loo explains why the metric of customer lifetime value (CLV) is her core indicator of business performance, emphasizing the importance of delivering value to customers and understanding their engagement and commitment. Loo emphasizes the importance of finance professionals keeping their “heads up” — engaging beyond spreadsheets to understand broader […]
The Mentoring Round | Erin Sawyer, CFO, Certinia
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Erin Sawyer tell us when she recognized the necessity of adopting a holistic approach to operational processes. Rather than viewing each department’s systems and procedures in isolation, she saw the value in examining how each part of the process impacted others, highlighting the need for an integrated approach to drive […]
986: Blending Finance With Operational Ingenuity | Erin Sawyer, CFO, Certinia
Reflecting on her career choices, Erin Sawyer tells us that one pivotal point stands out—a decision that involved moving her family across the country. This step triggered not only a geographical shift but also a change in Sawyer's professional life, when her work alongside a CEO ultimately fueled her aspirations to become a chief financial…
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984: The Building Blocks of CFO Success | Bob Purcell, CFO, Billtrust
Bob Purcell's leap into the unknown was not a misplaced step but a giant stride toward his future as a CFO. Early in his career, he faced a daunting choice: To join a distressed company teetering on the brink of failure or to play it safe. Driven by an unshakable belief in his abilities and…
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The Mentoring Round | Bill Purcell, CFO, Billtrust
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Bob Purcell emphasizes the importance of having a comprehensive set of metrics and KPIs to effectively monitor and guide the company’s operations, akin to a pilot’s dashboard. CFO Purcell stresses the necessity of providing customers with exceptional experiences, enabling them to concentrate on their core business without concerns about back-office […]
The Mentoring Round | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Aaron Alt highlights Cardinal Health’s ongoing comprehensive review of its business portfolio, involving an assessment of healthcare trends, competitive strengths, and economic forecasts to determine the best ownership of assets. This process has led to strategic decisions about retaining, investing in, and potentially divesting certain business units to maximize shareholder […]
983: The CFO as Architect of Value | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health
In the world of finance, where leadership roles await those who distinguish themselves along a select number of familiar paths, Aaron Alt's journey to becoming a CFO stands out for its breadth and depth, transcending conventional boundaries. Starting in law, Alt quickly found his groove inside the legal world's cornucopia of M&A advisory services. It…
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The Mentoring Round | Matt Wolf, CFO, DRINKS
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Matt Wolf highlights his broad perspective, gained from a background in data analytics and software, which enables him to understand and support various organizational functions beyond finance. By minimizing surprises through transparency and openness, Wolf believes this can be a strategic advantage, reducing the need to be reactive and allowing […]
982: Blending Alcohol and E-commerce | Matt Wolf, CFO, DRINKS
Twelve years ago, when Matt Wolf was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, he likely would have been alarmed to learn that his future finance career would be largely impacted by drinking and driving. Such was his destiny, though, as after a 5-year stint with the investment bank in London and New York he began…
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The Mentoring Round | Sam Kemp, CFO, Built
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Sam Kemp emphasizes the importance of understanding the gap between a business’s formal operating model and the actual, informal ways it functions. Recognizing this gap is crucial for new leaders to gain leverage quickly within an organization or a new division. Looking forward, Sam outlined his top three priorities: ensuring […]