Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Daniel Welch emphasizes the dual nature of Kate Farms as both a healthcare and consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, with long-term customers who rely on its plant-based medical nutrition products. He highlights the importance of understanding customer lifetime value relative to acquisition costs, particularly in the company’s e-commerce expansion. Welch also […]
1,035: Balancing Growth and Sustainability: The Financial Strategy Behind Health Innovation | Daniel Welch, CFO, Kate Farms
In 2018, Daniel Welch made a life-altering decision when—after having spent a decade in investment banking working on high-profile IPOs and M&A deals at Morgan Stanley—he found himself at a crossroads. The birth of his daughter and a health scare involving his father led him to question the career path that he was on. “I…
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Ep 38: Strategic Relationship Building in FP&A
In this episode of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles discuss the evolving role of FP&A professionals, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building and strategic collaboration within organizations. As summer ends and fall approaches, Brett predicts a surge in business activity, particularly as companies rush to meet year-end objectives. The conversation highlights the decline in […]
1,028: Shaping Finance Operations to Support Global Growth | Clemente Cohen, CFO, PG Forsta
Clemente Cohen’s finance career began in the early 1990s inside the Munich offices of Silicon Graphics, approximately 6,500 miles from the Silicon Valley company’s headquarters and some 7,500 miles from his birthplace in Argentina. This transcontinental start marked the beginning of a career defined by global problem-solving, adaptability, and generous helpings of M&A experience. Cohen,…
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The Mentoring Round | Todd Patriacca, CFO, BVI Medical
Inside The Mentoring Round CFO Todd Patriacca emphasizes the strategic implementation of technology automation, focusing on areas that enhance efficiency and reduce internal costs. He advocates for leveraging automation to handle routine tasks, allowing teams to concentrate on strategic exceptions. Todd also champions Lean methodology, applying its principles of continuous improvement and waste elimination to […]
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…
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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…
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1,015: Aligning Investor Narratives With Operational Strategy | Mark Khavkin, CFO, MinIO
Mark Khavkin tells us that from the very beginning of his career journey—a 2008 role as an investment professional with a European private equity firm—he was able to gain experience in board strategy, investor relations, and entrepreneurial exploration. This foundation allowed him to read boardroom dynamics from very early on and prepared him to anticipate…
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The Mentoring Round | Carol Lee, CFO, LogicMonitor
` Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Carol Lee of LogicMonitor discusses the key lessons that can be learned from the buy-side and sell-side of M&A, why financial planning must be your organization’s numerical roadmap, and the strategic advantages AI is bringing to financial analysis and customer interactions.
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…
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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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987: May the Road Rise to Meet You | Jennifer Loo, CFO, Tala
Back in 2009, with a law degree in hand along with a smattering of frontline consulting experience, Jennifer Loo swung open the door at LegalZoom—where in short order she was tasked with architecting the fast-growing company's FP&A function from the ground up. For Loo, the responsibilities that would quickly surface at LegalZoom did not necessarily…
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