Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Matt Steinfort tells us how DigitalOcean is making AI more accessible to small tech companies by offering AI compute capacity in manageable, on-demand chunks. This allows smaller developers to integrate AI into their applications without needing extensive resources. Additionally, DigitalOcean is using AI to enhance its own services, making them easier […]
1,029: A Unique Advantage: When CEO Experience Informs CFO Leadership | Matt Steinfort, CFO, DigitalOcean
While most CFOs climb the ranks through finance-related roles, Matt Steinfort's path ended up taking quite a significant detour—which saw him lead a company as CEO and then unexpectedly step into a CFO role at his next company. Steinfort’s transition from CEO to CFO occurred when he was approached by Dan Caruso, a longtime mentor and successful…
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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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An Entrepreneur Leverages AI to Revolutionize Finance Operations | Tal Kirschenbaum, Co-Founder & CEO, Ledge
In this special Trouble Shooter episode of CFO Thought Leader, we speak with Tal Kirschenbaum, CEO and founder of Ledge. Together, we delve into his career journey and the foresight that led him to identify a significant opportunity in finance automation. Tal’s path, starting from his finance education at the University of Chicago and Tel […]
1,010: When SaaS Became His Native Language | Michael O’Grady, CFO, Permutive
Michael O'Grady's finance strategic moment occurred in 2014 at higher-ed tech company Ellucian. Faced with transitioning from a traditional perpetual license model to a SaaS one, he identified the need for a unified approach across all business functions. Recognizing that the company's executives had differing visions, he proposed skipping the annual budget process to focus…
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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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990: From Print to Platform: Strategic Shifts in a Digital Age | CFO Mitch Peipert
Back in 2016, Mitch Peipert stood at a crossroads. With a career foundation deeply rooted in the precision and rigor of public accounting, he had honed his CFO leadership and operational prowess as he navigated his way through the financial landscapes of various companies. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the arrival of a…
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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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The Mentoring Round | Sarah Alper, CFO, Pactum AI
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Sarah Alper emphasizes the necessity of a collaborative approach to growth, underscoring that “Finance can’t just tell you what you need to do. It’s a conversation with the business on how to do that, on how to get there.” She explains how experiences at GE and UiPath have endowed her […]
985: A World Where Everything Is Negotiable | Sarah Alper, CFO, Pactum AI
As Pactum AI embarks on a pivotal phase of commercialization, the arrival of Sarah Alper in the AI-driven company’s CFO office is by no means a coincidence. Having transitioned from structured finance roles at General Electric to the dynamic environment of UiPath, Alper now brings to the table a blend of experience in operational finance,…
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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 […]