Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Regi Vengalil reflects on his early days as a CFO, sharing the challenges of overcoming imposter syndrome and learning to trust his own voice. He advises his younger self to have confidence in his insights and not hesitate to share strong perspectives. Vengalil highlights a pivotal moment in his career at […]
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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The Mentoring Round | Ashley Johnson, CFO Planet
Inside The Mentoring Round, CFO Ashley Johnson emphasizes that financial planning and analysis (FP&A) should empower leaders to own their budgets rather than simply dictate them. She forbids the question, “Is this in my budget?” and instead encourages leaders to consider their priorities and trade-offs.She believes in a proactive approach to budgeting, where FP&A supports […]
1,007: The Art of Financial Storytelling | Ashley Johnson, CFO, Planet
When she was an international studies major living abroad, Ashley Johnson tells us, she met a U.S. ambassador whose unvarnished advice subsequently led her to divert her career path away from the diplomatic corps of the U.S. Foreign Service. "I had thought that I would be going into the State Department," she recalls. However, a…
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1,006: Finance and Strategy: A Dual Approach | Jorge Stevenson, CFO, Yuvo Health
CFO Jorge Stevenson’s finance career journey began in Santiago, Chile, where both of his parents—leaders within the business community—instilled in him the importance of finance when it comes to achieving business success. Stevenson’s formal business education began with an MBA from Duke University, where he honed his finance acumen. His professional journey has included stops…
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1,002: Transforming Retail: A Strategic Journey | Joan Hilson, CFO, Signet Jewelers
When David's Bridal, a New York City staple, filed for bankruptcy in 2018, Joan Hilson was at the helm as CFO. The experience was a crucible, teaching her invaluable lessons about crisis management and strategic pivoting. "Navigating the bankruptcy of David's Bridal forced me to re-evaluate our strategies and become more resilient," Hilson recalls. This…
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997: From Reaction to Action: Capturing Insight for Growth | Daniel Bisgeier, CFO, Constellation
When a leader is faced with unprecedented challenges, their true mettle is tested. Daniel Bisgeier, a seasoned CFO, exemplifies how continuous improvement and strategic decisiveness can pave the way for corporate resilience and growth. Reflecting on his career, Bisgeier notes that significant progress often comes not in bursts but through "persistent effort over time and…
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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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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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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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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…
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The Mentoring Round | Emma Brown, CFO, Medius
CFO Emma Brown’s pivotal career theme is simplification. In a high-pressure turnaround, she realized that complexity hindered understanding. Stripping back to basics, she rebuilt a cash flow, cutting through complexities to identify and solve underlying business problems. This approach, simplifying structures and focusing on essentials, transformed a $40 million loss into a $15 million profit. […]