Episodit
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In today's customer-centric business landscape, a leadership team that truly understands its customers is crucial. Everyone on the C-Suite should be learning from one another, and challenging one another to be more customer-focused.
April Oman, the Chief Customer Officer at Resilinc, brings a unique perspective to the leadership team. While her primary role is championing customer success, she's gained invaluable insights about her customers from unexpected sources—including the company's CFO. April is an accomplished customer success executive with 20 years of experience. She is known for driving results and revenue and transforming organizations to be customer-centric in a wide variety of industries and company sizes
In this installment of our "Better Business Partnering" series, April joins host Melissa Howatson to explore the powerful synergy between Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Chief Customer Officers (CCOs). They delve into April's collaborative experiences with CFOs, examining how this partnership drives innovation across the organization, improves operational efficiency through cross-functional teamwork, and fosters sustainable growth.
Discover how breaking down silos between finance and customer success can lead to transformative outcomes and customer satisfaction.
Discussed In This Episode:Strategies to nurture a strong partnership between the finance and customer teamsHow to align financial strategies with customer-centric initiativesThe number one trait April values in a CFO, and how a CFO can help a CCO be more effectiveThe value a CCO offers to CFOs and the broader C-suitePoints of friction between CFOs and CCOs, and how to overcome them -
Agile isn't just a buzzword—it's the key to unlocking your finance team's full potential in a changing market.
While annual budgeting and planning can be daunting, adopting Agile methodologies can transform this process into a dynamic, collaborative effort that propels your business forward, replacing rigid forecasts with flexible, data-driven strategies that adapt to market shifts in real-time.
Dominic DiBernardo is a Partner at Citrin Cooperman, where he helps middle-market businesses optimize their finance and business operations. In this episode, Dominic shares how to incorporate agile strategies into a finance team’s annual budgeting and planning cycle. These methodologies, he argues, will make finance teams more efficient and collaborative, so that they can withstand changes in market conditions and foster growth.
Discover how finance leaders are revolutionizing their teams by cultivating nimble cultures and leveraging agile methodologies to enhance precision in strategic planning and dynamic budgeting processes.
Discussed in This Episode:
Practical tips for finance leaders who are looking to pivot more quickly in response to emerging trends, shifting market conditions and changing business needsHow to leverage real-time data, cultivate a budget-conscious culture emphasizing accountability and shared objectives, along with adopting budgeting practices that adeptly adjust to market shiftsHow finance leaders can foster an agile culture, as well as a collaborative and negotiation-focused approach to agile planning and budgetingThe importance of having the right technology in place to accommodate change and speed up processes, as well as the role AI will play in advancing FP&A -
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The Office of Finance is on the cusp of a transformative evolution, driven primarily by advancements in AI.
While finance professionals often find themselves bogged down with manual tasks, leaving little room for strategic thinking and data analysis, AI provides critical data and time efficiencies enabling the Office of Finance to focus on business strategy.
Rishi Grover, Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Architect at Vena Solutions, has spent most of his career helping companies re-engineer and optimize their financial processes. In this episode, Rishi talks to host Melissa Howatson about how financial leaders can implement AI to reduce repetitive, manual work across their teams and increase focus on strategy.
Learn how CFOs and finance leaders can take a pragmatic approach to AI adoption to improve finance functions, transform decision-making, and drive operational efficiency within their organizations.
Discussed In This Episode:AI’s potential to streamline and automate time-consuming processes, provide data-driven insights and handle complex tasksTips for Incorporating AI into the Finance FunctionHow to address security concerns, find internal champions, and securely leverage AI technologyAdvanced use cases of generative AI and the broader implications of this technology for the Office of FinanceHow to measure the ROI of AI adoption in finance operations -
Continuous learning is not just a nice thing to have; it’s a critical necessity in Finance. As regulations, finance tools, and technologies evolve, finance professionals must stay up to date to move at the pace of business.
Bryan Lapidus helps financial professionals match that change. Bryan is Director of the FP&A Practice at the Association for Financial Professionals, where he leverages his 20 years of experience in finance, risk, and operations to create and lead educational programs for AFP members.
In this episode, Bryan talks to host Melissa Howatson about the many ways finance professionals can engage in ongoing learning on the job, and through outside programs and networking opportunities.
Learn how CFOs and finance leaders can instill a culture of continuous learning, and how finance professionals can embrace a growth mindset to advance in their careers.
Discussed In This Episode:
Strategies for financial leaders to promote a growth mindset and continuous learningThe effectiveness of micro-learning and its application at critical momentsAnalyzing the return on investment (ROI) of continuous education and strategies to counteract the inclination to cut educational expensesThe benefits of cross-functional learning in all stages of a finance professional’s careerIndicators that finance professionals should consider when selecting an employer that supports continuous learning -
Finance teams that want to be more data-driven need both technology that can consolidate mountains of data, and skilled professionals who can interpret what it all means.
Thomas Ho serves as the Vice President at ProLytics Consulting Group, guiding clients through the digital transformation in finance. In a discussion with Melissa Howatson,
Thomas discusses how data gathering methods are revolutionizing finance roles, necessitating new skills that finance professionals need to master to keep pace with rapid change.
Learn what hard skills are essential to the modern Office of Finance and how finance leaders can upskill their teams to improve the accuracy and efficiency of financial forecasting and modeling.
Discussed In This Episode:
The transformative impact of technology on the Finance Department and the evolving requirements of finance occupationsThe critical importance of data literacy, data visualization, and data analytics for modern finance professionalsThe importance of learning SQL and other programming languages to perform needed data analysis and financial modelingHow micro-learning and cross-team training can allow finance professionals to acquire new skills on the job and level up in their rolesThe tools and tech stack finance teams need to support data collection and data interpretation -
AI is poised to revolutionize the way we work. Businesses across the globe are investing resources into the development needed to make AI an everyday reality. Leading the charge, Microsoft is pioneering the incorporation of AI into business and daily workflows.
In this episode, host Melissa Howatson sits down with Ahmed Adel, the Director of Data, Apps & AI Cloud Solution Architecture at Microsoft to discuss Microsoft’s continuous investments in AI, along with the implications these innovations could have for finance professionals and the potential impact of AI on the future of work.
Learn how Microsoft sees the ultimate future state of business operations for finance teams and beyond.
Discussed in This Episode:
Microsoft's ongoing investments in AI, the evolving interaction between people and technology, and the potential impact of AI on the future of workHow AI will elevate finance leadership by freeing up time for more strategic work, and improving the speed and accuracy of financial reportingHow Microsoft prioritizes investments and works with partners to ensure that their innovations have the greatest impactWhy organizations should be careful to implement AI in the right places, and how they can prepare their workforces for changes that AI will inevitably bringHow Microsoft ensures its AI products are used ethically and responsibly -
New technologies are changing finance roles, freeing up time for more analysis, strategy, and storytelling. As these roles evolve, so too do the soft skills financial professionals need to do their jobs well.
Meg Bear is a Controller at Turner Enterprises, and has more than 20 years of experience leading finance teams and redesigning business processes. In this episode, Meg talks to host Melissa Howatson about how CFOs and finance leaders can adapt their leadership styles and hiring standards to better fit the modern FP&A team.
Learn how finance leaders should prioritize soft skills as they build the future office of finance.
Discussed In This Episode:Cultivating a work setting where empowerment and meaningful tasks are the foundationStrategies for ensuring your team feels valued as you implement new systems and processesExploring the reasons behind the formation of siloes and how finance leaders can work to dismantle them for improved interdepartmental collaboration and integrated business strategy.The significance of possessing essential soft skills and maintaining transparency throughout the hiring processHow leaders can be a talent magnet, building and retaining teams that work well together -
Employee burnout is on the rise, fueled by shrinking budgets and mounting pressure for employees to achieve more with less. But how can CFOs and finance leaders gauge the breaking point for their teams?
Ruchi Kasliwal has been building and guiding finance and accounting teams for over 15 years. With a deep passion for optimizing human and system resources, Ruchi joins Melissa to share vital strategies to protect their employees from burnout. By proactively identifying signs of burnout and offering effective support, leaders can prevent the loss of valuable team members. And by acknowledging the stressors inherent in finance roles, leaders can proactively implement strategies to protect teams from burnout while ensuring their well-being and productivity. Join us as we discover the key techniques for tackling high-pressure finance environments and empowering teams to thrive.
Discussed In This Episode:
Understanding good stress vs. bad stressImplementing a buddy system to improve team communication around workloadBurnout warning signs that can help finance leaders identify when employees are struggling with prioritization or too much workPlanning for time off so that employees can truly unplug and unwind when they’re out of the officeWorking with your team to prioritize the most important tasks and automate tedious or unnecessary tasks -
If a CRO is expected to know the balance sheet, shouldn’t the CFO should know the sales playbook? After all, a strong partnership between these two roles is instrumental to a company’s financial health, and they need to be able to support one another.
In this installment of our better business partnering series, Puneet Arora, President at Yellow.ai, talks to Melissa Howatson about how CFOs can form strong partnerships with their CROs. Puneet was previously a CRO himself, and has over 25 years of experience working alongside CFOs while leading sales teams at high-growth SaaS organizations. In that time, he’s had a variety of strong CFO-CRO relationships and tells us about the ones that were the most effective.
Learn how to nurture a strong partnership between the Office of Finance and revenue operations by fostering not just rapport, but strategic alignment.
Discussed In This Episode:
The unique responsibilities of the CFO and CRO, and how a strong partnership leads to better business outcomesThe increasing importance of the revenue operations team in modern organizations and the layer of support they bring to the businessSome of the top challenges CROs are facing in today’s business landscape, and how CFOs can support them through these challengesCommon points of friction between the finance and revenue operations teams, and how they can work better together to uncover growth opportunities and get deals doneTraits CROs appreciate in a CFO, and tactics CFOs can use to facilitate a productive relationship with the revenue operations team -
FP&A professionals spend so much of their time gathering data, and only a small portion analyzing it. Integrating digital transformation in finance has the potential to shift this dynamic by automating data collection and allowing more time for in-depth analysis and interpretation.
Stacy Brown is VP at Marcum Technology and has more than 15 years of experience advising on ERP and CPM implementations. Stacy specializes in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), financial reporting, workforce planning, and financial forecasting, leveraging her extensive accounting and finance background to help organizations create efficiencies within their finance organizations.
In this episode, Stacy talks to host Melissa Howatson about the lessons she’s learned through these implementations and her advice for organizations beginning their digital transformation journeys.
Learn how finance can benefit from investing in digitization, and the role CFOs need to play in leading digital transformation within their organizations.
Discussed In This Episode:
Identifying opportunities for digitization, and how an outside consultant can help spot inefficienciesThe five steps of a digital transformation journey in finance, including the implementation of a modern ERPHow to build a lean, flexible, and cost-effective tech stackCommon pitfalls that slow down software implementations How to select the right vendor for your current and future needs -
CFOs are experts in growing a business, navigating volatile economic environments, and acting as leaders inside and outside the organization. But as they focus on these big-picture problems, they naturally become removed from many day-to-day operations. It can be a challenge to stay sharp on basic skills and informed on new trends and technologies.
Thomas Krolak, Director of FP&A at Vena, has a front-row seat to how our CFO and show host, Melissa Howatson, handles this challenge. In this episode, Thomas and Melissa flip the script, with Thomas interviewing Melissa about how to stay sharp as a CFO. Melissa discusses some best practices for continued learning, as well as some humbling moments in her leadership career.
Learn how CFOs keep their tactical skills sharp as they move a little farther away from the day-to-day action.
Discussed In This Episode:
How to stay up-to-date on trends as a busy CFOThe value of sharing information with your peers, mentors, and wider networkHow to get the most ROI out of conferences and other outside learning opportunitiesThe importance of brushing up on the basics from time-to-timeLearning from your rising stars -
What makes an exceptional, growth-driving CFO?
Vinny Prajka might know better than anyone. Vinny has worked with dozens of CFOs in his role at JMI Equity, where he helps portfolio companies accelerate growth and navigate operational challenges. Vinny also sits on multiple boards, and formerly held two CFO positions himself, at both SonaCare Medical and BlackBaud Inc.
In this episode, Vinny talks to host Melissa Howatson about the best CFOs he’s worked with, and the qualities these A-players all have in common.
Discover how, as a CFO, you can help drive growth in your organization, demonstrate exceptional leadership, effectively communicate with investors and become the driving force behind business performance.
Discussed In This Episode:
The delicate balance between growing an organization and managing costs, amidst economic uncertaintyThe importance of the CFO’s relationships, particularly with the CEO and the Board of DirectorsCreating and communicating alignment between the CEO and CFOWhy CFOs need to think with a zero-based budgeting mindset to assess and reassess the value of every position in their businessThe value of a long-range plan (LRP), and how often a CFO should update theirs -
CFOs wield significant influence in safeguarding a company’s financial data, but entrusting cybersecurity solely to their CIOs may jeopardize privacy and open the door to data breaches.
As Partner at Plante Moran, Joe Oleksak advises businesses on cybersecurity, IT audit, and technology compliance. He has more than twenty years of information systems security and information technology audit experience in financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, mortgage companies, and insurance companies. In this episode, Joe and host Melissa Howatson discuss the role CFOs play in protecting financial data against cyber threats, and how they can partner with CIOs and CEOs to build a holistic cybersecurity operation that prioritizes culture and processes as much as technology.
Learn how important the CFO is to modern cybersecurity risk management, and the steps CFOs should take to protect their organizations against privacy and security threats.
Discussed In This Episode:
The evolving cyber threat landscape, and how hacker attacks are gaining strength Why people and processes are just as important to cybersecurity as technology How CFOs, CEOs, and CIOs should work together to create a holistic approach to cybersecurityProactive strategies for CFOs to safeguard their organizations and mitigate riskThe difference between privacy and security, and why understanding this difference is so important to protect financial data -
Market volatility in the last few years has shifted the business landscape. We’ve gone from a “growth at all costs” mindset, to one that is hyper-focused on efficiency.
This shift has had a huge impact on the Office of Finance. In this episode, recorded as a keynote onstage at Excelerate Finance 2024, host Melissa Howatson and Vena’s Director of FP&A, Thomas Krolak, discuss the ways the CFO’s role has evolved, as well as changes that are yet to come.
Learn what the future of finance holds, and what strategic finance leaders can do to unlock the potential in their people and data as they contend with unprecedented challenges.
Discussed In This Episode:
Disruptive forces that are changing the way businesses operateHow the scope of the finance team is growing as businesses re-prioritize efficiency and productivityNew ways FP&A leaders can use their skillsets to uncover business opportunitiesAnticipated investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how new technologies will strengthen FP&A insights -
A job description that is 40% controller, 20% bookkeeper and 20% Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is going to be near impossible to fill. But for many businesses, this is exactly the sort of hybrid role they need.
Outsourced accounting, through fractional models, has emerged as an option for businesses seeking flexibility, cost-efficiency, and specialized expertise in their financial operations.
Dani Sandler works with those businesses at ScaleNorth, an outsourced accounting partner and NetSuite Solutions provider. In this episode, Dani shares how fractional finance services allow businesses to access a diverse pool of accounting professionals with varying skill sets, without having to increase their headcount.
Learn how businesses leverage outsourced accounting and fractional models to reduce costs and improve processes and accuracy in accounting.
Discussed In This Episode:The benefits of fractional models in finance, from cost-effectiveness to scalabilityHow outsourced accounting drives operational efficiency and enhances decision-making processesWhat types of businesses see the most value in an outsourced accounting modelHow to select the right outsourced accounting provider for your business and how to get the most value out of the partnershipImplementing an ERP system such as NetSuite, and how businesses can optimize the platform for their unique needs -
Accountants work with certainties, recording and reporting on past financial transactions to ensure accuracy and compliance. FP&A professional, however, are concerned with what-ifs, looking toward the future in the forms of forecasting and strategic planning. It’s no wonder these two sides of the finance team can sometimes feel their goals are incongruent.
David Cornfield of World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF) and Tom Seegmiller of Texada Software each started their careers on one side of the finance team, and now oversee both functions. They understand what can cause friction between these two roles, and the dangers of working in silos. In this episode, David and Tom sit down with host Melissa Howatson to discuss the processes needed to build stronger collaboration across the finance team, improving data accuracy for accounting, forecasting accuracy for FP&A, and ultimately driving insights and value for the team as a whole.
Learn how both FP&A and accounting professionals approach their work, and how to build a cohesive and healthy finance team by aligning their KPIs.
Discussed in this Episode:
The benefits of a symbiotic relationship between FP&A and accounting, and how it can enhance overall efficiency and decision-making processesThe appreciation Tom and David have gained for accounting and FP&A respectively as they’ve expanded their responsibilities over time, and what they wish they had known earlier in their finance careersHow FP&A, with its focus on forecasting, budgeting, and strategic planning, can provide accountants with forward-looking insights, enabling them to anticipate financial trends and allocate resources effectivelyHow accountants, with their meticulous attention to detail and adherence to regulatory standards, play a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial data used by FP&AExamples of processes Tom and David have used to align their FP&A and accounting teams and ensure the standardization of data -
The transformative potential of AI for finance teams is extraordinary. CFOs need to educate themselves on how, where and when to adopt new technologies, and what they can be doing ahead of adoption to prepare their organizations.
Howard Dresner is a technologist, researcher, and one of the foremost thought leaders in business intelligence. In this episode, Howard discusses the research his firm, Dresner Advisory Services, has conducted on AI adoption, as well as his predictions for how next-generation AI technologies will be used in Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A). Howard also explains how AI works, and why the insights it generates are so much more sophisticated than what we can produce in a spreadsheet.
Learn how innovation in AI is likely to impact FP&A, and how these developments will elevate the Office of Finance. Even if you don’t plan to be a first-mover, Howard’s insights can help your business get ready for the integration of these new technologies, long before you actually invest in them.
Discussed in This Episode:How AI will empower finance professionals to navigate complex data landscapes with unprecedented precision and agilityPotential use cases for AI in FP&A, including forecasting and churn and risk assessmentThe difference between AI and generative AI, as well as the strengths and limitations of eachWhen businesses should invest in AI, and how they should prepare for adoption ahead of those investments through education and policy-makingThe history of business intelligence and Howard’s view on how it has evolved over the last few decades -
Small businesses rarely have the budget to hire a full finance team, but they still need the same diverse range of support across payroll, accounting and financial planning as a large corporation. Some companies decide to outsource these functions to a dedicated finance and accounting partner as a more cost-effective and efficient way to handle their finance function needs and expedite growth.
Kendra James-Anderson, founder of The Finance Femme, helps female entrepreneurs grow their businesses through virtual financial and accounting advisory. In this episode, Kendra gives us an inside look at a day in the life of a fractional CFO, shedding light on the value outsourced financial services can bring to small businesses. Kendra discusses when entrepreneurs should hire an outside finance partner, as well as how that partner should work with small businesses to stabilize or accelerate growth.
Learn how a fractional CFO or an outsourced accounting team can help small business owners with everything from basic accounting obligations to long-term business strategies.
Discussed in This Episode:
A close-up look at the office of the fractional CFO, from how they function to how they support clients The increasing small business need for a trusted financial advisorWhen entrepreneurs should seek outside finance assistance and guidanceEntrepreneur’s shifting mindset toward business financial health post-COVID and now during economic uncertaintyHow a fractional CFO can support day-to-day operations and bring a growing businesses to the next level -
A CFO is expected not only to lead financial reporting and the Office of Finance but also to provide strategic insights and strategy that propel the business forward. As a new CFO, you might feel eager to start doing the latter as soon as possible.
But you don’t need to build your long-term strategy in the first few months on the job. When starting a new role as a CFO, your first 90 days should focus on learning about the organization and its members, building relationships across the business, and setting a long-term vision. Only then can you start making big changes and building a roadmap for the future.
Tom Seegmiller, CFO of Texada Software provides his five-bullet checklist for new CFOs.
Tom reflects on what it’s like to navigate the first 90 days - both professionally and personally - and offers practical tips for anyone taking on a new CFO role.
Learn how spending time in the trenches can help you better understand the business and secure some quick wins. Once you have a full understanding of the work your colleagues are doing and how each department operates, you’ll be in a much better position to create long-term strategic value for the organization.
Discussed in This Episode:
The value of building relationships and goodwill with stakeholders and partners across the businessHow to make yourself an invaluable partner to your CEO and other members of the C-SuiteAssuming best intent, keeping an open mind, and demonstrating an eagerness to help your colleaguesAligning your vision to organizational and business goalsWhy mentorship matters throughout your career, even as CFO -
If you like sports, you might say James Suh has one of the coolest jobs in the world. After 11 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, James became CFO of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. What a first year he had, as the Panthers went from barely making the playoffs to the Stanley Cup finals!
In this episode, James gives us an inside look at what goes into finance operations for a sports team, and what it was like to lead those operations for an underdog in a breakout year. His experiences offer valuable lessons in strategic planning, underscoring the importance of knowing your market, and prioritizing long-term growth and profitability over quick sales streams.
Discussed in this episode:
Understanding the finances of a hockey franchiseThe many streams of revenue in an NHL franchise, and how those differ from team to teamScenario modeling in an industry and market that are both highly unpredictableThe impact fan behavior has on budgeting and revenue forecastingHow winning impacts work culture, revenues, and operations - Näytä enemmän
