Podcasts about chief accounting officer

In this episode of 'Inspired to Lead,' host Talia Meshiach sits down with Shifra Kolsky, the Chief Accounting Officer at Discover Financial Services. Shifra shares her inspirational journey from overcoming the loss of her father during her teenage years, to working through high school and college, and eventually climbing the corporate ladder. With a special focus on balancing a high-powered career with family responsibilities, Shifra opens up about the importance of self-belief, continuous learning, and effective communication. She discusses her motivations, the challenges she faced regarding Shabbos and Yom Tov in a corporate environment, and the significance of a supportive workplace culture. Listeners will gain insights on the value of asking for growth opportunities, the power of mentorship, and the joy of contributing to both family and community.   00:00 Introduction to Inspired to Lead 01:24 Interview with Shifra Kolsky Begins 02:35 Shifra's Role at Discover Financial Services 06:18 Balancing Family and Career 07:23 Shifra's Early Life and Career Path 23:43 Challenges and Mentorship in Shifra's Career 30:20 Balancing Family and Career Responsibilities 31:15 Navigating Maternity Leave in Corporate America 33:09 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Climbing the Corporate Ladder 34:47 The Importance of Asking for Opportunities 38:04 Creating a Supportive Work Environment 41:04 Balancing Religious Observance with Corporate Demands 46:28 Leadership and Personal Growth 52:14 Final Reflections and Advice     About Shifra Kolsky:   Kolsky has been with Discover over 15 years and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer in 2020. She was instrumental in driving several key initiatives, including significant accounting changes, major technology implementations and the adoption of robotic process automation in the finance function. She is the executive sponsor of Discover's Jewish Affinity Group. Prior to working for Discover, Kolsky was in public accounting in the audit practice at Deloitte and Arthur Andersen. In addition to her role at Discover, Kolsky is also active in her community, volunteering with No Shame On U, an organization dedicated to ending the stigma associated with mental health conditions; the Chicago chapter of The JWE; and the Kehillah Fund, which supports Jewish educational institutions in the Chicago area. Kolsky's husband is a rabbi who teaches in Jewish day schools and high schools. They have four children and two fabulous kids-in-law.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/shifrakolsky   Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: podcast@thejwe.org

On this episode Pat sits down with Mihai Faur, CIO of UiPath to discuss his 10 year journey with the company from a small startup in Romania to the global automations company it is today. We dive into the IPO readiness piece, how as a Chief Accounting Officer he set the company on the path for IPO following Daniel Dines' vision in 2019 to bring the company public in 2 years. You will learn aboutWhat does it take to get a company from startup mode to IPO ready How to get to operational predictability The role AI will play in UiPath's 2nd act merging AI and Automations You can find Mihai on LinkedIn here. Want to stay up-to-date on latest episodes?Follow The Enthusiast wherever you are getting your podcasts and make sure to check out our newsletter on LinkedIn⁠here⁠ to stay up to date on our latest episodes with founders and investors beyond the Valley.Follow Pat on LinkedIn ⁠here⁠.

Get ready for an enlightening chat with Alissa Vickery, the newly appointed interim CFO and the Chief Accounting Officer, SVP Accounting and Controls at Corpay, on Count Me In! In this episode, Alissa, who's appeared with us twice before, sits down with host Adam Larson to tackle the complex world of ESG reporting challenges and operations. At Corpay, Alissa's been knee-deep in this evolving landscape, and she's here to shed light on the hurdles finance teams face in adapting to new SEC regulations. Join us as Alissa shares her firsthand experiences navigating the maze of global standards and how her company learned to prioritize and adapt. From figuring out double materiality to streamlining ESG operations with tech and third-party expertise, it's all discussed with practicality and insight. Whether you're in finance or just curious about the future of corporate sustainability, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways and a unique industry perspective. So plug in and grab your notepad—it's a conversation you won't want to miss! Sponsor:Today's episode is brought to you by U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank is a trusted financial partner for our clients, businesses and communities. We believe in doing the right thing and putting people first. It's an honor to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute for the tenth consecutive year. From commercial credit cards and program management tools to innovative payment technologies and transportation offerings, U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Systems has the right solution to help your organization reduce payment costs, enhance control and streamline your entire payment processing function. We'll partner with you to uncover your challenges and provide smart, clear and honest guidance to help you meet the financial goals for your business. Visit usbank.com/corporatepayments to learn more.

In this installment of Workday Shift: Moving Financial Services Forward, we delve into the operational complexities of business transformation with Lee Vanderpool, Chief Accounting Officer at General Atlantic. In this episode, Vanderpool reveals how the ability to quickly extract intelligence from financial data has become a critical competitive advantage. Tune in to discover how your organization can harness the power of data in today's rapidly evolving business landscape.

In this episode of Controllers Classified, Erik Zhou sits down with Karen Wu, the Chief Accounting Officer at Clari, to discuss the role of accounting in a company's exit strategy. The conversation starts with an overview of Karen's time in Transaction Services at PWC, where she helped a myriad of companies prepare for IPO - including Alibaba, the largest IPO in US history. Drawing on those experiences, Karen covers the reasons why a company may look for an exit, the types of exit strategies, and the role of the accounting team in those strategies.Specifically, Karen speaks to some ‘musts' that accounting teams have to get right no matter the exit strategy - things like closing the books on time, ensuring precision and reliability in financial statements, and being able to comply with public company requirements. She speaks to the IPO readiness timeline, and how companies should approach it not just through the lens of accounting and finance, but across all functions.The conversation then pivots to Karen's time at Clari. She shares her priorities as well as her POV on global accounting processes given the company's international operations. Her number one piece of advice? Don't be hesitant to outsource pieces of work to consultants who may have a better handle on local tax policies.

This episode of ESG Talk is a special crossover with the accounting and finance podcast, Off The Books! The momentum behind sustainability is changing around the world. How are companies adjusting their environmental, social, and governance programs as the political landscape shifts? Steve and Catherine ask Brandon Buhler, Chief Accounting Officer for Playa Hotels and Resorts, and Esther Toth, Senior Industry Principal at Workiva, about the future of sustainability. Read some original research on this topic here.

How is the shifting political landscape affecting environmental, social, and governance issues? Is ESG dead? Steve and Catherine ask Brandon Buhler, Chief Accounting Officer for Playa Hotels and Resorts, and Esther Toth, Senior Industry Principal at Workiva, about the future of sustainability. Read some original research on this topic at workiva.com/benchmark-2025

Aterian Inc CEO Explains How To Take Smart Risks & A Lot More Timeless Advice…Ticker $ATERWebsitehttps://www.aterian.io/BioChief Executive OfficerArturo “Arty” Rodriguez has served as Aterian's Chief Executive Officer since June 2024. Mr. Rodriguez served as the Company's Co-Chief Executive Officer from July 2023 to June 2024. He also served as the Company's CFO from March 2021 to June 2024. From September 2017 to March 2021, Mr. Rodriguez was Senior Vice President of Finance at Aterian.Prior to Aterian, Mr. Rodriguez spent five years as Chief Accounting Officer and Global Controller for Piksel, Inc. and also held the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer in his last year. From 2000 to 2011, Mr. Rodriguez was with the Atari Group where he held several financial leadership roles, most notably Acting Chief Financial Officer of Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATAR) from 2007 to 2008 and Deputy CFO of Atari SA (Euronext: ATA) from 2008 to 2010. Mr. Rodriguez is a New York State CPA who holds a BBA in Accounting from Hofstra University.

In episode #28 of Fintech Underground, our CEO Yoshi speaks with Erik Zhou, Chief Accounting Officer and SVP of Finance and Accounting at Brex about the following topics: 1:00 - How Erik transitioned from auditing at PwC to the world of startups, including implementing new processes and overcoming challenges. 4:00 - Building an internal account team compared to the process of being an auditor. 9:00 - How internal accounting and financial processes scaled during Brex's growth from 70 to 1,200 employees. 22:00 - Why Brex built a broker-dealer entity within their business. 37:00 - How Brex is working to position itself as the go-to commercial financial services provider for now and the future, and his role in getting there. 44:00 - The pros and cons of remote work in a scaling company. 51:00 - What is the one undervalued opportunity you see in fintech? Thank you for listening to Alpaca Market's latest episode of Fintech Underground. You can find the full transcript here: https://alpaca.markets/learn/how-brex-built-and-scaled-their-accounting-and-financial-operations-028

We're riding the waves of change with KeyBank Chief Accounting Officer Stacy Gilbert in this episode recorded outside the New York Stock Exchange.Stacy talks with us about finance transformation, generative AI, and how accounting leaders are in a position to lead their organizations through change.Hit that "subscribe" button to catch all of our upcoming episodes with more accounting and finance leaders. 

This episode features Robin Blackmon, Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Aflac.  Robin shares her wonderful, winding journey in Finance and HR that led her to where she is today. You'll also hear insights on learning from others in big and small ways, the importance of relationships and practice when it comes to boards, and a few tips on wellness and stress management.    SHOW NOTES:  2:41 The goal was not necessarily to end up here  6:11 The value of gaining HR experience to succeed in Finance  10:20 Thoughtful transitions for leadership  11:56 Tips on presenting to the Board  12:42 Having good working relationships with your business partners  16:02 Building out the team and working towards optimization  17:39 Taking care of your own health and wellness     DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:  We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:    How might you be able to start developing or further cultivate relationships with your Board members?  What are some of the things your peers or team members do in their work that you admire and could incorporate into your own work or style?  How might you be able to strengthen relationships with business partners that are important to you and to your team?  What are ways that you can pay more attention to your health and wellness and to that of your team members? 

After working with global companies, Nick Gerostathos got into the venture capital and private equity game, helping companies on the road to going public. Today he's the Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller at Talkdesk. Catherine Tsai and Josh Gertsch ask him about challenges facing private companies.

Why Accounting is Important E8 In this Financial Footsteps episode, Chad Dean introduces Paul Bigbee, Chief Accounting Officer of Cavco Industries, sharing insights from his 14.5-year finance career. Bigbee discusses his transition from engineering to accounting, emphasizing the impact of regulatory changes and providing perspectives on the financial leadership landscape. He reflects on his journey […]

Why Accounting is Important E8 In this Financial Footsteps episode, Chad Dean introduces Paul Bigbee, Chief Accounting Officer of Cavco Industries, sharing insights from his 14.5-year finance career. Bigbee discusses his transition from engineering to accounting, emphasizing the impact of regulatory changes and providing perspectives on the financial leadership landscape. He reflects on his journey […] The post Why Accounting is Important E8 appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Why Accounting is Important E8 In this Financial Footsteps episode, Chad Dean introduces Paul Bigbee, Chief Accounting Officer of Cavco Industries, sharing insights from his 14.5-year finance career. Bigbee discusses his transition from engineering to accounting, emphasizing the impact of regulatory changes and providing perspectives on the financial leadership landscape. He reflects on his journey […] The post Why Accounting is Important E8 appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

How can I be a steward of God in my organization?In this episode, Jeff and Wade discuss: Seeing God's hand in our decisions and the blessings of our lives. Stewarding God's resources in a public company. Weaving Biblical principles into your profession. Understanding your mission.   Key Takeaways: There are ways to give stocks to the church, or other charities, and serve God in that way. Giving away stock looks different and is reported different from selling stock - people don't ask why you're giving it away, but they do ask why you're selling. Never let yourself be defined by your job - that is not who you are, it is what you do. The deeper you go into God's word, the more you will love it and want to live it.   "My recipe for relationship is Listen, Learn, and Lean In. I wear it on my wrist so I don't forget." —  Wade Pursell Episode References: Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles Hummel About Wade Pursell: Mr. Pursell joined SM Energy as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in September 2008.Mr. Pursell has more than 34 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining SM Energy, Mr. Pursell was with Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE: HLX). While at Helix, Mr. Pursell served in several roles including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President-Finance and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Pursell was with Arthur Andersen LLP, from 1988 through 1997, where he served in roles of increasing responsibility, culminating as an Experienced Manager specializing in the offshore services industry.Mr. Pursell currently serves on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement – Rocky Mountain.BS, Accounting with a minor in Computer Science, University of Central Arkansas Connect with Wade Pursell:Website: https://www.sm-energy.com/  Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

This Episode is CFOTL Special Supplement.  Franklin Templeton Chief Accounting Officer Lindsey Oshita expains how challenges faced during an ERP integration following a merger and the massive IT commitment it entailed. She highlights the significance of a chart of accounts and their potential adaptations, along with her team's successful implementation of Workday at the start of the fiscal year. Lindsey Oshita is the Chief Accounting Officer, Americas at Franklin Templeton. She's spent 14 years at Franklin Templeton in various financial leadership positions, and was at Deloitte prior to that. Lindsey graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a minor in Accounting.

Welcome to Count Me In! In this episode, our host Adam Larson welcomes back Alissa Vickery, Chief Accounting Officer, SVP Accounting and Control at FLEETCOR, who shares her journey as an interterm CFO at FLEETCOR. Discover how Alissa balanced multiple finance responsibilities, handled the weight of the CFO role, and developed her leadership strategies. Get ready for an engaging discussion that will inspire and inform. Full Episode Transcript:< Intro > Adam:            Welcome to Count Me In. In today's episode, we are excited to have Alissa Vickery back on the show. Alissa is the Chief Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President, Accounting and Control at FLEETCOR Alissa, who served as the interim CFO at FLEETCOR shares her experience stepping into the role, navigating the transition, and balancing multiple responsibilities. She discusses the importance of building a strong team, seeking advice from mentors and auditors, and effectively communicating with peers and leaders.  She candidly shares her success stories and learning opportunities, during her time as the interim CFO. Lastly, Alissa reflects on how this experience has shaped her career trajectory, and emphasizes the importance of being a business partner within the finance leadership role. Keep listening to hear Alissa's insights and advice. Let's get started. < Music > Adam:            Well, Alissa, we're very excited to have you back on the Count Me In podcast. And today we're going to be talking, a lot, about your role, how you served as an interim CFO at FLEETCOR. And, so, to start off, maybe, you can briefly describe your experience as an interim role and what were your main responsibilities? Alissa:            Sure, so I guess I'll back it up a minute, when you get asked to sit in that kind of seat, even on an interim basis, it is quite overwhelming and humbling, all at the same time. And, so, after serving in various roles in the finance sector here at FLEETCOR over the last 12 years, stepping into the role and the responsibilities, and I'll just call it the weight of the position was, quite frankly, a moment where for me, professionally, I had to really look in the mirror and say, "Okay, I can do this. I'm ready. I can accomplish what my leaders are hopeful that I can accomplish." But in terms of what prepared me for that, I think it's the experience of being on the journey of the FLEETCOR trajectory over that 12-year cycle, and holding various roles throughout the organization. But always in a global capacity, and always in the interest of, I'll call it the overall finance good.  Whether it's helping with a deal and making sure that we're thinking through the risks and rewards appropriately, working on valuation, thinking about internal audit. It's really those experiences that prepared me to be able to step into the role in that moment, at that time, whether anticipated, unexpected, whatever. And, so, it was quite the opportunity, at that time. Adam:            Yes, I can imagine the weight of stepping, into something like a CFO. Because if you're not used to that, if you've never been in that role, there's a certain level of responsibility that is on your shoulders, all of a sudden. Like one day you're not, and then the next day you are. So it's a big transition. How did you navigate that transition to that new role? Alissa:            I would say I spent as much time as I could with my outgoing CFO, that was step one. Talked a lot with HR around how to navigate the executive ranks, if you will. I was already in the room, but having the CFO hat was a very different hat. And then I would say getting advice from both of those parties, as well as my external auditors. Who were already, I'll call it trusted business partners, as we navigated forward, and just trying to be, quite frankly, as prepared as I could be.  But then also have the chats with my CEO, to understand exactly where he wanted me to focus. Because I knew that it would be challenging to be all things to all people. I already know that in my personal life/professional life. You can't do all things excellent, at the same time. If you're being a great employee, sometimes, you're not as great of a mom or a wife. And, so, always striking the right balance. And, so, understanding what he was hoping that I would help control, and help manage, and get him comfortable with, as we moved forward. And, then, I think getting the advice from my outgoing CFO, who was quite gracious with the time he had left in the organization, around making sure that I was leaning on others. I was not in this by myself. I have a team. We have a strong team, and they help to build and support a great finance organization. "Don't forget to lean on them, ask for help, and seek the advice of others when needed." At the end of the day, I had already built the trust throughout the organization through my tenure, and through the various projects I've worked on over the years. And, so, not discounting the value, and I'll call it just the level of experience that facilitated in the new seat. Adam:            I can only imagine, but it sounds like you had a great team. And having a great team around you really helps lift you up, and prepares you for that. Are there certain leadership strategies that you had to implement to try to navigate this waters? Because one day you're same level as other people, and the next day you're suddenly a C-level person, right? Alissa:            Yes, it's just the short answer. It was super fascinating because suddenly I had a new peer group. And, so, working directly with each of those peers, and I have to say they were so gracious, and saying, "How can I help you be successful?" "Let me know what you need." So I think that's part of it.  But, then, too, in terms of the skill sets, it was really having the fortitude to find the right help. Back to my statement, I can't be all things to all people, at the same time. I already was the chief accounting officer, still am the chief accounting officer. But I had to elevate to CFO and wear both hats.  And, so, making sure that I brought in some help to supplement where I knew I needed to step out, and being thoughtful about what that skill set looked like. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to give every piece of the process, the time that I would have had I only been wearing the single hat.  And, so, I would say learning to let it go, it's very difficult. Learning to trust your people in a way, I was already trusting them. But I had to trust them in a whole new level, and they're all fantastic, but it's just a change in mindset. I think type A personalities tend to keep it close, and close to the vest, and understand all the moving pieces, and then you can release.  And, so, I had to get out of my comfort zone, greatly. And I had to figure out new ways, quite frankly, to manage my calendar, manage my availability for those team members. Provide the right level of support to my new peer group, as well as be available to my CEO whenever he needed it. Adam:            Yes, and the whole thing about being able to wear multiple hats. You can't wear both hats, at the same time, and be available for both sections. So how did you balance having two different roles in your lap, at the same time? Alissa:            I would say focusing on the hottest fire or the most important thing, at any one point in time, and, quite frankly, having a significantly longer day. I would start my day a little earlier than I would typically, and certainly ended it later. And it is no joke when you take on a new role, even in the same org. It takes a level of commitment, and a level of just dive down, and hunker down, and get the work done attitude. That you don't typically have when you've sort of been in the role, in that same role, for a period of time. And, so, just being quite reflective on what were the most important things, at each point in time. Looking at my week, that weekend, in advance, and really being thoughtful about where I was going to be able to spend that time, working in time, to at least have one touch point with my finance and accounting team. So that I was super clear where we were in either budget cycle work, or in 10-Qs, 10-Ks.  Because that's really what we're hyper focused on, as well as I'll call it the internal audit work. Making sure we're tracking through supporting our auditors. Having enough of an awareness of what's going on, but not being able to own it. Really expecting my team members to own it and report up to me. So that we are striking the right balance and achieving the outcomes that are expected. Adam:            Were you able to identify different strategies or better strategies, on how to deal with different tasks that you may have done differently, if you just had the one hat on? Were you able to identify different strategies to do things more efficiently, and maybe find better ways to do things for the organization, overall? Alissa:            Well, sure, and I think implementing technological tools that help you to do things in a smarter, and more effective, efficient way, are always huge. And, so, we did that in a number of, I'll call it the budgeting process pieces. And it was probably the best thing that ever happened to the team, and to the process, because it forces you to take a step back. You have to find a way to do it smarter, more effectively, with the most accurate answer you can have. Because if we know anything about a budget or a forecast, it's wrong. But we're trying to get it as on point as possible. And, so, bringing in a little bit of contract help, combined with the team really having to take ownership. It forced that level of, "Okay, let's use this system to do this piece of work. We haven't used the system to do it before." Engaging with the leadership team to make sure that they're thinking through the risks, the same way I might. So that when I step in, I'm just asking the very top of the house questions. Okay, "Did we do A, B, C, D, E,?"  Okay, "Yes. Wait, F you haven't done that, yet? Go back, make sure this is part of our model, and then come back to me to where I feel really good about whatever the output is." And that's more on the budgeting and forecasting side, on the Qs and the Ks' side, it's really being super conscious over what the open items and tasks are to get us to end a job.  Knowing that when we acquire businesses, that entails a level of incremental effort documentation. It makes it from a deal document to a piece of accounting support, and memo, to the 10-Q or 10-K. It's a journey that involves a lot of third parties that help us to get to the right answers, and the team had to own it. And, so, I had to get comfortable that the team could own it, with just my sort of at the top, read the document, feel comfortable, that it's not materially misstated because they've done their jobs. Adam:            Mh-hmm. How did your leadership style evolve throughout this process? Because I'm sure you had to adapt as a leader, with two different teams, and different peer groups. How did that evolve over this time? Alissa:            I think it fundamentally shifted from being a little bit more hands on because I couldn't be, to the trust but verify, have the conversations that give you confidence. So we all do these DiSC Surveys here at FLEETCOR, which I think are really useful in terms of how somebody's brain works, and where they pivot on a cycle.  And I would say I would absolutely tend to be highly analytic, a little less direct, probably, a quieter person in the room, unless I feel like I have value to add. Stepping into the CFO role, I had to get a little uncomfortable. I had to be willing to find my voice. I had to be willing to speak up. Because I do know the business, I do know the risks. I do know the people at the table, and I know their businesses, and their products.  And, so, trying to ensure that I'm adding value, supporting our CEO and his efforts to get to the final envelope for the budget. But then, ultimately, being able to translate everything that I'm doing from a financial leadership role and pivot that into an investor purview.  So where I'm sitting on stage, at an investor conference, being asked questions that are, quite frankly, at a very high-level about the organization. But then dive down into the details, and finding my voice and being able to answer those in a way that is clear, concise, and eloquent. Because they're trying to get comfortable with what we're doing as a business and a public company, and, ultimately, to build investor confidence in the stock.  And, so, that is a muscle that I did not have prior to the role. It is one I feel like I exercised quite a bit. I worked a lot with my investor relations team, and they are fabulous, I have to give them a lot of props. Because that prep work and the homework, to then be ready to go, step on stage not three months, probably three months into the role, it was fantastic and a great learning opportunity for me. Adam:            Yes, that sounds like a great learning opportunity, it really stretched you as a person. And, so, thinking about your career development and where you see yourself going. How did serving as this interim CFO, how did that change your trajectory, of where you saw yourself going in your future professional development? Alissa:            Yes, it's a great question. I would not have said that my end goal was CFO prior to taking the role. Not because I didn't think I could do it, but just because I think we, as humans, we get comfortable in roles, and comfortable even in the space in which we serve. "I am an accountant, it's comfortable. I know what I'm doing, it feels like home." But stepping into the CFO role, forcing me to get a little uncomfortable, a little out of my comfort zone. And finding that voice where I'm more of a leader in the room, as it relates to business as a whole; being thoughtful, strategic, partnering with our different operators to where we all achieve the ultimate, bigger, better outcome.  I think, then, it changes your mindset a little bit. And, so, I absolutely see a future role where, hopefully, it benefits me that I've served in the role, but perhaps as a CFO in the future. Of course, for now, though, I would say having served in the role, it's not like the respect goes away, those relationships exist. And as my new CFO came in, we had a very direct and honest conversation about what I hoped it looked like going forward. And very pleased, so far, that I'm still allowed to have the seat at the table, to be a voice in the room.  I know my place as the lead of accounting versus the lead of finance. But striking the right balance, and being a business partner for him, as well, as he learns the business, the people, the risks, what we're trying to accomplish. And, so, hopefully, I'm a much more effective chief accounting officer, for having served in that CFO role at this org. Adam:            Yes, it gives you a whole new insight. And, plus, you've walked in his shoes, so you can say, "Hey, this is what I was doing, but let's talk through a better way of doing that." And it gives you that newfound respect, right? Alissa:            Yes, it's interesting, as you walk along the journey, especially, given that was my first time in that CFO seat. You have perspective coming out the other side of it.  Adam:            Of course. Alissa:            That you absolutely don't have, as you're trying to just work through your days, your weeks, your months, your deadlines, your filings, your earnings' calls, whatever it is. And, so, watching him come in, as brand new to the org, and how he operates has been insightful, for me. But also, it has allowed me to reflect on the experience, which was almost 10 months in length. To really have my takeaways as, "Okay, this is what I did. Here's what I could have done better. Here's what I think I actually did a pretty good job on, and here's the things that I didn't touch at all. So I want to go figure out how I can continue to grow and learn in those capacities." Adam:            Yes, so I imagine there's somebody listening to this podcast, and thinking they either have the opportunity, or they're saying, "What if I get this opportunity?" What advice would you give somebody who has the opportunity to step into interim CFO or balance multiple finance responsibilities? What advice would you give them, walking into that? Alissa:            I would say, first, take a deep breath, it's going to be fine. If you're asked to step into the role or you volunteer to step in the role. If you have the gumption and believe you have enough of the skill set to perform in that role, you probably do.  And, then, from there, I think, it's assess your team where your gaps are, fill in for where the weaknesses exist. Whether that was you stepping out, so you don't have anybody to fill that role, or you have known other challenges in the group and fill those holes. So that you were able to focus on the bigger picture, the more strategic aspects of the role, as opposed to getting sucked back into the weeds. I think it's the weeds that can tend to bog you down and, potentially, drown you. And then once you've got that core team and you have confidence, lean on them, empower them, make it a growing opportunity for them as well. Because I think, collectively, we all get something more out of it if we all benefit from the temporary elevation in title/role responsibility. Provide the guidance, lead them well. You are in the seat to be the financial leader, not just to make sure the numbers are right.  And, so, that entails working with your business operators. But also working with the individuals who, maybe, used to be your peers, and helping them ensure that they're able to convey the messages, and the answers that the CEO is looking for. Or at least the outputs that the CEO is looking for, maybe, it's not always the answer that he wants. But provide the support for them when they need it, along the process, and creating trust in the org is ultimate.  I tend to have an open-door policy, sometimes, to my own detriment because the door just opens. I'll be honest, I debated whether I needed to shut the blinds and lock the door, just to ensure that we aren't interrupted, but it's a good thing, it's a good problem to have. And I think my personality just lends itself to that, in general. But being available for there're individuals who need you when they need you. Because they may walk down the hallway and they may not do it again.  And, so, being available and ready for that chat when it occurs or when it needs to occur. And, then, I think being a change agent when appropriate, knowing that the way we've done things isn't always the way we need to continue to do things. Being thoughtful about how we use technology, I've always said, especially, in large orgs, it's a little bit like eating an elephant, you're not going to do it all in one bite. It's one bite at a time.  And, so, while we may not build the Titanic, all in one year. What we can do is make incremental improvements to our technical debt, to our financial processes, to how we analyze our business. To the outputs that, ultimately, help investors better understand what we're doing, or leadership better understand what the performance of the company truly is. So that we do make improvements year over year, to where over a period of time, it is much more meaningful. Adam:            Yes, I think that's some wonderful advice. And I was wondering if you'd be willing to maybe share a success story while you were interim and maybe even a failure because you've been telling some great things. But I'm sure everything wasn't flower beds and roses the whole time you were the interim CFO. Alissa:            I think a success story is when I was appointed to the role, immediately looking for somebody to fill my spot. To fill the gap that I was going to leave. So that I could truly focus on supporting the business and my leadership team. I cannot speak to how important that decision was now after the fact, and how finding the right person. Not just somebody, but the right somebody or somebodies to come in and assist. Having a network in the payments and tech community, and the financial community, in the Atlanta market, enabled me to identify who those right individuals might be. And I interviewed a lot of people to try to identify the right resource, and that was a total home run. It enabled me to step out of the role and just know it was going to get done. But it also empowered my team to really own their pieces of the business, and their pieces of the finance puzzle, in a way that they had not had to prior because of my level of engagement and involvement. So I'm super proud of what we accomplished there.  So, perhaps, a learning opportunity that I got out of the experience, is just learning how to ensure that I'm always effectively communicating with all members of my leadership team. There were a couple of instances where I felt like I could have better communicated or more proactively communicated. And it was one of those things where I didn't figure it out until after the fact, which is on me. I did have the grace of being in the role on an interim basis. And, so, those individuals who really needed me to communicate that information more proactively, they absolutely rationalized where we were. But it's something I can grow from, absolutely. Adam:            I think it's amazing, and thank you for being vulnerable to share that learning opportunity. Because it's not easy to share those things because, sometimes, you just want to talk about all the successes, but it's difficult. And you mentioned a little bit when your new CFO came in and you had those conversations. Can we talk a little bit more about what that transition was like, as you transitioned back out of the role? Alissa:            Sure. So I would say our new CFO is a very experienced financial executive. And, so, he came in with his views as to what finance looks like, certainly, in other organizations. A benefit that I didn't necessarily have stepping into the role. And, so, he was cognizant of, perhaps, the situation that I might be feeling, certainly given the situation I was in. But just trying to be open and open-minded, quite frankly, about how we would hand off the responsibilities, the tasks. Even as simple as, "Well, if you came in right before earnings, who's going to speak on the earnings' call?" And, so, just striking the right balance, in those very first days. And, then, once we had those first days behind us, then, just being open to the learning experience. But also trying to share with him as many nuggets of knowledge as I could. But allow him to ask me questions as it was organic to his growth trajectory, and learning experience here at the company. And, so, I would say really trying to treat it as a business partnership.  Because, ultimately, I believe that this organization needs a leader like this individual that is brought in, with a lot of financial acumen, a lot of experience, which enables them to lead in a different way. We are a large global S&P 500 company. And, so, I'm really excited about what the future holds with him at the helm. Adam:            I think that's great, being able to partner, be that business partner. And a lot of examples you've been sharing today have been about being that business partners. And I wonder if you could, maybe, share a little bit about how you view the finance role and the leadership, as the business partner within an organization. Alissa:            So I think that finance becomes the connective tissue. Without finance, it's really difficult to understand what the results are, what the performance looks like, gathering KPIs. Gathering them in a way that's consistent, accurate, and complete across an org, to where you have comparative metrics. And, so, it's not just in terms of producing the results. But then having those next-level conversations with operators or being part of their executive meetings, to understand what's happening in the belly of the beast. We don't have a ton of businesses, but we have enough to where going that extra layer down helps you to just really rationalize the why behind what the numbers are trying to tell you. Because the numbers only can go so far.  And, so, understanding that sales is connected to credit underwriting, which is connected to bad debt. Which is, ultimately, connected to the financial performance of that business unit, is super helpful. But then understanding that the personalities at play, and perhaps how you compensate individuals may drive behaviors that either were intended or unintended.  And, so, it becomes this great web, if you will, of, connectedness. That if you insert yourself into the process at the right points, whether it's credit, sales, operational results, recruiting, whatever. It really does help frame up the why behind the business performance, and business results, and how we plan to move forward from those as well. Adam:            Yes, Alissa, your story has been wonderful to hear, and it's not every day you get to hear somebody's story of being in an interim position, especially, a CFO's position. And, so, I just want to thank you so much for being able to share your experience with our audience, today. And thank you so much for coming back on the podcast. Alissa:            Thank you, it was really good to see you again. < Outro > Announcer:    This has been Count Me In, IMA's podcast, providing you with the latest perspectives of thought leaders from the accounting and finance profession. If you like what you heard and you'd like to be counted in, for more relevant accounting and finance education, visit IMA's website at www.imanet.org.

Die Themen im heutigen Versicherungsfunk Update sind: Wefox bekommt neuen Finanzchef Wefox hat Jonathan Wismer mit Wirkung zum 1. Oktober 2023 zum neuen Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) ernannt. Zuletzt war er CFO für Resolution Life U.S. und davor stellvertretender CFO und Chief Accounting Officer für AIG. Bisher war Mitbegründer Fabian Wesemann als CFO tätig. Er soll nun die Rolle des Chief Investment Officer (CIO) übernehmen und Fusionen sowie Übernahmen leiten. DKV mit neuen Budgettarifen Seit Oktober bietet die DKV in der betrieblichen Krankenversicherung (bKV) einen Budgetbaustein mit vier verschiedenen Budgethöhen an. Sie erweitert damit ihr umfangreiches Produktportfolio in der bKV. Arbeitgeber sollen damit ihren Mitarbeitern ein jährliches Budget von bis zu 300, 600, 900 oder 1.200 Euro im Rahmen der versicherten Leistungen zur Verfügung stellen können. AssCompact AWARD - Private Vorsorge 2023 Die Studie „AssCompact AWARD - Private Vorsorge 2023“ zeigt erneut, dass die Allianz bei den unabhängigen Vermittlern hoch im Kurs steht. In der Kategorie "Fondsgebunden mit Garantien" gewinnt die Canada Life vor der Allianz und dem Volkswohl Bund. Im Bereich „Fondsgebunden ohne Garantien“ kommt es zu einer echten Rarität. Allianz und Alte Leipziger teilen sich den Spitzenplatz. Die LV 1871 klettert einen Platz nach oben und sichert sich den Bronze-Rang. Im Produktbereich der Indexpolicen überzeugen Allianz, Volkswohl Bund und die Stuttgarter. Hacker-Angriff auf degenia Der degenia Versicherungsdienst ist Opfer eines Hacker-Angriffs geworden. Als sofortige Reaktion auf diesen Vorfall wurde die IT-Infrastruktur vorübergehend vom Netz genommen. Während dieser Zeit ist das Unternehmen nicht über das Internet erreichbar. Gegenwärtig können noch keine genauen Informationen über den Umfang des Schadens gemacht werden. Aktuell laufe die Zusammenarbeit mit den zuständigen Ermittlungsbehörden auf Hochtouren. Gothaer will mit bAV-Kollektivprodukt punkten Die Gothaer will mit einem neuen Baustein die Möglichkeiten der betrieblichen Altersversorgung ausbauen. So sollen im `Versorgungsplan Business´ eine Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung sowie ein Hinterbliebenenschutz verbaut werden können. Das Kollektivprodukt lässt sich problemlos in bestehende bAV-Regelungen von Unternehmen integrieren und schränkt bereits genutzte Fördermöglichkeiten nicht ein. Durch eine einfache Erklärung des Arbeitgebers wird die Belegschaft in Betrieben ab zehn Mitarbeitenden versichert. Bei großen Betrieben kann diese sogar ganz entfallen. Europa & Continentale verbessern Schutz für Elektro- und Hybrid-Fahrzeuge Die Versicherer Europa und Continentale haben in ihrem neuen Pkw-Komfort-Tarif die Leistungsgrenzen für Folgeschäden nach Kurzschluss oder Tierbiss deutlich auf 20.000 Euro angehoben. Ganz neu im Leistungskatalog ist hier auch die Kostenübernahme für einen notwendigen Löschcontainer-Einsatz bis zu 3.000 Euro. Kosten für die Zustandsdiagnostik des Akkus werden bis 1.500 Euro übernommen.

Dave Schwan has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The Chicago Board Options Exchange has announced the promotion of Jill Griebenow to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.  She had been Senior VP and Chief Accounting Officer and will succeed Brian Schell, who’s leaving to pursue an opportunity […]

Discover how the Chief of Staff role, with its unique vantage point and diverse responsibilities, provides a behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of an organization. Gain fascinating insights into the intricate dynamics between leaders, teams, and stakeholders, and understand the pivotal role a Chief of Staff plays in driving organizational success. Through personal anecdotes and heartfelt stories, our guests share the transformative nature of this role, highlighting how it helped them shape their leadership philosophy, refine their decision-making abilities, and cultivate a deep sense of empathy and understanding. Whether you are an aspiring leader, a current Chief of Staff, or simply curious about the inner workings of leadership, this video offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Join us as we embark on this captivating journey of self-discovery and uncover the kind of leader we aspire to be. Don't miss out on this eye-opening exploration of the Chief of Staff role and the profound impact it can have on shaping our leadership journey.

Discover the secrets to unlocking employee engagement in this eye-opening episode of the Count Me In Podcast. Join us as we welcome Sarah Rubenstein, Chief Accounting Officer at Clearway Energy, as she shares valuable insights into employee engagement, strategies to transform disengaged employees, and the importance of creating inclusive communities within the workplace. Don't miss this chance to learn how to maximize productivity and employee satisfaction in your organization! Connect with Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-rubenstein-a724632/ Full Episode Transcript:Adam:            Welcome back to Count Me In. In today's episode, we're thrilled to have Sarah Rubenstein, Chief Accounting Officer at Clearway Energy. With us to discuss the crucial role that employee engagement plays in an organization's success.  Sarah brings her extensive experience in cultivating positive work environments to the table. Offering valuable advice on identifying disengaged employees, implementing effective strategies to boost engagement, and the benefits of fostering an inclusive, collaborative workspace. Stay tuned as we uncover the keys to unlocking a happy, productive, and thriving work environment. Adam:            Well, Sarah, thank you so much for coming on the Count Me In podcast, today. We're really excited to have you on, and today we're going to be talking about employee engagement and all that that encompasses. And maybe to start off, maybe, you can start by defining what is employee engagement to you. Sarah:            Sure, to me, employee engagement is how positive people feel about their work, and we measure that in a lot of different ways. But, really, I'm lucky, the company that I work at, we survey our employees every year, regarding employee engagement. And we ask some really good questions that were developed by very smart people at Harvard, and Yale, and Stanford, that tell us how engaged people are.  And, so, we're able to evaluate, and a lot of the questions relate to things like management, leadership, integrity, work-life balance, workload, allocation, autonomy, and things like that. And all of those factors really tell us how engaged our employees are. Adam:            That's interesting, and when you mention engaged, a lot of times when you see discussions about employee engagement. You see engaged employees versus disengaged employees. And, so, maybe we can start by talking about that a little bit. Because you have your engaged employees, and you can usually tell who those are. But the disengaged maybe a little harder to see, or maybe not so hard, depending on what they're not doing, I should say. Sarah:            Yes, sure, and the first indication we have, that some employees are not engaged, is that they don't answer the surveys. So we don't get 100% participation. So that tells us that some people feel like maybe their voice won't be heard, even if they answer. And those people, usually, just have a negative outlook, maybe, on what type of work they're doing or their future within the company.  And, so, a lot of times, you lose the engagement when people feel like there's no career development path for them, or the work that they're doing isn't valuable, or they're not being told that the work that they're doing is valuable. Adam:            And that can be very difficult for an employee, especially, when you don't feel like you can't move up in an organization. How do you take somebody who is disengaged and try to get them to be engaged? Sarah:            That's a great question, and, especially, when you don't have a development path for a person, it is really challenging. And, so, what we try to do is we try to provide a lot of personal and professional development opportunities. And we talk to our employees about how those types of opportunities can help them develop themselves. Whether for this particular company and role or just in general for their career. So we try to offer them opportunities to learn and also to, maybe, work in an area that isn't related to their job.  So we try to look for things we call stretch assignments. Where there might be an opportunity in another group, where someone needs help with a special project, and that might give that individual the opportunity to learn new skills that they can put on their resume, even if it doesn't give them direct path to promotion. So we try to demonstrate what we can offer the employee, even if it isn't upward mobility, and that maybe we can't keep them forever, but we can keep them a little bit longer, and that helps us overall. Adam:            Yes, because it shows that you care and that you're engaging with them, even though they seem to be disengaged. And, so, it encourages them, even if there is no upper mobility at that moment. Sarah:            Right, because everyone is looking for some type of personal development, even if they don't see a future for themselves at that company. So we try to offer something for everyone. If you don't see yourself as a leader at this company, that's okay, we'll work with you on how you can make yourself a better employee and a better person. So that, at least, we can keep you around, and have you feel happy to be working at the company for the time being. Adam:            Mh-hmm, that makes a lot of sense. So maybe we can focus a little bit on what are some benefits, to organizations, to creating an engaging environment? Sarah:            I haven't read all of the studies, but there are numerous studies that show that engaged employees are better employees, they're more productive. Of course, we know that hiring new employees, and training them, and getting them up to speed is very expensive and time-consuming. And, so, it benefits us to take the time to develop programs to promote employee engagement. Because, overall, we end up with better productivity and just a better workforce. Adam:            I mean, that makes a lot of sense to want to have a better workforce, especially, when they're engaged. And, so, maybe, we can talk a little bit about what do you need to look for, especially, when your team is not engaged. Are there certain signs that you can look for? Obviously, you mentioned you can tell people are not engaged when they're not taking a survey. But then what are other signs that you can look for, within your team, if you can talk a little bit about that? Sarah:            Yes, no problem, I think, there are  a couple of different signs that I look for. Generally, I look for people who aren't participating in the conversations, who don't speak up in meetings. People who have been doing the same work for an extended period of time. And, of course, you look for the signs of people who are not responsive. They're taking a long time to reply to emails or teams' messages.  Those are all signs we look for, for people who aren't engaged. And then we really try to find ways to bring them into the conversation. To make them feel like we're committed to their success, and that we're interested in having them as part of the conversation. Adam:            Do you think that having engaged people with the not so engaged people, connecting them together, that can help drive or improve a team? Sarah:            I definitely do. Maybe one other thing I'll say about employees who aren't engaged is they tend to leave. So, really, our primary focus on employee engagement started when, and I won't say it started, we've always had a focus on it. But we renewed that focus when the great resignation occurred. We were hearing about that.  It didn't really happen at my company. But we were very concerned that once everyone was out of sight, out of mind, working remote from home, people might start to feel disengaged when they're working on their own. Without interacting with others. They might start to look at other jobs online while they're at home and things like that.  So we really wanted to focus on making sure that didn't happen. So we started some programs that were designed, specifically, to promote employee engagement. And one of those was a mentoring program within the accounting department.  So we matched up individuals who were at lower levels with our managers and directors, so that the managers and directors could give the staff-level folks an idea of how they could get to that level. And also they could just give them the ability to communicate with someone they didn't work with all the time. So that they would feel more engaged in the overall department, and not just able to speak with their direct supervisor and their specific team. Adam:            That's great. Mentorship is a huge way of connecting different departments, different people, within an organization. And it also helps people feel like they're part of a community. Because a lot of times corporate structures feel like a prison, in a lot of ways, with the fluorescent lights and everything. And it sounds like you guys are building a sense of community. Has that been what you're looking to do? Sarah:            Yes, definitely, I would say there were two very large parts of our program were communication. So making sure that we had adequate amounts of communication across the department, and within the specific teams, and then collaboration, in general.  So having a team's channel for our whole department, where people could even just share a photo of their pet or something funny that they wanted to share. So that people do feel like they're part of a broader community and not just a small, little, group. And, then, I'll say that I'm very fortunate, I work for a company that is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  And, so, two years ago we started inclusion groups, and those have been a really big help in employee engagement and in helping people feel like they're part of a community. So I will say for companies that don't have inclusion groups, yet, I think, it really is a big benefit to employees. Adam:            Can you, maybe, talk a little bit more about the inclusion groups? What does that look like? Sarah:            Sure, so, typically, they're focused around a specific group. So we have a women's inclusion group. A veterans' inclusion group. We have a Latinx inclusion group, things like that. But it's to give employees, across the company, the ability to connect with people that they relate to and then also the ability to share with the whole organization, the things that are important to that inclusion group.  And, so, it's really been great, both, for bringing employees together with people that they relate to. And, then, also, making them able to share that with the whole company and educate them on the issues that are important to them. So it has been really great in bringing our whole community together. Adam:            That's awesome, that's a great way of connecting people and also helping to educate the greater community, as well. Because a lot of times, if you only are focused on what you know, you never get to experience or understand what other people's experiences are, which helps you understand the human condition better. Sarah:            Right. And the other thing that's nice about the inclusion groups is that they have executive sponsorship. So the issues that are important to the inclusion groups are brought to the attention of the executive leadership. So they're then aware of what's important to their employees and it gives them a forum to do that. But without the inclusion groups, the executives might hear about it but it wouldn't, necessarily, be in a positive way and it doesn't give them as much exposure to it. Adam:            Mh-hmm, and it also gives people a voice who may not have had a voice before. Sarah:            Yes, and that also because it's open to anyone. It's nice that some of the people who are at lower levels, in the organization, can still become very active in these inclusion groups. And have access to people at different levels that they might not have access to if they didn't join that inclusion group. Adam:            Mh-hmm, that's awesome. So we're thinking about engagement, I want to talk a little bit about what are some drivers that bring employees to become engaged or to engagement, within an organization. And maybe you can talk about some drivers that have helped your organization, as you've seen it, especially, over the last two years? Sarah:            Yes, the main one that I see is employee development because it demonstrates that you care about your employees and their own career. And, so, that you're not just worried about the company or yourself. You care about that person and how they can grow themselves. So we've focused a lot on personal development. Fortunately, we have some really good training tools, online training tools. So we have a lot of programs that our employees have access to, and what we've tried to do is go through and identify some that would be useful to people. So they don't have to go combing through a thousand training programs. So leadership training and teaching them how to manage people and how to improve their interpersonal communications. And then technical training to help them develop their technical skills, so that they can perform their job better or be able to potentially move into a different role.  We have a really good opportunity for our employees to receive coaching, which a lot of our managers have taken advantage of. Which is really great because it gives them a chance to work with a trained coach, to improve the skills that need improvement.  So that they can work to become future leaders of the company. And, then, I mentioned before the stretch assignments. But all of those things have been really helpful, showing our commitment to the development of our employees. And, then, the other area, I'd say, especially, during the last couple of years people have really looked for is just empathy and understanding. We're very aware that everyone has things that they need to do outside of work. We're very respectful of people's time with their families.  We're flexible in work arrangements and we try to be aware of what's happening in people's lives. So that we can make sure that we're not putting too much work on them. If they have something they're dealing with outside of work that they need to focus on. And I will say we've gotten really positive feedback, when we do take the time to show that we care about our employees, as individuals, it makes them feel very positive towards the company. So things like that really pay off.  And, then, the third area would be recognition. So I think that recognizing the positive contributions of your employees, has a huge benefit. And some studies show even more than compensation, I don't know if that's true or not. But it really does help to ensure that people know how much you appreciate them.  And, so one thing we've started to do is we have a quarterly meeting for our entire department. And every quarter I ask people to nominate people that they work with, that they think have done something that was, particularly, special or helpful. And, so, then we acknowledge that in front of the whole group, and that really goes a long way towards making people feel really appreciated and that the work that they do doesn't go unnoticed. Adam:            That's amazing to hear, and in the conversations that I've been having, even just in this podcast. It seems like the common theme is that we've all understood our human condition outside of the corporate structure. And recognize that it's okay to have a kid run into the room when you're in the middle of a meeting, or a dog barking, because that's just life. And you can still have your meeting and still be professional in the midst of all those things, and it kind of brought us all together at the same level. Sarah:            Yes, I agree. And it is true, you do observe those things happen to executive vice presidents, down to staff-level people. Especially when we were all home, we're all dealing with the same type of things going on, and it does help everyone feel like we can relate to one another. Adam:            Yes. And, so, as we look forward into the future, a lot of people have moved to a hybrid situation, or all in the office, or partially in the office, every organization is different. How do you think we can continue engaging employees in the midst of rising costs? In the midst of shareholders saying, "Hey, okay, you had your little break from the COVID now you need to get back going there." And a lot of organizations are finding it difficult to find that balance. Because workloads are starting to increase, as people are increasing what they want out of their employees. How do you balance that? Sarah:            That's a great question and it is really difficult. I'll tell you my experience because we have our own struggle with bringing people back to the office. And we're recommitting to a hybrid work schedule because we had attempted one, and people still really wanted to work, primarily, from home. And it's hard because people do want the flexibility of working from home. And we know that they're very productive at home.  I think that we've tried to emphasize, to our employees, that "We know you're productive from home. We're not worried about productivity. But we want people to have that human connection. Because it is an important part of engagement to talk to people in-person, and just have a conversation that's not related, primarily, to work.  And, so, we're going to renew our enthusiasm for encouraging people to come to the office two days a week, and we are emphasizing that we're going to be very flexible with the time that people arrive and the time they have to leave.  We understand they have commitments outside of work. And, then, it still gives them a few days a week to work from home, and have those really productive stretches of uninterrupted work. Where they're not having to drive to the office or someone is not stopping in to say hello. And, hopefully, this gives everybody the best of both worlds.  Where they can have those two days with the in-person interaction, maybe some visibility to higher level executives that they can't get from home. But then still have that uninterrupted time at home, the productive time, and that flexibility to not have to commute.  And then the other thing that we're trying to do, we did this year, was we did have a, and, although, it's expensive, but we got our whole team together in one location, for a couple of days to just do some training, and some brainstorming, and some planning for the future. And it was such a great experience and everyone really loved being together in-person, and being able to brainstorm together. And then everyone left feeling renewed about the future and excited. And, so, I think, that goes a long way towards keeping everybody engaged, is having that opportunity to all come together. Adam:            Yes, there's something about the human connection and seeing somebody, as opposed to as you and I are, we're looking at each other through little webcams. But sitting across the table from somebody, there's a huge difference in that connection point. And I think we do need that, as humans, we need that human touch. And, especially, getting out of the house every once in a while is good for everybody. Sarah:            Yes, I think so, I enjoy the two days a week in the office, and then I enjoy the rest of the week working from home. So I'm hopeful that the hybrid approach works. Adam:            I am too. I think this is the new normal, is hybrid, because everybody recognized, "Hey, we can be successful working from home and be just as productive, if not more productive." And then finding that balance will be the way forward. Because if you can't adjust your organization to be a hybrid, then, you might find more resignation. Because people are like, "I'll go to someplace where they will let me do that." Sarah:            Yes, and that's a fear that a lot of companies have and, especially, in accounting because there are a lot of jobs. If people want to work fully remote, then, they will. So we're trying to emphasize what are the benefits you get from being around people. We understand there's benefits to being home, and that's very appealing. So we're trying to show the appeal of the two days in-person, and the opportunity to interact with people and benefit from those in-person connections and interactions. Announcer:    This has been Count Me In, IMA's podcast. Providing you with the latest perspectives of thought leaders from the accounting finance profession. If you like what you heard, and you'd like to be counted in, for more relevant accounting and finance education, visit IMA's website at www.imanet.org.

In this ground-breaking episode, Michelle Reynolds, Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President at Reddit shares her story as a young successful high achieving woman in the Tech industry. Michelle is also the leader behind the team who led Snapchat to its IPO.Leadership does not have to be punitive and overly directive to get your teams to outstanding results. We covered different topics from leading with empathy to inner work as an alpha woman to enneagram and driving teams with different styles. This is an episode to bookmark for the future. Although we talk a lot about entrepreneurship on this podcast, success can also be accomplished within a company, just like Michelle continues to do.Want to connect with her ? Find her on Linkedin !https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-reynolds-a545777/ Thank you for listening!DM me on Insta & let me know what you would like to hear next : www.Instagram.com/xoclaudiakingFor all your marketing needs, check out our marketing agency : www.alchemimedia.com

On today's episode, Ben Murray, Founder of The SaaS CFO, is joined by Nick Gerostathos, SVP, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller at Talkdesk, to discuss Nick's career transitions and the lessons learned.For those seeking to move from one role or industry to another, Nick offers several important principles to keep in mind:- A CPA controller background is advantageous on the path to CFO.- Private business offers experience in building systems from scratch and public accounting offers experience in refining existing data.- Moving to a new industry is a great opportunity to learn new skills.- Organizational culture should be a primary consideration when transitioning roles.For Nick, a healthy amount of change can promote strong professional development.Talkdesk - https://www.talkdesk.com/The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=TheSaaSCFO&utm_campaign=ProfileLinkThis episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices. Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals. Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.#businessfinance #financeinnovation

About Anna Ocansey-Jimenez: Anna Ocansey-Jimenez is a C-level accounting and finance professional and entrepreneur with nearly 30 years' experience transforming the operations of both non-profit organizations and large global brands.   An expert in streamlining operations and creating transparency in reporting, Anna has led organizations through transition and growth in multiple executive roles. Most recently, she served as Chief Accounting Officer at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, where she helped the institution navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, she served as VP of Finance for the Tenement Museum, also in New York. Previous employers included IBM, Fox News, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.    In 2018, along with friend and business partner Oneida Franco, Anna co-founded The Whole Kitchen, Inc. (TWK) — a company that creates meaningful experiences around a shared appreciation for food, sustainability, culture, and introspection. On October 1, 2021, National Coffee Day, the pair launched Casa Dos Chicas Café (CDCC), a brand of TWK. CDCC offers organic, single-origin, specialty coffees sourced mainly from Latin America. The company's goal and mission are to celebrate Latin American heritage whilepromoting equitable, sustainable practices along the entire coffee supply chain.   Anna and her twin brother were born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Mexican parents. Shortly afterward, the family relocated to Ligonier, Indiana, where Anna spent her childhood. The first in her family to attend and graduate from a university, Anna completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Oral Roberts University School of Business in 1997. She later enrolled in the Becker CPA study course and passed all four parts of the New York State Certified Public Accounting exam.   Anna is married to Christopher Ocansey, a Ghanaian American, and they have three children together: Joshua, Cristiana, and Olivia.  About Oneida Franco: A multi-faceted entrepreneur and finance expert, Oneida Franco blends 25+ years of finance and accounting experience and education with a deep understanding of the needs of small-to-midsize business owners. After two decades in the corporate and non-profit worlds, Oneida's entrepreneurship journey began in 2017 when she found herself helping a growing number of friends and acquaintances with their finance questions. Recognizing a lack of practical guidance and tools, Oneida launched Franco  Blueprint (FB)  — an accounting and business management firm with the mission to up-level the businesses of artists, content creators and entrepreneurs. Often, individuals with brilliant ideas are looking to start their business and diversify themselves relying on different tools to get their business up and running as well as trying to understand the finance and operational side. That's where Oneida saw Franco Blueprint as the solution - a one-stop service and support system for business owners tuned into the frequency of creation and abundance. Shortly afterward, Oneida's partner Rick Diaz came on board as CFO, bringing an additional 25+ years of experience and expanding FB's roster to include financial real estate development and construction accounting. In 2018, Oneida and business partner Anna Ocansey co-founded The Whole Kitchen, Inc. (TWK) — a business that creates meaningful experiences around a shared appreciation for food, sustainability, culture, and introspection. The pair launched Casa Dos Chicas Café (CDCC), a brand of TWK, in October 2021. CDCC offers organic, single-origin, specialty coffees sourced mainly from Latin America. The company's goal and mission are to celebrate Latin American heritage while promoting equitable, sustainable practices along the entire coffee supply chain. Born and raised in New York with Dominican roots, Oneida puts family at the center of things and stays closely connected to her heritage. Along with her family, she founded Fundación Generaciones Sanas (FUNGESA), a non-profit organization committed to providing youth with ongoing educational opportunities and sustainability programs. Recent FUNGESA projects include the reopening of the library at Antonio L. Batista School in Oneida's family hometown of Sabana del Puerto, Bonao. Oneida is the second oldest of five siblings and mother to 19-year-old Nina, who is almost off to college. About Love Ministries: Love Ministries About Host, Karla Nivens: After graduating from Texas Tech University, Karla earned her teaching certificate and began her career as an elementary music teacher in the Dallas Independent School District. She also sang for Grammy award-winning Gospel recording artists Kirk Franklin, CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Crystal Lewis, Willie Neal Johnson, John P. Kee, Alvin Slaughter, Tamela Mann, and Michael Buble'. She's traveled the world and ministered to diverse audiences in music. During her travels, she had the opportunity to sing on the Jay Leno Show, Soul Train, the Stellar Awards, and the Billy Graham Crusade with Kirk Franklin. She took a hiatus while staying at home with her children for several years and re-entered the workforce as a worship leader at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Karla has worshipped with Highland Park for the past 17 years. Currently, Karla is building the Racial Justice ministry for Highland Park UMC. Karla has also served as an adjunct instructor for Visible Music College and in 2014 released a CD entitled “True Worship.” Five years ago a good friend suggested she turn her heart toward fulfilling the Great Commission. Karla began traveling on yearly mission trips to Costa Rica and Africa. On those trips the Lord began to awaken the motto He gave her in college – “Influencing Culture for the Good of the Kingdom.” As an answer to this awakening, Karla and Dr. Roosevelt founded Karla Nivens Entertainment. Under this umbrella, Karla partnered with Love Ministries, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, started a small group for women, and a radio show both titled “Every Heart Every Woman.” Karla encourages her audience to quiet the noise and restore balance in their daily lives through inspirational entertainment. The show airs Sundays as a podcast on iTunes and Podbean weekly. The show also airs in video on YouTube. In 2019, Karla released her book, True Leaders with Heart, packed with weekly meditations for leaders.    About Co-Host LaToryla Jones: The dream began many years ago when God spoke to Spencer about providing a creative atmosphere where people can relax and enjoy finding Jesus. Then God added other pieces to the dream, and to Spencer's life, when he met his lovely wife La Toryla. That's when the vision began to explode. Spencer and LaToryla Jones, founder & Creator of Flames of Passion Women's Event, love God and love people. This dynamic team seeks God to effectively engage culture by providing power-packed, life-changing experiences in entertainment productions, life resources, speaking events, and trainings. Over the years Spencer and La Toryla have spent countless hours serving in Church Leadership in various formal capacities, and volunteering whenever and wherever possible. They believe God has prepared them in this moment to step out and fulfill their God-given dream called "Jireh's Joint"

About Anna Ocansey-Jimenez: Anna Ocansey-Jimenez is a C-level accounting and finance professional and entrepreneur with nearly 30 years' experience transforming the operations of both non-profit organizations and large global brands.   An expert in streamlining operations and creating transparency in reporting, Anna has led organizations through transition and growth in multiple executive roles. Most recently, she served as Chief Accounting Officer at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, where she helped the institution navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, she served as VP of Finance for the Tenement Museum, also in New York. Previous employers included IBM, Fox News, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.    In 2018, along with friend and business partner Oneida Franco, Anna co-founded The Whole Kitchen, Inc. (TWK) — a company that creates meaningful experiences around a shared appreciation for food, sustainability, culture, and introspection. On October 1, 2021, National Coffee Day, the pair launched Casa Dos Chicas Café (CDCC), a brand of TWK. CDCC offers organic, single-origin, specialty coffees sourced mainly from Latin America. The company's goal and mission are to celebrate Latin American heritage whilepromoting equitable, sustainable practices along the entire coffee supply chain.   Anna and her twin brother were born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Mexican parents. Shortly afterward, the family relocated to Ligonier, Indiana, where Anna spent her childhood. The first in her family to attend and graduate from a university, Anna completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Oral Roberts University School of Business in 1997. She later enrolled in the Becker CPA study course and passed all four parts of the New York State Certified Public Accounting exam.   Anna is married to Christopher Ocansey, a Ghanaian American, and they have three children together: Joshua, Cristiana, and Olivia.  About Oneida Franco: A multi-faceted entrepreneur and finance expert, Oneida Franco blends 25+ years of finance and accounting experience and education with a deep understanding of the needs of small-to-midsize business owners. After two decades in the corporate and non-profit worlds, Oneida's entrepreneurship journey began in 2017 when she found herself helping a growing number of friends and acquaintances with their finance questions. Recognizing a lack of practical guidance and tools, Oneida launched Franco  Blueprint (FB)  — an accounting and business management firm with the mission to up-level the businesses of artists, content creators and entrepreneurs. Often, individuals with brilliant ideas are looking to start their business and diversify themselves relying on different tools to get their business up and running as well as trying to understand the finance and operational side. That's where Oneida saw Franco Blueprint as the solution - a one-stop service and support system for business owners tuned into the frequency of creation and abundance. Shortly afterward, Oneida's partner Rick Diaz came on board as CFO, bringing an additional 25+ years of experience and expanding FB's roster to include financial real estate development and construction accounting. In 2018, Oneida and business partner Anna Ocansey co-founded The Whole Kitchen, Inc. (TWK) — a business that creates meaningful experiences around a shared appreciation for food, sustainability, culture, and introspection. The pair launched Casa Dos Chicas Café (CDCC), a brand of TWK, in October 2021. CDCC offers organic, single-origin, specialty coffees sourced mainly from Latin America. The company's goal and mission are to celebrate Latin American heritage while promoting equitable, sustainable practices along the entire coffee supply chain. Born and raised in New York with Dominican roots, Oneida puts family at the center of things and stays closely connected to her heritage. Along with her family, she founded Fundación Generaciones Sanas (FUNGESA), a non-profit organization committed to providing youth with ongoing educational opportunities and sustainability programs. Recent FUNGESA projects include the reopening of the library at Antonio L. Batista School in Oneida's family hometown of Sabana del Puerto, Bonao. Oneida is the second oldest of five siblings and mother to 19-year-old Nina, who is almost off to college. About Love Ministries: Love Ministries About Host, Karla Nivens: After graduating from Texas Tech University, Karla earned her teaching certificate and began her career as an elementary music teacher in the Dallas Independent School District. She also sang for Grammy award-winning Gospel recording artists Kirk Franklin, CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Crystal Lewis, Willie Neal Johnson, John P. Kee, Alvin Slaughter, Tamela Mann, and Michael Buble'. She's traveled the world and ministered to diverse audiences in music. During her travels, she had the opportunity to sing on the Jay Leno Show, Soul Train, the Stellar Awards, and the Billy Graham Crusade with Kirk Franklin. She took a hiatus while staying at home with her children for several years and re-entered the workforce as a worship leader at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Karla has worshipped with Highland Park for the past 17 years. Currently, Karla is building the Racial Justice ministry for Highland Park UMC. Karla has also served as an adjunct instructor for Visible Music College and in 2014 released a CD entitled “True Worship.” Five years ago a good friend suggested she turn her heart toward fulfilling the Great Commission. Karla began traveling on yearly mission trips to Costa Rica and Africa. On those trips the Lord began to awaken the motto He gave her in college – “Influencing Culture for the Good of the Kingdom.” As an answer to this awakening, Karla and Dr. Roosevelt founded Karla Nivens Entertainment. Under this umbrella, Karla partnered with Love Ministries, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, started a small group for women, and a radio show both titled “Every Heart Every Woman.” Karla encourages her audience to quiet the noise and restore balance in their daily lives through inspirational entertainment. The show airs Sundays as a podcast on iTunes and Podbean weekly. The show also airs in video on YouTube. In 2019, Karla released her book, True Leaders with Heart, packed with weekly meditations for leaders.    About Co-Host LaToryla Jones: The dream began many years ago when God spoke to Spencer about providing a creative atmosphere where people can relax and enjoy finding Jesus. Then God added other pieces to the dream, and to Spencer's life, when he met his lovely wife La Toryla. That's when the vision began to explode. Spencer and LaToryla Jones, founder & Creator of Flames of Passion Women's Event, love God and love people. This dynamic team seeks God to effectively engage culture by providing power-packed, life-changing experiences in entertainment productions, life resources, speaking events, and trainings. Over the years Spencer and La Toryla have spent countless hours serving in Church Leadership in various formal capacities, and volunteering whenever and wherever possible. They believe God has prepared them in this moment to step out and fulfill their God-given dream called "Jireh's Joint"

While “leadership” may have a specific interpretation on paper, in actuality, there are as many iterations of the word as there are people in those roles. Staci Tyler, Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at EastGroup Properties in Jackson, Miss., talks with Inside Source about her own definition of leadership, leveraging women's unique skills in the workplace, and embracing the twists and turns in a career path.

There are few industries as complex and fluid as the media and entertainment industry. The digital age has enabled these businesses to explore new creative possibilities in the content that they offer and the distribution channels that they leverage. In this episode, we talk to Lori Locke, Executive VP, and Chief Accounting Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery. Lori talks about the state of receivables in the media and entertainment industry and how the role of finance leaders in the media and entertainment industry has changed post-pandemic.

On this episode of the Leaders of Modern Finance podcast, host Ben Murray, Founder of The SaaS CFO, is joined by Chad Wonderling, SVP and Chief Accounting Officer at Salesloft. The lifeblood of any organization is its people. No business can achieve stability, let alone growth, without a strong team willing to grow themselves. This is something Chad has grown passionate about over the course of his career, and he dedicates much of his time to recruiting and training future leaders within Salesloft. Chad is not only a talented financial manager but a skilled recruiter as well, and he's developed a robust philosophy for hiring, retaining, and developing talent within his organization. Chad is constantly on the search for what he calls a “T-shaped leader” who can both dig deep into a specific area of expertise and has the curiosity and trainability to learn a host of diverse skills. For Chad, a successful recruiting strategy starts internally, since the people with the most organizational knowledge are those most likely to promote organizational success. This emphasis on future leaders is part of Chad's holistic FP&A strategy that looks at his company's entire catalog of assets, including the financial leaders who will one day steer the organization in his place. Chad Wonderling - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-wonderling-41217b28/ Salesloft - https://salesloft.com/ Salesloft - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesloft/ Ben Murray - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/ The SaaS CFO - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesaascfo/ This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices. Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals. Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

It is common for accounting and finance teams to work together. However, for a business to grow, it is important for executives to create a culture encouraging partnership between all the departments. Although accountants are not perceived as the most creative people in an organization, their expertise and unique perspective can help other teams, including marketing, to build sustainable business models. In this episode of The Role Forward, our host Joe Michalowski chats with Amy Garefis, the Chief Accounting Officer at ZipRecruiter. The two discuss the role of an accountant in a startup, how Amy has scaled accounting at ZipRecruiter from Series A to a public listing, the ways to create a high-quality tech stack, and the value of internal partnerships. Guest-at-a-Glance

In this episode, Sashi Narahari is joined by Manny Korakis, SVP, Chief Accounting Officer, Corporate Controller and Treasurer at IQVIA. They discuss the importance of programming in BPO's future, the possibility to move to working fully remotely, and the importance of developing AI in RPA growth.

The SEC has published its widely anticipated proposal to enhance companies' climate-related disclosures. In addition to details regarding how management identifies, assesses, and manages climate-related risks and the related impact on financial metrics, the proposal calls for companies to provide information about how their boards provide oversight of climate-related matters.This week, Heather Horn was joined by Joe Allanson, EVP, ESG Finance for Salesforce to discuss a preparer's perspective on the SEC's proposal.In this episode, you will hear:1:21 - How changes in the overall prominence of ESG reporting is reflected in the C-suite8:53 - One company's journey to the current state of climate-related reporting16:24 - Benefits and challenges of the SEC's climate disclosure proposal from a reporting perspective26:20 - Perspectives on the process of developing effective ESG reporting, along with a discussion about the supporting data quality36:41 - The importance of global climate reporting requirements and alignment40:17 - Final advice on ESG reportingWant to learn more about the SEC's proposal? Listen to our previous podcasts that provide a closer look at governance, related investor perspectives, legal and regulatory perspectives, and a focus on implementation considerations. Also refer to the text or audio version of our In the loop, The SEC wants me to disclose what?Joe Allanson is an EVP, Finance ESG at Salesforce. Joe has over 18 years of experience serving in various finance and accounting management positions at Salesforce, including 14 years as Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller. Joe also sits on the advisory board to several universities. Heather Horn is PwC's National Office thought leader, responsible for developing our communications strategy and conveying firm positions on accounting and financial reporting matters. She is the engaging host of PwC's accounting and reporting weekly podcast and quarterly webcast series. With over 30 years of experience, Heather's accounting and auditing expertise includes financial instruments and rate-regulated accounting.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.com. 

Interview with Jane Morreau- Brown-Forman Corp's First Female Controller & Chief Accounting Officer.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode as Julie Giannotta, Bill Miller and Nicole Laurence join the podcast to talk about their new positions on Graniterock's executive team.Julie, a team member since 1999, serves as Chief Accounting Officer.Bill joined the Company's HR Department in 2015 and was recently named Chief Human Resources Officer.Nicole, the Chief Information Officer, started her Graniterock career in 2017.This conversation was a great rundown on their individual backgrounds as well as what's happening in their respective departments - accounting, IT and human resources.Best of all, Julie, Bill and Nicole answer the question "What's your favorite core value at Graniterock?"We promise to get the other new EC members on the podcast soon.Peter Lemon and Paul Cianciarulo, that's you! 

We're back with Part 3 of a series that will highlight the voices and experiences of women across the oil and gas industry. Sarah Magruder, President of Safire Oil and Gas Consulting is back as a guest co-host. Sarah, Tom and Phil welcome our next guest, Ashly Wolicki. Ashly is Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for Jonah Energy. She shares with us what's different about Jonah Energy, her thoughts on the importance of recognition in the workplace by leadership, the best advice she has ever received.Highlights:3:12 Ashly's childhood aspirations6:54 Ashly's career track9:01 The value of learning over compensation17:38 The importance of empathy when it comes to leading a team19:27 Why producers are seeking responsibly sourced and produced dry gas21:10 Recognition by leaders in the workplace23:38 Being a role model30:35 Recognizing the power of patience in the industryAbout Ashly Wolicki:Ashly Wolicki currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for Jonah Energy, headquartered in Denver, CO.  Prior to joining Jonah in 2017, Ashly served in various accounting leadership positions in oil and gas as well as in financial services.  Ashly received her B.S. in Finance from Metropolitan State University and later received her MBA from Regis University.  Professionally, her goals are focused on leading teams rooted in integrity, in a manner that leads to employees feeling empowered and valued.  She believes this is a recipe for high-performance, both for the employee and for the organization. When Ashly is not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors, preferably in warm weather, with her husband, two kids, and two dogs! About SherWare, Inc.If you're enjoying this episode, please subscribe to our podcast and share with a friend! We also love ratings and reviews on Apple podcasts.SherWare creates software to simplify your accounting needs so you have more time to do the things that matter. We serve independent oil and gas operators, accountants and investors with a platform to manage their distributions and joint-interest billings on a platform -- and we're the only software on the market that can integrate with your QuickBooks company.Click here to watch a demo of the software in action right now.About COPAS:COPAS provides expertise for the oil and gas industry through the development of Model Form Accounting Procedures, publications, and education. We are a forum for the active exchange of ideas which result in innovative business and accounting solutions.Find a society near you.www.copas.org

A new era of work has forced companies to embrace the challenges and opportunities in more decentralized operations—uprooting long-standing beliefs in the process. Yet charting a path forward can leave too many unknowns without a cohesive framework to manage all types of spend. Join Katherine Edenbach, Chief Accounting Officer at Emburse, and VP of Product Marketing Barbara Doane as they introduce Emburse's Spend Optimization Model and explain how organizations can leverage it to help foster best-in-class finance operations.

Contact Sarah Hoxie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-hoxie-38b54133/FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTMitch: (00:05)Welcome back to Count Me In, IMA's podcast about all things affecting the accounting and finance world. This is your host Mitch Roshong, and I'm here to preview episode 144 of our series. Today's featured guest speaker is Sarah Hoxie. Sarah is the Chief Accounting Officer at LSC Communications. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of accounting and has overseen various projects impacting the organization. Throughout this episode, Sarah talks about her experience with business transformation projects and focuses on the people involved. Transformations can greatly affect culture, and Sarah explains how to best manage that. So keep listening as we head over to the conversation now. Adam: (00:54)Sarah, thanks so much for coming on the podcast today. And our focus today is going to be around business transformation. And so just to kind of start off, what is your take on business transformation?  Sarah: (01:05)So in my opinion, you know, business transformation, isn't a straight line journey. It's not a matter of starting at, you know, "A" and working your way to "Z", and then, and then you're done. It's really about, you know, looking at the opportunities that are out there in the environment, and adapting to those, whether it's, you know, social, economic, environmental, they're all things that need to be considered. And as you're on that journey, incorporating them as, as they change. You know, in my experience, it's a lot of business transformation is about making the business or making your area of the company continue to remain, you know, relevant and I think the scope can be, you know, as narrow or as broad as, as needed, you know, I think you see a lot of companies that do business transformation well, look at all levels of a business and they never stopped looking for the changes that are out there. Adam: (02:08)So when we look at business transformation, what approach do you take when you're leading a transformation? Sarah: (02:15)I think the first thing that I really focus on is his tone at the top. I think to get everyone in a part of the business or even the whole company engaged in business transformation, they need to view it as a priority from the leaders of the, of the business. And I think it should, you know, my approach has been to involve all levels of the organization, right from, you know, people that have just joined the company or your interns, you know, right through people that are, you know, more senior in individuals, and getting their input. I think they have got to be helping drive some of the, the change, help identify, what the issues are, what the problems are, and then work together to find solutions for them. I think when you get all levels of the business, working behind this kind of transformation, it really does drive better solutions. You've got people that are doing some of the things on a day-to-day basis that can see how they can resolve the issues are they know what the issue is, and maybe don't know how to resolve it, but if you get everyone involved, then all those ideas are coming together and everyone's working towards them. I think another key piece of it is really accountability. Once you have that tone at the top set, and, you know, people are right behind that, then, you know, you can start to encourage everyone to be accountable for the areas they're getting involved in. From an accountabilities perspective, tracking some of the progress on the areas of transformation is really helpful as well, because, you know, if you're three months into this kind of process and you can precisely communicate to everyone, the progress that has been made, you know, and you're doing that through being able to track the progress, it starts to build the momentum for everyone to really get behind, the project. But, you know, it's in, you know, in the organizations I've been with it's, the tracking can take over. You really want something that's simple. That's not taking time away from the actual transformation activity. It kind of going back to what I was saying about getting all levels involved. I think if you're going to get true business transformation, you really need to give people a, you know, a lot of free reign to come up with those ideas. You know, don't set kind of restraints on projects or ideas that can be investigated. And I think that's, that's where I've had the most success when you've really given people a, you know, a free range, maybe hold up a brainstorming session to identify all potential suggestions of how we can do transformation out there and then start to investigate them rather than, you know, giving very tight restrictions on what can be proposed. That's something else that I've seen work well is not losing track of ideas and suggestions that don't necessarily make sense today, but may make sense in the future. Keeping an eye on those is always helpful because you know, the world is continually changing and that that idea or suggestion might be a great in, you know, two or three years time. Adam: (05:47)It almost sounds like you're referring to like a cultural shift within an organization, where, you know, you're changing the tone at the top and you're listening to ideas, even writing them down and keeping them for two to three years, maybe because that idea may be different later. How would you execute like a cultural shift in an organization to make sure that the transformation is successful? Sarah: (06:07)When you think about making it stick? It has to be something that continually comes up in everyone's day to day activities. It's not something that just people focus on for a month and that it's never mentioned again. It's, you know, really keeping it in the forefront of everyone's mind, even if it's small, day-to-day kind of, activities, really, you know, any chance of, you know, small meetings as a team or a larger kind of town halls, really having it as an agenda item that people talk about, that people celebrate. Some of my teams have had a great success in that. And, you know, there's been, you know, recognition and reward for those kinds of, activities, which then starts to drive more, more change within the organization. Adam: (07:05)That makes complete sense. But then how do you avoid people from falling back into the old habits? Because, you know, you can, put it in front of people's faces, but then over time, you know, it's easy to go backwards. Sarah: (07:18)Yeah. Absolutely true. And I think it's very easy when individuals are not seeing the, kind of the fruits of their labors, right. If they don't understand what impact their projects or their involvement is having in, driving change or maybe improving results, then it's very easy to slip back. So the more that businesses and groups can communicate successes, I think it's easier to stop them falling back into the old habits, you know, and I think it's listening to all viewpoints within an organization as well. People that have been with organizations a long time, have a very different viewpoint, than people who, you know, have only been with the company a short period of time. I think it's making both of those groups feel like their thoughts are, and input is valued. You know, people that have been with the organization, you know, a longer time may think, oh, we tried this, it didn't work. and so a lot of it is encouraging those individuals to, you know, be more open to trying again, but also listening to them and say, Hey, why didn't this work previously and trying to learn from those mistakes as well? Adam: (08:44)Yeah. It's almost like the people who've been there a long time have that kind of jaded view and the people who are new may have a fresh, exciting view. And it's bringing those two together, finding that in-between to where, where can we meet in the middle to asking the right questions of the jaded view and then asking the right questions of the person who's never seen it before. Sarah: (09:03)Absolutely. Cause I think you don't want to just dismiss the, you know, the views of people that have been there a long time. There's a lot to learn from them, especially from, you know, not making the same mistakes, but you know, it is a matter of meeting in the, in the middle with it and making sure that, you know, team leaders are all focused on it. I think, you know, it's very easy for an individual team to fall back in all ways if the leadership of that team, it doesn't feel like the project's worthwhile. Adam: (09:35)So what stage of the journey would you find, would you find most businesses today? Would you say most businesses are today in the business transformation journey? Sarah: (09:45)I think it depends on a couple of factors for each individual company. You know, I think it's that where they are in the life cycle of the kind of that company, the industry, that the leadership, but I do think COVID-19 is definitely making more companies focus on transformation, in order to, you know, either to survive or continue to thrive. It's really, you know, pushing the point and making people, focus on transformation maybe earlier than they would have done. You know, I will say from experience, I don't think there should, you know, if, if leaders are debating about whether to, you know, start down a route of business transformation, don't delay it, it really is something. If you're thinking about it, it's probably something you should be starting to do today. And I think, you know, once, once you start to embed a business transformation culture into a company, then it does, it's something that, you know, becomes more natural. It's not something that you tend to focus on necessarily specifically. It just starts to come naturally and, and starts to be, you know, always part of what everyone does. Adam: (11:06)So as we wrap up our conversation, is there anything that you would want our listeners to kind of take away, as they're thinking about their own businesses transformation, thinking of the future of finance and accounting, what does that look like for them as they look today? Sarah: (11:22)Yeah, probably from a finance and accounting perspective. I think there's definitely a lot that can be done around taking out the noise from like the month end, close process, really focused on things that are, you know, very straightforward every month and looking at ways to reduce the time spent in those areas, whether it's making the process simpler for someone to do, or, you know, implementing some RPA, to, to make it, an automated process. But when you start getting, finance and accounting team to thinking that way, what can they take off their plates? That's very straightforward. What can they, that then gives them time to do some of the more interesting factor, you know, aspects of, accounting and finance, get involved in more one-off projects and that really then helps motivate, and develop staff. So it's kind of a, you know, has two great points there in terms of reducing the time, spent at month-end close, as well as you know, that development and encouragement that the staff, as you try and retain them in what is a very difficult employment world at the moment, as people try and retain staff or attract staff. Closing: (12:52)This has been Count Me In, IMA's podcast providing you with the latest perspectives of thought leaders from the accounting and finance profession. If you like what you heard and you'd like to be counted in for more relevant accounting and finance education, visit IMA's website at www.imanet.org

In this episode...Graniterock President and CEO Tom Squeri answers hot button questions on the topic of Covid-19 vaccines and whether the Company will mandate the shot for employment. Will Graniterock require unvaccinated team members to test weekly?Why doesn't the Compay require all team members receive the vaccine?Why would we get a vaccine that doesn't work?How do we know the vaccine isn't part of the problem?What can we do to respect people's rights and not create a culture of division among team members? Plus many others!Tom delivers information that impacts every team member across the Company.Tom understands not everyone sees the vaccine subject in the same way and some people have real concern about receiving it.Yet, the vaccine is critical to running a safe business, similar to the stand we take on hard hats and fall protection because they keep team members safe from hazards in the workplace.Besides coronavirus and vaccines, Tom talks about the impact of climate change on Graniterock and what we're doing to build a greener future.We also get a rundown of how the Company has performed in 2021 and what could be in store if the $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill finally gets passed.We end this episode on a high note as Tom talks about Julie Giannotta's promotion to Chief Accounting Officer and the plan for replacing CFO Steve Snodgrass when he retires in early 2022.

When Sharon Virag became Chief Accounting Officer of customer service software company Genesys, she had already worked for Fortune 500 companies including General Electric, and served as CFO for NeoGenomics Laboratories.But for Sharon, who loves building out company infrastructure, working with an emerging organization like Genesys was just as intriguing and exciting. With her help, the company has grown and hit financial milestones. Highlights include navigating new regulations and financial reporting requirements, and building strong, diverse teams that work in lockstep with one another.Sharon believes that working on your leadership habits is one of the most important things you can do as a financial chief. This means knowing when — and how — to speak your mind, and figuring out how to delegate tasks to your team, so you can let go of some of the details and see the full scope of the company's needs. On this episode of The CFO Playbook, Sharon talks about her strategy for being a flexible leader, when to think big picture, and how to work with the systems you have to manage your company's finances with ease and efficiency.Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn. Connect with our host Ross on LinkedIn.If you want a better way to track and control your team's spend, checkout Soldo.com.

Edward Lam, Chief Accounting Officer at Exeter Finance, joins Count Me In to talk about building a culture around continuous improvement, the future of work, and implementing various leadership strategies to best guide and shape an effective accounting and finance function. In this episode, Ed talks about how he has witnessed his own job change in the last 3-5 years, what he's done to develop change management skills in alignment with the necessary shift in responsibilities, and how to get buy-in from all stakeholders involved. To wrap up the conversation, Ed also shares his thoughts and what is still to come for accounting and finance professionals. Download and listen now!

Listen to this Future Ready Finance podcast, focused on how Accenture has developed business resiliency in Finance. The host, Assistant Corporate Controller Melissa Burgum, discusses the journey with Richard Clark, Accenture's Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller.

Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN) Q3 2020 earnings call dated Oct. 20, 2020 Corporate Participants: Dave Pahl — Vice President and Head of Investor Relations Rafael R. Lizardi — Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, Finance & Operations Analysts: Toshiya Hari — Goldman Sachs — Analyst Craig Hettenbach — Morgan Stanley — Analyst Stacy Rasgon — Bernstein Research — Analyst Timothy Arcuri — UBS — Analyst Harlan Sur — JPMorgan — Analyst John Pitzer — Credit Suisse — Analyst Ross Seymore — Deutsche Bank — Analyst Tore Svanberg — Stifel — Analyst Ambrish Srivastava — BMO — Analyst --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/earningspodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/earningspodcast/support

Chris Wymbs, Executive Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer at AMC Networks, joins Count Me In to talk about leadership, values, and trust through innovation, continuous improvement, and working in unprecedented times. Chris is a C-suite finance executive with a proven record of success at Fortune 50 companies with an extensive background in all aspects of finance. He considers himself a collaborative business partner motivated by organizational success and an inspiring leader with a focus on building strong teams, developing talent and promoting excellence. In this episode, Chris shares the story of his career, talks about what leadership characteristics are most important to him, and changes he's seen in his organization--from the changes in the profession to the changes he's implemented and the changes caused by recent events. Download and listen now!

Bonnie Van Etten, Vice President, Group Chief Accounting Officer for FCA and a member of the Inforum Board of Directors. With experience at multiple Fortune 500 companies and more than a decade of increasingly important roles at FCA, Bonnie brings compelling insights on business today.Support the show (https://inforummichigan.org/about/)

Alec has Nicole Carrillo, Chief Accounting Officer and Bri Hamilton, Community Program and Events Manager on the Podcast today to talk about what you can do for your community during this time and the services that Loan Depot and its employees have been doing to help.

Ft. Sarah Kessler - Assistant to Jennifer Rock, Chief Accounting Officer, Zillow Group

COVID-19 is widely described as a "Black Swan" event, creating sudden and unprecedented changes in market dynamics, economic systems, and the core operations of businesses. In this episode of Q.pod we have a conversation with David Dickerson, the Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at Diversey, and Roger Cressey, the Co-Founder of Qubix that reveals an inside look into how a global finance function is responding to COVID-19 and taking steps to be ready for the "New Normal." Find out more about how modern finance teams are preparing for the New Normal.

Alicia Howell is well-known for her position as Chief Accounting Officer at 7-Eleven, but after hearing this podcast, you'll see the critical role she plays in helping innovation teams get the financial backing and continued support to keep their industry-first concepts coming to market. In this podcast, Alicia shares her career journey, what it takes to manage the books of thousands of 7-Eleven franchisees, plus the song she puts on in the car to get her motivated to come to work every morning.

It’s December 23, 2019 and in today’s marketing research news, TiVo merges with Xperi; Invoke adds a new feature to its platform; and Kantar appoints a new CEO to its North America Media Division.  Deloitte Digital launches the Lift Acceleration Program, a joint global strategic program with Adobe. The program aims to give organizations a, “true single view of the customer, higher customer engagement and superior business performance.” Invoke Solutions has added a new real-time translation feature to its platform that supports 20 languages.  In today’s mergers and acquisitions, TiVo, the entertainment technology and TV data provider, will now be known as, Xperi. The name switch came after announcing a merge with Xperi, an audio, imaging and computing technology company.  Ipsos and Alchemy-RX, a strategic marketing agency, announces a new partnership aiming to expand client access to experts. CEO and Chairman of Ipsos North America say, “The approach and hands-on growth experiences that the Alchemy-RX team brings will allow us to be even more effective at turning insight into tangible growth strategies for our clients.” In human capital news, Pete Rumpel will now serve as Kantar’s Chief Executive Officer for the Media Division in North America. Nielsen adds two to its senior team — Laurie Lovett as Chief Human Resources Officer; and Christopher Taft as SVP Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. Additionally, Nancy Tellem joins Nielsen’s Board of Directors, and that’s your daily briefing of marketing research news.  Find Jamin Online: Email: jamin@happymr.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jaminbrazil Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaminbrazil Find Us Online: Twitter: www.twitter.com/happymrxp LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/happymarketresearch Facebook: www.facebook.com/happymrxp Website: www.happymr.com Sources:  PR Newswire: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deloitte-launches-lift-acceleration-program-focused-on-helping-businesses-improve-customer-acquisition-growth-and-profitability-300970972.html  Invoke: https://invoke.com/invoke-introduces-real-time-translations-delivering-value-for-global-brands-with-global-customers/ Xperi: https://investor.xperi.com/news/news-details/2019/Xperi-and-TiVo-to-Combine-Creating-a-Leader-in-Consumer--Entertainment-Technology-and-IP-Licensing/default.aspx Ipsos: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/Ipsos-Alchemy-RX-Enter-New-Partnership Kanta: https://www.kantarmedia.com/us/newsroom/press-releases/kantar-names-rumpel-ceo-media-division-north-america Nielsen: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-releases/2019/nielsen-names-new-chief-human-resources-officer-laurie-lovett/ Nielsen: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-releases/2019/nancy-tellem-joins-nielsen-board-of-directors/ 

Adriana Carpenter, the Chief Accounting Officer for Ping Identity, a company in Colorado that just recently went public, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast. From finance major to CPA Adriana knew from an early age that the business world appealed to her, and consequently she started out early in an internship with IBM in the Accounts Payable department. However, due to her dislike of that particular internship, she decided to go the finance route in college instead and initially got her Bachelor's degree in Finance. After a short time in her first financial analyst role though, she realized that she wanted to be closer to the financial reporting process, so with the support of her employer she went back to school to finish a Masters in Accounting, and subsequently became a CPA as well. Narrowing in on her interests After becoming a CPA and continuing her career in industry for a few years, she decided to move on into the Big 4. For almost 12 years, she worked her way up at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) before eventually deciding to move her career back into a leadership role in industry. However, it was during this time at PwC when she found that the technology sector in particular appealed to her. It was also this experience that helped her hone her team management skills. Ringing the bell! For over 10 years now Adriana has been back in industry, this time in the technology sector. For the first five years of that period she worked with an international technology company helping them rebuild their global accounting team. Afterwards though, Adriana had joined a start-up in the identity and access management field (Ping Identity) that recently went public on the NYSE. Adriana had the opportunity to be part of the team that “rang the bell” to open the markets on the trading floor just a month or two ago. She goes into great detail to help us visualize the experience. It really is cool part of her story. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did recording it. Adriana shares many insights that will help you further your career, whether you are just starting out or have many years of experience. There truly are some gems in this interview. If you enjoy this episode with Adriana Carpenter, please check out these episodes as well: Sylvester Sly Johnson and Sarah Elliott For information on the publication mentioned in the interview, please click here. To listen in on this conversation with Adriana Carpenter, please click on the player below.

In this episode, Domenic and Tom Minichiello discuss:  Common threads and traits of M&A transactions throughout Tom’s career.  The importance of diligence from a buyer and a seller side.  Lessons learned from deals not made.  CBRS and the innovations coming to the technology sphere.   Key Takeaways:  Look at whether or not you have the right team in place to handle the diligence and the integration.  Line up external resources to help with diligence if you don’t have the internal resources.  Set the course and the strategy from day one.  Consider additional investments that need to be made when analyzing the deal.  To all CFOs – be the captain of the transaction.   "You’ve got to stick to your criteria; you’ve got to stick to your strategy; you’ve got to stick to your financial model as a business." —  Tom Minichiello   About Tom Minichiello: Tom joined Westell in 2013 as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary, responsible for finance, IT, HR, legal, contracts, real estate, and corporate communications. Before Westell, Tom worked at Tellabs, where he served as interim Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President of Financial Operations, Vice President of Finance for North America, Director of Finance for Tellabs’ product divisions, and Controller for the optical networking group. Prior to Tellabs, Tom served in various leadership roles at Andrew Corporation, Phelps Dodge, Otis Elevator, and United Technologies. He began his career in the finance organization at Sterling Drug. Tom serves as a Board Member for Sports Field Holding, Inc. (SFHI). He holds a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship and Operations Management from DePaul University, a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Hartford, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Villanova University. Tom is a Certified Public Accountant.   Connect with Tom Minichiello and Westell: Website: Westell.com   Connect with Domenic Rinaldi: Sun Acquisitions Website: www.sunacquisitions.com M&A Unplugged Website: www.maunplugged.com Email: marketing@sunacquisitions.com   Linkedin:   Domenic Rinaldi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/domenicrinaldi/ Sun Acquisitions: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-acquisitions-llc/   Facebook: Sun Acquisitions: https://www.facebook.com/sunacquisitions/ M&A Unplugged: https://www.facebook.com/MAUnplugged/   Twitter: @SunAcquisitions https://twitter.com/SunAcquisitions @M_A_Unplugged https://twitter.com/M_A_Unplugged   Instagram: @sunacquisitions https://www.instagram.com/sunacquisitions/ @ma_unplugged_podcast https://www.instagram.com/ma_unplugged_podcast/   YouTube: Sun Acquisitions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6H7kkMD6nnXFuHgqx9Ikg      Show notes by Podcastologist: Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.   

Amy Ronneberg is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff of the National Marrow Donor Program at Be The Match, as well as the President of Be The Match BioTherapies. She has twenty years of experience in financial and operational leadership. Amy spent twelve years at Capella Education Company, where she served as Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President of Finance, and where she led enterprise-wide operations and customer service. She also worked for global professional services firm Ernst & Young for several years as an audit manager. Amy has served on several boards and is currently on the board of Magenta Therapeutics, Tmunity Therapeutics, the Women's HealthCare Leadership Trust, and the Finance Committee for Allina Healthcare. Amy talks with us today about her fight with cancer personally and professionally and truly embodies the mentality that female leaders strive for. What You Will Learn: Amy explains how she balances her career, membership on several boards, frequent travel and role as a mother. She describes the importance of being present for every moment, and she talks about bringing her kids with her as much as possible. Amy talks about how being diagnosed with cancer was a wake-up call to remind her of the importance of not pushing off the worthwhile things that day to day life has to offer. Amy shares how she received the information that she had cancer at a young age, and discusses the emotions she felt during her battle with cancer. She talks about her long journey back to health and the ongoing fear of her cancer returning. Amy talks about emotional vulnerability and authenticity. She discusses how her work at Be The Match sometimes hits her hard because of her experience with cancer, and she shares the story of crying in front of a thousand people. Amy shares how she often feels unf♥

We sat down with veteran entertainment CFO Roland Wieshofer, for a double episode special. Roland started his career as supervising accountant and built a deep finance and accounting expertise in film and digital. Roland was instrumental in modelling and building one of the first streaming ventures as well as the financial management of some of the most successful film production companies. Roland Wieshofer has built his career in finance and accounting over the last three decades, serving in increasingly significant positions in industries such as construction, automotive, and manufacturing until he transitioned into the media and entertainment industry more than 15 years ago. When relocating to Los Angeles, he started a deep dive into the entertainment industry where he served as VP Finance, Chief Accounting Officer, and Chief Financial Officer at companies like CinemaNow, Exclusive Media, Media Rights Capital and, until recently, Blumhouse Productions.

We sat down with veteran entertainment CFO Roland Wieshofer, for a double episode special. Roland started his career as supervising accountant and built a deep finance and accounting expertise in film and digital. Roland was instrumental in modelling and building one of the first streaming ventures as well as the financial management of some of the most successful film production companies. Roland Wieshofer has built his career in finance and accounting over the last three decades, serving in increasingly significant positions in industries such as construction, automotive, and manufacturing until he transitioned into the media and entertainment industry more than 15 years ago. When relocating to Los Angeles, he started a deep dive into the entertainment industry where he served as VP Finance, Chief Accounting Officer, and Chief Financial Officer at companies like CinemaNow, Exclusive Media, Media Rights Capital and, until recently, Blumhouse Productions.

Sujeet Kini, CFO at Solium Capital On this episode of The Backbone, I chat with Sujeet about: His 20+ years of experience in finance within tech serving as the Chief Accounting Officer at OpenText and the Chief Financial Officer at Hootsuite, prior to his current role. Solium Capital — what the company does and what is it all about. Changes in technology that have benefitted the finance function in fulfilling their role as master capital allocators. Learnings as a public company finance leader and setting up a finance function from scratch at an early stage company to ensure its capable of going public one day. The importance of the finance function at a technology company. We close things off with a quickfire round: Your go to online resource for all things startup finance related Your favourite productivity hack Tech jargon that makes you cringe The best advise you've received One thing you don't leave the office before finishing --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/backbone/message

Nick Sinigaglia is the Chief Accounting Officer at OnDeck, a leading online platform for small business loans. In this episode, he discusses the unique business proposition that makes OnDeck so successful (5:00) as well as his tips for obtaining a small business loan and the criteria OnDeck takes into account when it comes to lending (8:28). Sinigaglia also unfolds the history of OnDeck and the challenges the company faced early on, especially in building something brand new (13:55). Sinigaglia also spoke to the challenges he faced in joining OnDeck, just three days before the company went public (26:55). He opens up about the impact NetSuite had before and after the IPO and how it's helped the company meet strict deadlines while still operating more efficiently (34:15). He explained the importance of a cloud-based solution for OnDeck (admitting he thought he was more of an “on-premise guy” beforehand) and its impact on the company's international expansion (43:40). Tune in for all of this and more! Follow Us Here:Nick Sinigaglia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-sinigaglia-46b7465/OnDeck: https://www.ondeck.com/NetSuite Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NetSuiteNetSuite Facebook: www.facebook.com/NetSuiteNetSuite LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/NetSuite/ NetSuite Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oraclenetsuite/

Is Finance doing too much and should it be split between operations (Chief Accounting Officer) and strategy (Chief Value Officer)? And could FP&A be the unsuspecting change agent in this process. These are just some of the questions our guest mentor Richard E. Reinderhoff and I cover together on our latest podcast. Richard also shares his journey from finance operations, to covering most finance functions, the importance of planning in a hyper-inflationary economy, consulting, his international controllership and CFO experiences along with some straightforward practical advice on how to close the gap between Strategy & Finance. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/104. #FinanceMentor #SITN #ValueCreation #Finance #AccountingAndAccountants

Helping others up the Ladder of Success is a core value of Cinderella to CEO on Air. Cinderella to CEO stories are not gender-specific. This podcast interviews leaders who have navigated their way to a palace of their dreams. Today, we have Kevin Detz. He is Chief Accounting Officer at Aimbridge Hospitality. We asked Kevin to speak with us because he champions women and men in his role at Aimbridge, encouraging them to be the best they can be - while challenging them to make Aimbridge the best company it can be along the way. What does it mean to champion women? How did he decide this was important? We'll find out....

Helping others up the Ladder of Success is a core value of Cinderella to CEO on Air. Cinderella to CEO stories are not gender-specific. This podcast interviews leaders who have navigated their way to a palace of their dreams. Today, we have Kevin Detz. He is Chief Accounting Officer at Aimbridge Hospitality. We asked Kevin to speak with us because he champions women and men in his role at Aimbridge, encouraging them to be the best they can be - while challenging them to make Aimbridge the best company it can be along the way. What does it mean to champion women? How did he decide this was important? We'll find out....

– Tesla’s new Chief Accounting Officer resigns – More executive shakeups – Discussion of Joe Rogan’s interview of Elon Musk Links: Email > tesladailypodcast@gmail.com Twitter > @teslapodcast Patreon > patreon.com/tesladailypodcast Executive producer Jerome Jorden Executive producer Rob Gill Music by Evan Schaeffer Disclosure: Rob Maurer is long TSLA stock The post Chief Accounting Officer Resigns, Executive Shakeups, Impressions of the Joe Rogan Interview (09.10.18) appeared first on TechCast Daily.

Wages increase at their fastest pace since 2009. Five Below and Okta rack up big returns for shareholders. Tesla falls on news that its Chief Accounting Officer is leaving. And Mattel gets into the movie business. Andy Cross, Matt Argersinger and Ron Gross discuss those stories and share some stocks on their radar. Plus, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Charles Duhigg talks big tech, trade wars, and productivity tips. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting The Motley Fool. Go to https://www.linkedin.com/fool and get $50 off your first job post.    

Often times, when someone buys a business they start spinning in many different directions, when the best thing they could do is tap into the knowledge and advice of the previous owner. The previous owner has lived that business day in and day out. It's important to follow their growth plan if they have one. Ideally, every new owner wants to implement new growth plans, but the best paths to growth are often those that are already open. Today, Joe is talking with Kent Renner who is a client that bought an Amazon FBA business and website through us. This is a customer success story. He'd never say it, but Kent is actually that “the smartest guy” in the room, regardless of the room. And he says the smartest thing he has done to help the business grow is to implement the growth plans that the previous owner suggested. He added new SKUs and variations and followed the existing paths to growth outlined in the Business Summary. Because of this and Kent's capital infusion to expand the total SKU count, the business is on track to grow 300% in 2017. And he only bought the business in March of 2017! Episode Highlights: Kent is an impressive guy who made it to the top levels in his role at a publicly traded company, working 50 to 70 hours a week. Now he works at home with his Amazon business and his life has completely changed. He still works hard and smart, but now he is building a sellable asset that is 100% his own. Kent started as a CPA and auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers and eventually ended up as Chief Accounting Officer at XPO Logistics before taking the self-employment leap. Kent wanted a business capable of growing that he would enjoy working on. The more he looked at this particular business the more he liked it. The business Kent bought was well branded with excellent reviews and it had many clear paths to growth. As part of the transition process, they developed a SKU rollout plan. The way the seller and Joe presented the business made it clear for buyers to see the paths to growth. The importance of the clear paths to growth was essential to his purchasing decision. There were no access issues between the seller, Kent, and Quiet Light during the selling process, which instilled confidence. Kent and the Seller developed a transition plan with key objectives and priorities, and then Kent flew to Hong Kong and executed the transition processes and met with suppliers. Kent had fully documented processes by the time he left Hong Kong and he would recommend that for any buyer and seller. These things can be done in advance, but they also need to be done during the transition process to make sure that they are accurate. The important advice of not changing a lot of things too quickly and not breaking the site was critical and helped toward the path of 300% growth. Staying in compliance with Amazon rules is always top of mind. Kent is working a lot while learning the business. There are maintenance hours at about 24 hours a week, but Kent works longer to get new SKUs introduced and meet his own goals and objectives. He has expanded into the rest of Europe and sells in the UK and US. He is also looking into other selling opportunities outside of Amazon. It's Kent's goal to have a multi-channel business on other platforms and his own website, knowing this brings more value. Driving traffic is more expensive, but you get a higher return when you own the customers. Kent expanded from 17 to 30 SKUs in the US and his revenue has tripled. It is his goal to get to 5X in 3 years. The growth is based on the process the seller setup plus Kent's expansion process. Kent has some contractors and uses great online communities as a resource, but he is running the whole show without a staff. Getting comfortable with patents, trademarks, and traveling to meet the seller, were all part of his buying process. Attorneys are important, but keep in mind that they work for you. Trust your instinct and your relationship with the seller. Kent is pleased with the business and the way the transition went. The seller wanted him to succeed and Kent was impressed with his level of detail.

The Carlyle Group https://www.carlyle.com/global-insights/podcasts/we-are-carlyle-featuring-pam-bentley Fri, 30 Jun 2017 08:00:00 -0400 ValuCast: The Carlyle Group Pam Bentley, Managing Director and Chief Accounting Officer discusses what she does on and off the clock.  business, finance, invest, investing, asset, finance, financial, market, politics, political, economic, economy

As the SVP and Chief Accounting Officer for the publicly traded investment corporation, Don heads up the entire accounting and reporting function. Prior to his current role, Don spent 17 years honing his skills with Freddie Mac, Deutsche Bank, and Arthur Anderson. At Freddie, he was responsible for valuation and reporting for the company's investments. He also worked with Deutsche Bank as their Director of Accounting Policy and he was an Audit Manager at Arthur Anderson. Don holds a Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of Florida and is a CPA and CFA. In this brief interview Don reveals: • How he and his team leverage technology to reduce risk and increase value. • Why he periodically evaluates his organization to ensure they are meeting the needs of the business. • Why he chose a career path working for public companies. • What he feels are the key skills and attributes that aspiring accountants need to reach the highest levels of leadership.

As the Chief Accounting Officer at the publicly traded Iridium Communications, Rich leads a variety of functions including SEC Reporting, Accounting Policy, General Accounting, Tax, and Cash Management. Previously, Rich served in leadership roles at several public and private companies in the communications and technology industries. He started his career with KPMG and reached the Senior Manager level before making the transition to corporate. Rich holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant. In this interview, Rich discusses why he thinks the convergence to one set global accounting standards will be one of the biggest trends of his career; How he and his team create value through automation and data analysis; Why he feels aspiring public company accountants should consider getting experience in finance or an MBA.

26:54 no andrew@thebeancounter.org (Andrew Argue)Andrew ArgueThe Bean Counter is your guide to a successful accounting career! Whether you're in University looking for your first job, or crushing it at your ful

Hank Schram, Chief Accounting Officer at The Chubb Corporation and Philip Terenzio, President of Warnaco International speak about their accounting careers and their experiences in the profession. The event is introduced by Marilyn Kahn, Director of the Executives on Campus program and moderated by Edward Lee of the Zicklin Graduate Accounting Society.

Hank Schram, Chief Accounting Officer at The Chubb Corporation and Philip Terenzio, President of Warnaco International speak about their accounting careers and their experiences in the profession. The event is introduced by Marilyn Kahn, Director of the Executives on Campus program and moderated by Edward Lee of the Zicklin Graduate Accounting Society.

Recently, Mark McCollum spoke to a crowd of over 100 students, faculty and business leaders on the Baylor campus. McCollum, Chief Accounting Officer at Halliburton, addressed the effectiveness of corporate America's efforts to regaining the public trust. His appearance was part of the Ben H. Williams Distinguished Speakers Series.