The Critical Impact of Financial Data Accessibility on Business Strategy

In this episode, CJ interviews Hanan Aharoni, CFO of Operative, who is an expert in operational excellence, particularly in private equity. Hanan shares insights on managing acquisitions and overcoming silos, inefficiencies, and decision paralysis in the process. He highlights the importance of having a clear org chart and a unified leadership team before discussing the critical role of culture in successful integrations. He breaks down how to spot inefficiencies, consolidate systems, and optimize costs without stifling innovation. He also sheds light on how the private equity model differs from the venture capital model in terms of allocating resources, managing debt, and being prepared for an exit or sale. This is a masterclass in private equity operations.

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SPONSORS:

Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn’t just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.

RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.

Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.

Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Preview and Intro

01:50 Sponsor – Tropic | Netsuite | RightRev

05:55 Hanan’s Impressive Career Rise to CFO

08:20 Overcoming Silos and Inefficiency When Scaling

10:46 Overcoming Inefficiency and Paralysis in M&A

15:50 Sponsor – Planful | Brex | Vanta

19:18 The Importance of Having a Clear Org Chart

22:07 “Vision Without Execution Is Just Hallucination”

25:33 Operational Excellence: Identifying Inefficiencies and Optimizing Costs

28:40 Acknowledging Biases

29:40 Using Industry Benchmarks

32:20 Balancing Optimizing Expenses and Preserving Innovation

35:16 Forming a Mitigation Plan

41:09 Areas Notorious for Inefficient Costs

42:56 Allocating Resources in a PE Model Versus a VC Model

45:57 How Debt Impacts How You Operate in PE

49:12 Tips for Finance Professionals Moving from VC to PE Models

50:48 Being Prepared for an Exit or Sale in a PE Environment

53:00 Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Massive Excel Spreadsheet Error

54:53 Advice to Younger Self: Fast Decisions

55:17 Finance Software Stack

55:55 Craziest Expense Story