In this episode, CJ Gustafson sits down with Brad Channer, the CFO of UBIO and possibly the world's most interesting CFO and accountant. He describes his unconventional career path from acting to accounting and the he lessons learned from some entrepreneurial failures along the way. Brad also discusses communication and leadership, including how his acting background shaped his style in the boardroom. He breaks down the biggest mistakes CFOs make when explaining financials and why some accountants struggle to reach the C-suite even if they’re brilliant on paper. He shares insights on neurodiversity in the workplace and how to unlock its advantages before unpacking why the UK has produced fewer tech giants than the US and the one regulatory shift that could potentially supercharge the industry.
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SPONSORS:
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.
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.
Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Preview and Intro
(02:32) Sponsor - NetSuite | Planful | Subscript
(05:39) From Actor to Management Accountant
(10:25) Brad’s Bold Move to the UK
(13:02) His Journey into Entrepreneurship and Accounting
(16:07) Sponsor - Rippling Spend | Vanta | Tropic
(20:08) Reclaiming the F Word: Failure
(23:37) Communicating Like a Human
(25:42) Acting Lessons for Accountants
(29:49) How to Understand Your Audience
(35:36) Navigating Neurodiversity in Business
(36:35) How to Adapt Your Communication for Founders
(38:30) Why Some Accountants Don’t Make it to the C-Suite
(40:38) Learning to Ask Questions
(43:29) Leadership in Large Companies Versus SMEs or Scale-Ups
(45:24) The UK Versus US Tech Scene
(47:10) Tall Poppy Syndrome in the UK
(51:38) Long-ass lightning round: Do Your Research
(55:14) Advice to Younger Self
(56:15) Finance Software Stack
(56:58) Craziest Expense Story
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