The power of integrated teams, tech, and process

In this riveting discussion, we have the privilege of featuring Lindsey Oshita, Chief Accounting Officer of the Americas at Franklin Templeton. Lindsey shares her journey to becoming a CAO, beginning her career first at a small local accounting firm during high school, before progressing to Deloitte in San Francisco. Listen in as Lindsey talks about her transition into corporate accounting for the Americas at Franklin Templeton and her role in developing a set of global standards to create a shared language of success with cross-functional partners. 

Lindsey also sheds light on the 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.

Finally, this episode also touches on the crucial role of mentorship and sponsorship in Lindsey's career. She talks about how these elements, along with her father's advice, have helped her continuously grow and add more tools to her toolbox. This conversation is not just about accounting; it's about career growth, mentorship, team integration, and the ability to find humor even in the most challenging situations. Tune in for an enlightening and entertaining discussion.

Key Quotes

• So to me, it doesn't always have to be somebody that's higher in the organization. You can learn from anybody, right?
• With any ERP implementation, things change and as you settle into the system, there are aspects to that that you continually refine. And I think that's also been a really big part of the culture of the sort of combined organization is how do we make things more efficient?
• Thinking through sort of the financial design and sort of that base level, taking extra time for that, right? How you build your hierarchies, how do you build your chart of accounts, things like that, that feel really mundane and like you could later are actually the ways that you're gonna set yourself up, to have all the other work streams go more efficiently

Show Notes

• (0:01:44) - Accounting career paths and responsibilities
• (0:10:40) - Integration and team building after an acquisition
• (0:19:11) - ERP integration challenges after a merger
• (0:30:15) - How mentorship can expand the accounting career path
• (0:34:55) - Lindsey’s best accounting jokes

Links

• Connect with Lindsey
• Visit Franklin Templeton
• Connect with Erik
• Check out Brex