Eps.65 | Beyond the balance sheet: Ilana Esterrich on why CFOs are becoming tomorrow's CEOs

May 9, 2025

28:19

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Tim Bond sits down with Ilana Esterrich, Chief Financial Officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, to explore the evolving role of finance professionals. They discuss how financial leaders are transitioning from number-crunchers to strategic partners, and why tomorrow's CFOs might be the CEOs of the future.

Join the conversation as Ilana shares insights on:

• Why finance professionals must develop human skills beyond technical expertise

• How automation and AI can address critical time challenges

• The increasingly non-linear nature of finance careers

• Why understanding cross-functional operations is essential for finance leaders

• The shift from CFO to CEO rather than COO

• Navigating volatility in today's uncertain business environment

This episode is brought to you by Rillion, accounts payable automation that fits your workflow. Rillion's platform helps finance teams capture every invoice, route approvals, and pay vendors in a single click, processing over 40 million invoices a year for 3,000+ organisations. Visit rillion.com to learn how effortless accounts payable can be.

Timestamps:

00:02:06 The changing role of finance professionals

00:04:22 Why human skills matter for CFOs

00:06:42 Career aspirations and challenges for finance professionals

00:08:43 Navigating volatility in today's business climate

00:11:27 Creating time through automation and technology

00:13:39 The role of AI in finance operations

00:19:40 Technology innovation opportunities in finance

00:22:51 Skills needed for tomorrow's finance professionals

00:25:33 The evolution from CFO to CEO

Want to learn more?

Connect with Ilana Esterrich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanaesterrich/