The Better Finance Podcast

In this episode, Lululemon executives Meghan Frank, CFO, and Alex Grieve, CAO, engage in a captivating conversation with Myles Corson. Together, they delve into their pivotal roles in driving Lululemon's success, highlighting the significance of sustainability, customer connections, and technological advancements. To kickstart the discussion, Meghan and Alex reflect on their unique experience of sharing the CFO role for a brief period, which ultimately resulted in the development of a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between them. They emphasize how open and transparent communication has played a pivotal role in their successful engagement with investors. By consistently focusing on key themes that investors are genuinely interested in, they have been able to shape their communication strategies accordingly. Recognizing the paramount importance of sustainability, Meghan and Alex proudly view it as an integral part of Lululemon's mission. They prioritize keeping investors well-informed about the company's progress in this domain, and specifically stress the crucial role of accurate reporting, including sustainability reporting. Customer loyalty is another important aspect that Meghan and Alex address during their discussion. They delve into the various programs implemented by Lululemon to nurture and maintain customer satisfaction. Moreover, they emphasize that the very essence of Lululemon's DNA lies in fostering connection and building a strong sense of community among its customers. By prioritizing these foundational principles, Lululemon continues to cultivate and strengthen its customer relationships, reinforcing loyalty and further solidifying its position in the market. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2024 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of The EY Better Finance podcast, we are joined by Deirdre Ryan, Global Finance Transformation Leader, and Andrea Gronenthal, Americas Strategic Tax Transformation Leader from the EY organization, to delve into key findings from the EY Global DNA of the CFO survey. The episode also features insights from two seasoned global executives : Joseph J. Wolk (Joe), the Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Johnson & Johnson, and Nick Priday, the CFO of Dentsu Group Inc., who were  interviewed as part of the research. During the discussion, Deirdre and Andrea examine three paradoxes that CFOs confront on a daily basis: balancing short-term and long-term value, navigating the tightrope between safety and boldness, and transitioning from a traditional skill set to assuming a strategic leadership role. Enjoy this engaging exploration of the challenges and complexities faced by today's CFOs, and the multifaceted role they play in shaping the future of finance. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2024 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of The EY Better Finance podcast, Jack McCullough president of The CFO Leadership Council,  joins host Myles Corson to explore what makes an elite CFO. In this episode of The EY Better Finance podcast, Jack and Myles dive into the world of CFOs, exploring the unique qualities that make them successful. Jack highlights that it's not just skills, but also personality traits, that can make an exceptional CFO stand out. Jack shares valuable insights on how to develop these traits and build stronger cross functional relationships.  Jack emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of transparency where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and learning from mistakes. He also explains that as a CFO, it can be crucial to help everyone understands the company's goals and values. In this episode, Jack also stresses the significance of establishing a personal brand as a CFO. This brand reflects one's expertise, reputation, and values within the industry. He discusses the role of a CFO as a storyteller and provides examples on how to create narratives that resonate with specific audiences. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2024 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode, host Myles Corson and Phil Shelley, Chairman of doc Stribute, delve into the significance of clear and consistent CFO communication across all business areas. They explore its role in attracting the right shareholders, stakeholders and employees, and highlight the actions taken by successful CFOs to foster effective communication.  The episode underscores the importance of cultivating the right organizational culture to effectively execute a company's mission and vision. Without effectively communicating these goals, CFOs and their organizations risk attracting the wrong investors and talent, especially in a market where prospective employees and shareholders prioritize understanding the culture they will be a part of. The episode also discusses the role of technology in the business world and the need for organizations to strike a balance between maintaining alignment and adopting new technologies into daily employee tasks. They also discuss Mergers and Acquisitions, emphasizing that transparent communication, regarding the acquisition's objectives, can be crucial for smooth transactions of this nature. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2024 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of the Better Finance podcast, Perry Wiggins, CFO at AQPC, discusses technology’s impact on finance and what it means to be a human CFO.  As the chief financial officer (CFO) for American Productivity and Quality and Productivity Center (AQPC), Perry Wiggins leads the finance and accounting teams, as well as servesserving as a member of the executive team. His career before AQPC centered on the health care and non-profit sectors.   While there is often a substantial focus on technology and its impact on finance, Perry is passionate about using technology as a tool and an enabler, but not forgetting the human dimension and the idea of the “human CFO.” Through his experience, Perry has realized that he can find a way to be a good steward of the organization, a great financial leader, but also be mindful of the impact that his decisions have on people's lives.  Perry shares perspectives on the findings from the APQC 2023 Financial Management Priorities survey, including why he expects to see the number of organizations using advanced data visualization tools to rise rapidly from the current 15%.   The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2024 Ernst & Young Global Limited

Noah Barsky, a Professor at Villanova University and expert on AI's impact in finance, discusses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the finance sector. He emphasizes the need for leadership that fosters critical thinking and transparency, as organizations grapple with AI adoption. Noah highlights the importance of cultivating a culture of inquiry and continuous learning. He warns against relying solely on specialized knowledge, advocating for bold leadership that can set clear goals and anticipate future outcomes for successful AI integration.

In this episode of the EY Better Finance Podcast, Myles Corson is joined by Christopher Volk, business leader and author of the book, The Value Equation, a guide to wealth creation for entrepreneurs, leaders and investors.     Christopher’s distinguished business career has included taking three companies public, two of which he founded. Leading those companies, he evolved the ideas that inform the reader that wealth creation for shareholders was a more important measurement of business success than typical earnings metrics. His approach provides a roadmap to how successful companies can create wealth through strong business models.    With this approach, there are six key variables that combine to deliver equity return. The key for the CFO is to dissect the business model, understand where the variables are, and track them over time. The objective is to make the business and the equity worth more than it costs to create. The key stakeholders are customers and shareholders. If a business can deliver value for them, other stakeholders, such as employees, suppliers and communities will all benefit from the wealth created.   In a high-performing business, corporate culture is vital and strong communication should be at the heart of it. Employees should be empowered to put forward ideas and solutions, and not be held back by fear of disrupting positivity.    Finally, Christopher gives us a glimpse into a quote that inspires him and looks forward to a constructive future for finance as it exploits the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).     The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2023 Ernst & Young Global Limited

This episode of the Better Finance podcast features Maria Montenegro, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Wolters Kluwer, and James Paterson, Vice President and General Manager, CCH Tagetik, North America. As organizations continue to drive change management and adopt behaviors that embed sustainability into their processes, the integration of ESG performance management with financial and operational reporting is quickly becoming the norm in driving improved business outcomes. However, it’s a complex task to harmonize financial, strategic, operational and sustainability goals. Finance executives may find themselves taking the lead to standardize and validate the accuracy of integrated financial and nonfinancial data. In this episode, podcast host Myles Corson discusses with Maria and James how leveraging their corporate performance and ESG technology platforms from Enablon and CCH Tagetik can help provide a centralized source of accessible and reliable data. They explore how this increases collaboration and integrates risk management and performance improvement with reporting. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2023 Ernst & Young Global Limited

This special ESG episode of the Better Finance podcast features Brian Tomlinson from Ernst & Young LLP, and Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) space is at a remarkable phase of its development, having gone from being a niche part of corporate and capital markets discourse to being part of the mainstream. The trends that have been driving that include market participants making commitments around ESG, large corporations embracing aspects of ESG disclosure, and in recent years, the ESG disclosure ecosystem being adopted by regulators in key markets across the world. We appear to be at a high watermark for ESG, and Alex Edmans discusses how his paper, “The End of ESG,” highlights how ESG should be mainstream for executives and investors. There are many risk factors and opportunities with ESG that can affect the long-term valuation of a company. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2023 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of the EY Better Finance podcast, host Myles Corson is joined by Tom Hood, Executive Vice President of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).   An early adopter of social media, Tom reveals how it has helped him engage with a new generation of finance professionals. Also, he provides advice for CFOs considering venturing into the world of social media.       The episode also explores Tom’s work with the AICPA and the future of the Finance Leadership Group — a community of senior finance leaders who meet to discuss major issues and the future of the industry.   Tom discusses how new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are beginning to have a significant impact on the finance profession. And how these new technologies could help finance teams to focus more time on adding value across complex finance matters. This is achieved by reducing the amount of resources needed to complete simple and repetitive activities.   The episode explores how mastering these new technologies could lead to the reverse mentorship, in which seasoned financial professionals could benefit from the capabilities and experiences of their younger counterparts. This collaboration with other departments and age groups could help financial professionals widen their perspectives and skill sets at all levels.    The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official policy or position of EY or any other organization. © 2023 Ernst & Young Global Limited