

The Pre-Read
Workiva
Just like the slides you get before a big meeting, The Pre-Read gets CFOs and other decision-makers ready for what’s next. This is the global podcast built for the modern office of the CFO, where finance, sustainability, audit, and risk come together.
Designed for financial leaders navigating transformation at scale, the show features sharp, unfiltered conversations with insiders at the forefront of business, regulation, and enterprise strategy. Each week, hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter, along with our bench of expert segment reporters, connect the dots between financial performance, regulatory demands, and long-term value creation.
From new disclosure mandates to AI and assurance readiness, The Pre-Read helps you track the forces reshaping business. We cover what matters globally, cross-functionally, and with just enough candor to keep it real. If you’re making decisions at scale, or need to understand the leaders who are, you’re in the right place.
Designed for financial leaders navigating transformation at scale, the show features sharp, unfiltered conversations with insiders at the forefront of business, regulation, and enterprise strategy. Each week, hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter, along with our bench of expert segment reporters, connect the dots between financial performance, regulatory demands, and long-term value creation.
From new disclosure mandates to AI and assurance readiness, The Pre-Read helps you track the forces reshaping business. We cover what matters globally, cross-functionally, and with just enough candor to keep it real. If you’re making decisions at scale, or need to understand the leaders who are, you’re in the right place.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 14, 2022 • 7min
The Chat: Dealing with Acronyms - Moving from Deflection to Determination
The focus of our chat today is acronyms. Every business has acronyms. The ESG acronym soup can be overwhelming and confusing, but do not let that deflect from your determination to learn. We need a common understanding of key terms to help each other drive business value and society forward. Resources: 1) ESG Decoded Podcast - https://climeco.com/esg-decoded-podcast/ 2) Sustainability Decoded Podcast - https://link.chtbl.com/SustainabilityDecoded-McReynolds

Sep 7, 2022 • 13min
The Chat: Shaping the Global Climate Transition for All ft. Simon Mundy
Join our author chat with Simon Mundy, Moral Money editor at the Financial Times and author of Race for Tomorrow: Survival, Innovation and Profit on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis. He and host Mandi McReynolds discuss takeaways from his journey in 26 countries covering the biggest story of the century and how we move forward as a global society to address climate transition. Resources: 1) Race for Tomorrow - https://www.simonmundy.com/book 2) Financial Times Moral Money - https://www.ft.com/moral-money 3) Simon Mundy YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/SimonMundy 4) Website - https://www.simonmundy.com/

Aug 31, 2022 • 29min
Understanding ESG Risks through Scenario Analysis ft. Jared Forman, FORVIS

Aug 24, 2022 • 18min
Finding Your ESG Superpower ft. Si-Yeon Kim
Join the conversation with Si-Yeon Kim, former EVP, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, and Executive Chair of ESG at American Express Global Business Travel (2014 to 2022), as she and host Mandi McReynolds discuss finding your ESG superpower and how businesses can work together in an ecosystem to tackle complex topics such as scope 3 emissions, travel, and other elements of your ESG strategy. Resources: 1) LinkedIn Poll on Sustainable Business Travel - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mandimcreynolds_esgtalk-esg-sustainability-activity-6961001859696259072-M2kt/ 2) Antea Group: Engaging Supply Chain on Scope 3 for Strategic Advantage - https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/engaging-supply-chain-on-scope-3-for-strategic-advantage 3) Antea Group:10 Ways Your Business Can Reduce Its Carbon Footprint - https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/10-ways-business-reduce-carbon-footprint

Aug 17, 2022 • 23min
Building ESG Talent ft. Lotti Hawkins, Farrell Associates
Join the conversation with Lotti Hawkins, Executive Search - Sustainable Investing, ESG & Impact for Private Markets at Farrell Associates, as she and host Mandi McReynolds discuss building ESG talent, focusing on ESG strategy and transferable skills, and the rise of ESG in the C-suite. Resources: 1) Farrell Associate’s Talent Roots Project - https://www.farrellassociates.com/our-impact 2) LinkedIn Article: Please can we collectively stop saying there is an ‘ESG Talent War’? - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/please-can-we-collectively-stop-saying-esg-talent-war-lotti-hawkins/ 3) ESG Meme - https://twitter.com/followalisont/status/1362994652396335118 4) PwC study on CSOs - https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/number-company-sustainability-officers-triples-2021-study-2022-05-04/

Aug 10, 2022 • 13min
The Chat: Transforming Risk into Sustainable Value ft. Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Join our first author chat with Andrea Bonime-Blanc, founder and CEO at GEC Risk Advisory and author of Gloom to Boom: How Leaders Transform Risk Into Resilience and Value. She and host Mandi McReynolds discuss the importance of technology in ESG, interconnected ESG risks and opportunities, and the value of empathy in leadership. Resources: 1) ESGT Megatrends Manual 2022-2023 Edition - https://issuu.com/medauras/docs/esgt_megatrends_report_2022-2023 2) Gloom to Boom: How Leaders Transform Risk Into Resilience and Value - https://gecrisk.com/gloom-to-boom/ 3) ESG Plus T: Tech as ESG Issue, Risk, and Value Influencer - https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/esg-plus-t-tech-as-esg-issue-risk-and-value-influencer 4) Harvard Business Review: The C-Suite Skills That Matter Most - https://hbr.org/2022/07/the-c-suite-skills-that-matter-most

Aug 3, 2022 • 9min
The Chat: ESG Challengers - Block the Noise and Move On

Jul 27, 2022 • 27min
Driving Accountability for Financial and Social Impact ft. Sarah Chapman, Manulife
Join the conversation with Sarah Chapman, Global Chief Sustainability Officer at Manulife, as she and host Mandi McReynolds discuss how business can drive stronger accountability for both financial and social impact. They share examples of how ESG is a team sport, strong company governance structure, and predict what will be top of mind for ESG in five years. Resources: 1) Manulife Impact Agenda - https://www.manulife.com/content/dam/corporate/global/en/documents/pas/MFC_impact_agenda_2022_en.pdf 2) Manulife Investment Management Timberland and Agriculture - https://www.manulifeim.com/timberland-agriculture/global/en 3) Manulife - https://www.manulife.com/en/about/sustainability.html 4) 2021 Manulife Environmental, Social and Governance Report - https://www.manulife.com/content/dam/corporate/global/en/documents/pas/MFC_ESGR_2022_EN.pdf/

Jul 13, 2022 • 24min
Accelerating Global Trust with Stakeholders ft. Rob Fisher, KPMG
Join the conversation with Rob Fisher, IMPACT and ESG Leader, KPMG US, as he and host Mandi McReynolds discuss the legacy and impact of ESG, the 2020 KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting, and stakeholder engagement and trust. Resources: 1) KPMG IMPACT - https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2021/12/kpmg-impact-and-esg.html 2) The Trusted Imperative - https://home.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2022/01/trusted-imperative-whitepaper.pdf 3) The KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2020 - https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/11/the-time-has-come-survey-of-sustainability-reporting.html 4) 2022 Global Leaders in Consulting: Rob Fisher - https://www.consultingmag.com/2022/02/20/2022-global-leaders-in-consulting-rob-fisher/

Jun 29, 2022 • 6min