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
Dec 29, 2023 • 41min
Spotlight on Sustainability's ROI
This ESG Talk mini-series highlights two episodes featuring Tensie Whelan, director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. Part one introduces CSB's innovative Return on Sustainability Investment—or ROSI—model. In part two, Tensie and Mandi McReynolds are joined by Kelly Fisher, head of corporate sustainability at HSBC Bank USA, and share stories of companies driving financial performance with ESG.
Dec 15, 2023 • 44min
Shaking Up the C-Suite
Our second mini-series highlights episodes with Bob Eccles, a leading authority on integrated reporting, and Maher Al-Haffar, the chief financial officer of Cemex. Both guests join co-host Mandi McReynolds to discuss how the roles of the chief sustainability officer and chief financial officer are evolving alongside ESG.
Dec 8, 2023 • 43min
The Next Era in ESG Reporting
Join Chief Sustainability Officer Allyson Anderson Book from Baker Hughes and Global Reporting Leader Nadja Picard from PwC Germany as they discuss the evolving landscape of ESG reporting, the transition from compliance to strategic opportunity, the roles of CEOs and CFOs in driving sustainable strategies, challenges in achieving net-zero goals, and advancements in sustainability practices and governance.
Dec 1, 2023 • 33min
ESG Trends and the Year Ahead
ESG Talk hosts reflect on key sustainability events in 2023, predict trends for 2024 like global regulations and generative AI impact. They discuss navigating complex ESG practices, the role of generative AI, and collaboration for a sustainable future. The episode concludes with a teaser for the next season.
Nov 24, 2023 • 34min
On the Road to COP28
Jingdong Hua, vice-chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), and Paul Druckman, chairman of the World Benchmarking Alliance, sit down with Workiva's Mandi McReynolds to share how standards and benchmarks bring credibility to ESG reporting as well as their insights heading into COP28.
Nov 17, 2023 • 21min
Redefining the Role of the CSO
A leading authority on integrated reporting, Robert Eccles joins Mandi McReynolds to explore how the role of the chief sustainability officer is evolving. They discuss the concept of trade-offs and resolving conflicts of interest between stakeholders as well as the deepening connection between finance and ESG.
Nov 10, 2023 • 19min
Navigating Audits & Controls in ESG Reporting
Dina Trainor, managing director at Deloitte & Touche, discusses building governance, essential controls, and the role of auditors in ESG reporting. Highlights include the importance of cross-functional collaboration, the impact of board changes, leveraging technology for data collection, and the benefits of an ESG controller.
Nov 5, 2023 • 16min
Tackling ESRS and Double Materiality
This podcast discusses the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards and their connection to double materiality. It covers the development and purpose of the ESRS standards, the importance of assessing both financial and non-financial impacts, the alignment of financial materiality and ISSB's assessment, and the value of conducting a materiality assessment in sustainability reporting.
Oct 27, 2023 • 31min
Unifying Climate Data in Financial Disclosures
Steve Manocchio, senior director of financial compliance and operations at Cisco, joins ESG Talk host Steve Soter in a conversation around unifying climate data in financial disclosures. Listen in as they explore the financial impact of ESG, the evolving role of accountants, and how assurance and technology can help further ESG initiatives.
Oct 20, 2023 • 23min
The CFO's Role in Sustainability
The chief financial officer of Cemex, Maher Al-Haffar, joins Workiva's Mandi McReynolds to examine how ESG is influencing the office of the CFO. Mandi and Maher discuss the pivotal role of CFOs at the intersection of sustainable finance and its potential impact on business and society.
