The CFO Show

The ability to transform raw complex financial data into a compelling narrative has become a critical skill. Mastering the art of finance data storytelling enables finance professionals to distill complex information into strategic insights, driving pivotal boardroom decisions and shaping business strategy.Akash Kapoor is the CFO at ColdBlock Technologies and has been advising finance leaders on operations and strategy for the last 25 years. Host Melissa Howatson welcomes Akash to explore the transformative power of financial storytelling. Together, they delve into how mastering this critical skill can revolutionize organizational decision-making and propel finance professionals to new heights in their careers. As new technologies give us access to swaths of data, it’s more important than ever to have a finance department that can interpret data and turn numbers into clear business narratives. Learn how financial professionals can break down data silos and guide strategic decisions through compelling, data-driven narratives.Discussed in This Episode:Discover techniques to transform complex financial data into engaging stories that inform and inspire action.The importance of tailoring presentations to various stakeholders, including C-suites, employees, and investors, depending on their financial acumen and objectives.Learn how to leverage storytelling techniques, narrative structures, and data visualization tools to bring your financial data to life and make your insights impossible to ignore.Understand why emerging technologies are elevating the role of finance professionals within organizations.For CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

In today's customer-centric business landscape, a leadership team that truly understands its customers is crucial. Everyone in the C-Suite should be learning from one another and challenging one another to be more customer-focused.April Oman, the Chief Customer Officer at Resilinc, brings a unique perspective to the leadership team. While her primary role is championing customer success, she's gained invaluable insights about her customers from unexpected sources—including the company's CFO. April is an accomplished customer success executive with 20 years of experience. She is known for driving results and revenue and transforming organizations to be customer-centric in a wide variety of industries and company sizesIn this installment of our "Better Business Partnering" series, April joins host Melissa Howatson to explore the powerful synergy between Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Chief Customer Officers (CCOs). They delve into April's collaborative experiences with CFOs, examining how this partnership drives innovation across the organization, improves operational efficiency through cross-functional teamwork, and fosters sustainable growth.Discover how breaking down silos between finance and customer success can lead to transformative outcomes and customer satisfaction.Discussed in This Episode:Strategies to nurture a strong partnership between the finance and customer teamsHow to align financial strategies with customer-centric initiativesThe number one trait that April values in a CFO, and how a CFO can help a CCO be more effectiveThe value a CCO offers to CFOs and the broader C-suitePoints of friction between CFOs and CCOs, and how to overcome themFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

In this discussion, Dominic DiBernardo, a Partner at Citrin Cooperman Advisors with expertise in corporate performance management, shares transformative insights on agile finance. He emphasizes the power of Agile methodologies in annual budgeting and planning. By leveraging real-time data, finance teams can shift from reactive to proactive strategies, enhancing collaboration and efficiency. Dominic also highlights the importance of rolling forecasts and cultivating a budget-conscious culture to adapt quickly to market changes and drive significant margin gains.

The Office of Finance is on the cusp of a transformative evolution, driven primarily by advancements in AI.While finance professionals often find themselves bogged down with manual tasks, leaving little room for strategic thinking and data analysis, AI provides critical data and time efficiencies enabling the Office of Finance to focus on business strategy.Rishi Grover, Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Architect at Vena, has spent most of his career helping companies re-engineer and optimize their financial processes. In this episode, Rishi shares how financial leaders can implement AI to reduce repetitive, manual work across their teams and increase focus on strategy. Learn how CFOs and finance leaders can take a pragmatic approach to AI adoption to improve finance functions, transform decision-making, and drive operational efficiency within their organizations.Discussed In This Episode:AI’s potential to streamline and automate time-consuming processes, provide data-driven insights and handle complex tasksTips for Incorporating AI into the Finance FunctionHow to address security concerns, find internal champions, and securely leverage AI technologyAdvanced use cases of generative AI and the broader implications of this technology for the Office of FinanceHow to measure the ROI of AI adoption in finance operationsFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

Continuous learning is not just a nice thing to have; it’s a critical necessity in Finance. As regulations, finance tools, and technologies evolve, finance professionals must stay up to date to move at the pace of business. Bryan Lapidus helps financial professionals match that change. Bryan is Director of the FP&A Practice at the Association for Financial Professionals, where he leverages his 20 years of experience in finance, risk, and operations to create and lead educational programs for AFP members.In this episode, Bryan talks to host Melissa Howatson about the many ways finance professionals can engage in ongoing learning on the job and through outside programs and networking opportunities.Learn how CFOs and finance leaders can instill a culture of continuous learning and how finance professionals can embrace a growth mindset to advance in their careers.Discussed In This Episode:Strategies for financial leaders to promote a growth mindset and continuous learningThe effectiveness of micro-learning and its application at critical momentsAnalyzing the return on investment (ROI) of continuous education and strategies to counteract the inclination to cut educational expensesThe benefits of cross-functional learning in all stages of a finance professional’s careerIndicators that finance professionals should consider when selecting an employer that supports continuous learningFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

Finance teams that want to be more data-driven need both technology that can consolidate mountains of data, and skilled professionals who can interpret what it all means.Thomas Ho serves as the Vice President at ProLytics Consulting Group, guiding clients through the digital transformation in finance. Thomas discusses how data gathering methods are revolutionizing finance roles, necessitating new skills that finance professionals need to master to keep pace with rapid change.Learn what hard skills are essential to the modern Office of Finance and how finance leaders can upskill their teams to improve the accuracy and efficiency of financial forecasting and modeling.Discussed In This Episode:The transformative impact of technology on the Finance Department and the evolving requirements of finance occupationsThe critical importance of data literacy, data visualization, and data analytics for modern finance professionalsThe importance of learning SQL and other programming languages to perform needed data analysis and financial modelingHow micro-learning and cross-team training can allow finance professionals to acquire new skills on the job and level up in their rolesThe tools and tech stack finance teams need to support data collection and data interpretationFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

AI is poised to revolutionize the way we work. Businesses across the globe are investing resources into the development needed to make AI an everyday reality. Leading the charge, Microsoft is pioneering the incorporation of AI into business and daily workflows.Melissa Howatson sits down with Ahmed Adel, the Director of Data, Apps & AI Cloud Solution Architecture at Microsoft to discuss Microsoft’s continuous investments in AI, along with the implications these innovations could have for finance professionals and the potential impact of AI on the future of work.Learn how Microsoft sees the ultimate future state of business operations for finance teams and beyond.Discussed in This Episode:Microsoft's ongoing investments in AI, the evolving interaction between people and technology, and the potential impact of AI on the future of workHow AI will elevate finance leadership by freeing up time for more strategic work, and improving the speed and accuracy of financial reportingHow Microsoft prioritizes investments and works with partners to ensure that their innovations have the greatest impactWhy organizations should be careful to implement AI in the right places, and how they can prepare their workforces for changes that AI will inevitably bringHow Microsoft ensures its AI products are used ethically and responsiblyFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

Meg Baer, the Controller at Turner Enterprises, brings over two decades of finance expertise to the conversation. She discusses how new technologies are reshaping finance roles, allowing for deeper analysis and storytelling. Meg emphasizes the importance of soft skills, noting that empowerment and meaningful tasks foster a productive environment. She shares strategies to dismantle silos and enhance interdepartmental collaboration, while also highlighting the significance of transparent hiring processes and cultivating trust within teams for successful transformations.

Employee burnout is on the rise, fueled by shrinking budgets and mounting pressure for employees to achieve more with less. But how can CFOs and finance leaders gauge the breaking point for their teams?Ruchi Kasliwal has been building and guiding finance and accounting teams for over 15 years. With a deep passion for optimizing human and system resources, Ruchi joins Melissa to share vital strategies to protect their employees from burnout. By proactively identifying signs of burnout and offering effective support, leaders can prevent the loss of valuable team members. And by acknowledging the stressors inherent in finance roles, leaders can proactively implement strategies to protect teams from burnout while ensuring their well-being and productivity. Join us as we discover the key techniques for tackling high-pressure finance environments and empowering teams to thrive.Discussed In This Episode:Understanding good stress vs. bad stressImplementing a buddy system to improve team communication around workloadBurnout warning signs that can help finance leaders identify when employees are struggling with prioritization or too much workPlanning time off so that employees can truly unplug and unwind when they’re out of the officeWorking with your team to prioritize the most important tasks and automate tedious or unnecessary tasksFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

If a CRO is expected to understand the balance sheet, shouldn’t the CFO be just as familiar with the sales playbook? A strong partnership between these roles is critical to a company’s financial health, and each must be able to support the other. In this installment of our better business partnering series, Puneet Arora, President at Yellow.ai, joins Melissa Howatson to discuss how CFOs can build effective relationships with their CROs. With more than 25 years of experience leading sales teams in high-growth SaaS organizations—and as a former CRO himself—Puneet shares what he has learned from working closely with CFOs. He reflects on the many CFO-CRO partnerships he’s been part of and highlights what made the most successful ones stand out. Discover how to strengthen alignment between the Office of Finance and revenue operations by fostering not just rapport, but true strategic partnership. Discussed in This Episode: The unique responsibilities of the CFO and CRO, and how a strong partnership leads to better business outcomes. The increasing importance of the revenue operations team in modern organizations and the layer of support they bring to the business. Some of the top challenges CROs are facing in today’s business landscape, and how CFOs can support them through these challenges. Common points of friction between the finance and revenue operations teams, and how they can work better together to uncover growth opportunities and get deals done. Traits CROs appreciate in a CFO, and tactics CFOs can use to facilitate a productive relationship with the revenue operations team.  For CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.