
CFO Weekly
Looking to build an efficient accounting team so you can focus on strategy and business growth? As the role of the CFO changes to include long-term performance-driver, all-knowing technology expert and full-company strategic guide, more and more accounting leaders are left overwhelmed. Join us as we talk to CFOs, Controllers and other industry veterans who share their expertise on how to streamline accounting processes, create established efficiency and move to a data-driven model, allowing you to tackle what matters.
CFO Weekly is brought to you by Personiv, a high-quality, people-powered solution to all of your accounting needs. From procure-to-pay and order-to-cash to record-to-report, and from transactional to Controller-level support and more. Personiv goes above and beyond to get results with a team as small as one in our offshore, cost-saving model.
Latest episodes

Dec 19, 2023 • 30min
Why the Future for CFOs is More Than Just Number Crunching with Ilana Esterrich
In recent years, the CFO role has undergone a significant transformation. No longer limited to simply managing financial resources, CFOs now play a critical role in strategic decision-making, fundraising, ensuring long-term sustainability, and much more. To get a 360-degree view of the evolution of the CFO, we're joined today by Ilana Esterrich.With her extensive 30-year career in operations and finance, Ilana currently excels in her role as the CFO of Planned Parenthood, a trusted healthcare provider. Before that, Ilana served as CFO for the American Coatings Association, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for the Centre of Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and President of the American Women’s Club of Thailand.In this episode, we discuss:- The evolving role of the CFO- The subtle differences between modern nonprofit and for-profit CFO roles- How to build effective financial teams- Leveraging AI in accounting and financeLearn more about Ilana:Ilana Esterrich on LinkedInPlanned Parenthood Federation of America WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Dec 12, 2023 • 24min
“No Risk It, No Biscuit”: A Financial Perspective on Risk with Isaac Strulowitz
Risk is an inherent part of the business game. However, the level of risk and skills involved in playing professional power are very different from those required to win a lottery. To win in business, you must take smart risks while conducting thorough research and proactively managing assets. But let's hear what Isaac Strulowitz has to say about mitigating financial risk.Isaac is a finance professional with over 10 years of experience. He is a Partner and Chief Financial Officer at CoVenture. Prior to this, Isaac worked in Real Estate Finance for The Blackstone Group. His first professional roles were at EY, where he started as an Intern.In this episode, we discuss:- Balancing risk and reward- Smart risk-taking and mitigation- Integrating judgment, experience, and data- Avoiding common mistakes in fast-growing businessesLearn more about Isaac:Isaac Strulowitz on LinkedInCoVenture WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Dec 5, 2023 • 43min
Unmasking Time Theft by Making Work Visible with James Kennedy
Your team may seem busy, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are being productive. They may be working hard but not necessarily smart, often spending time on ineffective tasks. These are known as "time thieves," silently hurting your business productivity. However, according to James Kennedy, "Making Work Visible" can help combat these time thieves. Today, he will be sharing some insights with us.James is a well-versed entrepreneur, currently dedicated to assisting finance teams by providing a wealth of resources, including educational content, podcasts, videos, and specialized software. His entrepreneurial journey includes founding and managing companies like Piehole and Smartnote, building on his earlier experience as a Contract Engineer at Arantech.In this episode, we discuss:- The importance of "Making Work Visible" for enhancing team productivity- How to identify and mitigate "time thieves"- The 15-minute daily stand-up meeting productivity hack- Strategies for harmonizing expectations with realityLearn more about James:- James Kennedy on LinkedIn- ProcurementExpress.com Website- RubberStamp Website- Fighting Blindness Website- Making Work Visible BookEpisode resources:- Personiv's Website- Personiv on LinkedIn- Personiv on Facebook- Personiv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:- Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts- Follow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Nov 28, 2023 • 18min
Seize Control of Your Financial Risk Management in a Tech-Driven World with Meg Johnson
Inflation, COVID-19, and AI are just a few of the many concerns that can lead to unexpected business scenarios. The ability to identify, evaluate, and mitigate these risks is crucial for an organization to navigate the uncertainties and challenges they face. In simple terms, it's all about financial risk management. And today, we have the pleasure of diving into the topic with a special guest, Meg Johnson.Meg is a Financial Services Regulatory Professional with over two decades of experience in bank regulation, risk management, operational strategies, and strategic planning. Currently, she serves as the CFO at Terra State Community College. Before that, Meg was the Executive VP and Deputy Chief Risk Officer at S&T Bank and the VP of Community and Regional Supervision at the Federal Reserve System.In this episode, we discuss:- Strategies for effective financial risk management- How to cultivate a culture of integrity in financial risk management- The role data, analytics, and technology in financial risk managementLearn more about Meg:Meg Johnson, MBA, EdD on LinkedInTerra State Community College WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Nov 21, 2023 • 36min
The Art of Financial Storytelling: Turning Your Financial Data into Engaging Stories
Whether it's sharing ideas, persuading stakeholders, or driving action, clear and engaging communication is crucial. Storytelling is the tool financial professionals need to master to enhance their communication. To better explore the power of financial storytelling, its impact on driving action, and how it can improve communication in the financial industry, we speak to Soufyan Hamid.Soufyan is an experienced FP&A expert based in Belgium who founded SouFBP to offer specialized support to businesses looking for temporary or independent financial management solutions. Before that, he held the roles of Finance Business Partner at Proximus and Manager at Deloitte Belgium.In this episode, we discuss:The power of financial storytellingWhy financial professionals need to nail storytellingWhat skills do you need to be a good financial storytellerHow to transform financial reality into great storiesDesigning engaging financial presentationsLearn more about Soufyan:Soufyan Hamid on LinkedInSouFPB WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Nov 14, 2023 • 37min
The Rise of Embedded Finance with Daniel Yubi
Embedded finance, finance business partnering, and collaboration between CFOs and product teams - a trio every business must fully grasp and master to succeed in the complex financial landscape of the 21st century. To learn more about them, we spoke to Daniel Yubi, the CEO of Payable.Daniel holds the prestigious Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa, a distinction conferred upon only 200 global tech innovators by TechNation in collaboration with the UK Home Office. Before Payable, Daniel's career trajectory included his participation in the On Deck Fintech Fellowship, a tenure as Senior Product Manager at Checkout.com, and a role as Product Manager at Curve.In this episode, we discuss:The role of embedded financeThe potential of finance business partneringCollaboration between CFOs and product teamsKey compliance strategies for marketplace financial operationsLearn more about Daniel:Daniel Yubi on LinkedInPayable WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Nov 7, 2023 • 26min
How Fintech Is Revolutionizing Finance: Insights from Rebecca Bacon
In recent years, the landscape of financial services has experienced a profound transformation, primarily driven by the rise of Fintech. The industry has expanded beyond the traditional borders of banking and lending, paving the way for innovative players in the market, such as Upgrade. Today, we speak with the company's VP and Head of Financial Institutions about how Upgrade leverages Fintech to deliver a seamless digital experience that outshines the offerings of classic banks and credit unions.Rebecca Bacon serves as the VP and Head of Financial Institutions at Upgrade, where she leads the company's nationwide engagement with various financial entities, ranging from smaller credit unions with assets of $30 million to major banks with assets up to $200 billion. Under her leadership, Rebecca's team has recently expanded its services to include deposit liquidity solutions for its network of over 200 partners, providing match-funding solutions for financial institutions with deposit pressure.In this episode, we discuss:How fintech disrupts the financial industryWhat is a flow program?Frictionless digital experiencesThe role of AI in FintechThe future of Fintech in financial servicesLearn more about Rebecca:Rebecca Bacon on LinkedInUpgrade WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Oct 31, 2023 • 38min
Breaking Spreadsheet Boundaries for Next-Gen Finance Analysis with Bobby Pinero
Financial analysis is key to making informed decisions and building strategic plans. It empowers organizations to accurately measure their financial health, identify trends, and make informed decisions for growth and profitability. However, traditional financial analysis tools can be time-consuming, error-prone, and inefficient. This is where modern tools like Equals come into play, which attempts to build a spreadsheet for this era's work. And today, we speak with the company's CEO and Co-Founder, Bobby Pinero.Bobby has a decade of experience as an analyst. His most significant contribution was during his nearly 8-year tenure at Intercom, where he played an essential role in establishing and expanding the Finance, Analytics, and Business Operations departments. When Bobby started at Intercom, the company was under $1M ARR and had a team of around 20 people. By the time he left, the company had grown to approximately $200M ARR and 700 employees.In this episode, we discuss:How Equals reinvents spreadsheetsThe importance of high-level financial modelingEntrepreneurship and FinanceThe power of learning SQL for financeLearn more about Bobby:Bobby Pinero on LinkedInEquals WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Oct 24, 2023 • 27min
A New Frontier in the Payment Industry with Chermaine Hu
If there's one thing we can be sure about technology, it's growing crazy fast, and it's impacting every industry. But we wanted to understand what changes the new wave of tech brought to the fintech sector. And we have found the right person for that, so please welcome Chermaine Hu.In her role at Episode Six, Chermaine oversees global finance and accounting operations, in addition to managing M&A and investor relations. Before this, she served as the CFO of Rêv Worldwide and worked as an M&A Banker with Morgan Stanley in both London and New York.In this episode, we discuss:Modernizing the payment technologyThe power of technology in financeBuilding a global fintech startupThe role of CFO in a fintech startupEmpowering women in fintechLearn more about Chermaine:Chermaine Hu on LinkedInEpisode Six WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Oct 17, 2023 • 42min
How AI Is Changing the CFO Playbook with Ashwath Bhat
In the past year, AI has taken center stage, leaving a profound impact on most industries, and finance is no exception. By integrating AI tools, financial institutions have completely transformed their operations, increasing their efficiency and growth… but at what cost? To explore the role and impact of AI in finance, we discussed with Ashwath Bhat.Ashwath Bhat serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Fractal. With over twenty years of experience in global finance across multiple markets, he has a proven track record of collaborating with industry leaders to enhance financial outcomes. His expertise lies in FP&A, strategic planning, M&As, commercial finance, pricing strategies, treasury management, and in-depth financial analysis. Before Fractal, he served in various leadership roles at Nielsen, IBM, and GE.In this episode, we discuss:The role of AI in financeLeveraging AI for efficient decision-makingThe evolving role of CFOs in the age of AIData privacy and cybersecurityLearn more about Ashwath:Ashwath Bhat on LinkedInFractal WebsiteEpisode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on how to follow, rate, and review CFO Weekly are here.Episode resources:Personiv's WebsitePersoniv on LinkedInPersoniv on FacebookPersoniv on TwitterIf you enjoyed this episode, then please either:Follow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyInstructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzieCheck out some of our most recent episodes:Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermottWhy CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire BramleyWhy Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris MilesNGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilvaWhat Lights You Up? with Jordan GrumetBecome a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William WashingtonIf you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guestCFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
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