Seasoned finance professional Melissa Howatson is so passionate about the role finance plays in helping organizations reach their potential that she hosts a podcast about it, The CFO Show . Howatson, CFO of Toronto-based Vena Solutions, has extensive experience in finance and consulting. In 2021, she served as CFO and Director of D2L, leading the global learning technology company's IPO.
Houtson, a certified public accountant, launched The CFO Show in September 2023 for two reasons. Her most valuable learning experiences came from listening to the biographies of other financial executives, for example. Second, “I have had great mentors and joining CFO Group has provided me with a wealth of knowledge. Financial professionals can gain similar insights from a wide range of experienced individuals. I wanted to create a platform,” she says.
Our Katie Kuehner-Hebert spoke to Howatson about why full-time CFOs are starting a podcast and how the program can benefit finance leaders.
Did you have any experience with podcasting before launching The CFO Show?
It was a personal challenge. I was excited about the idea, but it was outside my comfort zone. I always want to push my limits and that's what drove me to start the CFO Show.
What kind of listeners do you want to reach?
My goal is to reach a broad audience in the financial industry. Early career professionals can benefit from the knowledge and insights shared by guests. The show also provides an opportunity for experienced professionals to stay on top of trends and gain a fresh perspective.
Additionally, anyone interested in the operational side of business or looking to develop business and financial acumen to advance their career will find valuable content.
What topics will you cover?
The CFO Show covers a wide range of topics relevant to finance professionals. Dive into how technologies like AI are impacting this sector. Learn strategies and FP&A best practices to effectively scale your finance operations. It's important to understand and utilize key business metrics, so we'll cover them as well.
We explore capital markets and their influence, as well as talent acquisition strategies to attract Gen Z to finance. Economic forecasting will also be covered. The importance of cybersecurity in today's world is not lost on us. We'll deal with that too.
Beyond these key financial topics, we also have a special 'Business Partnership Series'. I interview executives such as CIOs, CTOs, CMOs, CROs, CHROs, and CEOs. The goal is to explore how the finance department can best collaborate with other departments. These interviews often reveal what executives want finance to know about their areas of expertise and foster better collaboration across the organization.
What do you get from hosting a podcast?
I can personally take away a few things. It's a great learning opportunity. Meeting seasoned guests with diverse experiences allows me to constantly learn and grow from their insights. The challenge of developing new topics, preparing interviews, and making comments keeps me intellectually stimulated.
Plus, hearing about our guests' experiences and advice for other finance executives will inspire you to further your leadership journey. Podcasts encourage you to reflect on your career and share those reflections with your audience. That process of self-reflection is valuable to me.
On a broader scale, expanding the experience and sparking thought-provoking discussion across the financial community is incredibly motivating. It is about coming together and becoming stronger as we all walk our professional journeys.
Hosting this show is also a nice change of pace from my day-to-day CFO role. Thanks to it, you can explore different avenues and use different skill sets.
And I'll tell you, when the kids come home and say, “Mom, did you know that the person you were talking about was the CFO of the Kansas City Chiefs or Microsoft Americas?” I feel satisfied. It has a subtle impact on their perception of the financial sector.
