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I recently got early access to Claude for Financial Services 2.0 and felt like I had a glimpse of the future of financial workflows. I ran a revenue quality review in about 30 minutes. Same file, same logic, no normal scrambling. One window remained open while the rest of the noise died down, and the work progressed in a straight line rather than the usual zigzag of tabs and footnotes. Claude reviewed the 10-K, reviewed the debt schedule, uncovered the revenue recognition changes, and organized the findings in a way that I could take directly to the deal team. The…
“Finance should enable growth, not hinder it.” That's the focus of Darian Hong, CFO of Calero, a Rochester, New York-based company that provides technology business management solutions. He was appointed CFO in January 2024 and brings a wealth of experience from previous roles at companies such as Velocify, WebPT, and Act!. and Raintree Systems. Hong shares how finance leaders can help their organizations build scale from day one. You've led the finance departments of a number of high-growth SaaS companies. What are the most important lessons you've learned about building a finance function that scales effectively, and what do you…
The year 2026 started with several events that caused major changes in the market. U.S. military action in Venezuela and threatening actions against other South American countries, uncertainty over the death of a protester during a civil unrest in Iran, and the U.S. Department of Justice opening a criminal investigation against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell are among the events that are scaring investors around the world. Company board members need to be aware that shareholders may be a little nervous over the coming months, and nervous investors are likely to approach directors with their concerns. Boards will come under…
Editor’s Note: Raj Gupta will keynote the Directors Forum in Scottsdale, Arizona March 3-4, 2026. It’s a working retreat for active public company directors. Connect with peers and learn from some of the top experts on board governance in the world today. Join us > A renowned Chinese philosopher once said, “If you do not change direction, you might end up where you are heading.” This timeless wisdom highlights the fundamental challenge facing multinational corporations (MNCs) today. In a world reshaped by demographic shifts, geopolitical turbulence, regulatory volatility, climate change, rapid technological innovation and economic uncertainty, sticking to the current…
Marie Myers‘ first job was planting sugarcane on her father’s plantation in far North Queensland, in a rural town with few other options for employment, and a high school education carried out mostly through correspondence. But the grit she learned from hard physical labor helped lead Myers to the corner office as executive vice president and CFO of software giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Myers joins host Jack McCullough to share her unconventional journey to leadership, navigating the complexities of AI infrastructure and her perspective on the evolution of financial leadership in the tech sector. Listen by clicking below. The Q&A,…
Most publicly traded companies hold their annual general meeting in the spring. Prior to this meeting, the company will file a proxy statement that includes the proposals that shareholders will be asked to vote on, how the board believes shareholders should vote on each proposal, detailed information supporting the recommendation, and other information required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Most of these proposals are governance-related, such as director selection, but many companies are required to hold “salary” votes on executive compensation programs. Say-on-pay became mandatory in 2010 and has since received significant attention from investors, the media, and corporate…
Compensation committees are required to monitor far more than executive compensation. In recent years, their mandate has expanded to include talent development, succession planning, culture, diversity and broader human capital oversight. Many companies have responded by creating dashboards and standard reports, which, while useful, are insufficient. To truly fulfill their governance role and drive strategic value, committees must move beyond oversight to discuss and shape how human capital drives the long-term success of the organization. The focus of a best-in-class compensation committee should be on identifying key strategic priorities or challenges in human capital areas that have a real impact…
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has announced its final policy updates for the 2026 voting season (substantially adopting the proposed changes outlined in our previous article). Some of the changes refine existing expectations, while others reflect changes in how companies are evaluated on remuneration, governance and shareholder responsiveness. While business strategy should always come first when developing appropriate executive compensation programs, companies may need to consider how future disclosures regarding such programs may be affected by evolving ISS policies and investor expectations. A long-term view of pay-for-performance: Moving to 5 years One of the most important developments is the amendment to…
A clearly defined compensation philosophy is a key input for effective compensation design. Not only does it serve as the basis for almost all compensation decisions, it is also a valuable tool for communicating internally and externally the company's values and goals and how they are reflected in employee compensation. And despite its importance, compensation philosophy can be overlooked as a component of a compensation plan or simply a simple check-the-box exercise. Indeed, like mission statements, philosophy statements are somewhat abstract and evolve (or update), requiring companies to consider complex questions that may not have clear answers. This is no…
introduction Executive compensation must first and foremost reflect the company's performance and create alignment with shareholders. Although market data, proxy advisor frameworks, and disclosure expectations are relevant inputs, they are secondary. The real value of incentive compensation lies in its ability to strengthen strategy, shape management behavior, and support long-term value creation. Incentive plans that include intentionally crafted short-term and long-term components can be a strategic tool to focus leaders' attention and reinforce business priorities. When the plan's structure and mechanisms reflect a company's unique strategy, organizational context, and leadership approach, incentive compensation becomes a meaningful tool for translating business…