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Atsushi Kitamura manages a myriad of challenging responsibilities as CFO of global life science company Astellas Pharma, namely balancing global complexity with strategic clarity. Kitamura has honed his leadership skills through a career spanning industries from food services to consumer goods to car electronics—and by sticking to his principles. “I always set my principle, which is Genba, Genjitsu and Genbutsu. It’s in Japanese, but translated into English, [it means] go to the real battlefield, reality, and focus on the real issues, speak to the real people, don’t just sit down in a meeting in the office…spend time in the real…
Anshuman Yadav is a Chicago-based finance leader who provides fractional CFO services to companies. He has worked in AI, M&A as a startup founder and for large organizations. In other words, in the midst of today's most pressing financial situation. No matter what stage of growth an organization is in, whether it's acquiring funding or allocating funding, Yadav has learned a clear message for finance leaders: That means “be bold.” What are the principles you use to make capital allocation decisions today, whether you're a large technology company or an early-stage startup? I treat capital allocation as a reflection of…
To remain effective, today's directors must redefine governance itself. Tracking results is no longer enough. We need to increase accountability and examine the very processes, biases, and power relationships that shape our decisions. The data suggests we have work left to do. A prestigious annual survey of corporate directors has found for the first time that more than half of directors think someone on the board should be replaced. This “status quo” is not working. It doesn't work for the organization and certainly not for the directors themselves. Almost 90% of those surveyed in PwC's 2025 Annual Corporate Director Survey…
Financial technology has finally come of age. But that doesn't mean recognizing that opportunity isn't a process. What are the top steps financial leaders should take to maximize today's potential? Make sure your team is appropriately upskilled. That's one of the comments made by veteran finance leader Josette Leslie, CFO of Contentstack, an Austin, Texas-based company that provides a digital content management platform for brands, in a conversation with CFO Leadership. Leslie talks about which technology excites her the most, how CFOs can best leverage it, and the financial leadership lessons she's learning along the way. Today's CFOs are responding…
Raj Gupta, veteran of 15 public company boards, including Hewlett-Packard, DuPont, Tyco, Arconic, Airgas and Delphi/Aptiv, will be the closing keynote speaker at our annual Director’s Forum retreat in Scottsdale, AZ, March 3-4, 2026. Join us: boardmember.com/directorsforum Raj Gupta has seen enough boardrooms to know when something fundamental has shifted. Over four decades, he built a career at specialty materials company Rohm and Haas, rising to chairman and CEO before navigating its sale to Dow Chemical during the 2008 financial crisis. He’s served on 15 public company boards— Hewlett-Packard, DuPont, Tyco, Arconic, Airgas, Avantor—holding long-term chair positions at Delphi/Aptiv for…
Since April 2025, the Trump administration has been negotiating bilateral trade agreements country by country. The pattern is clear. Countries with trade surpluses are being asked to allow their currencies to appreciate towards parity as part of discussions on tariffs and market access. This is not a dollar devaluation. This is a currency fix that is negotiated one country at a time. In April 2025, the administration explicitly included the “currency issue” in negotiations with Japan. The euro appreciated by 13% in 2025, and the renminbi by 4.3%. The yen rose from 160 yen to the dollar at the beginning…
Since April 2025, the Trump administration has been negotiating bilateral trade agreements country by country. The pattern is clear. Countries with trade surpluses are being asked to allow their currencies to appreciate towards parity as part of discussions on tariffs and market access. This is not a dollar devaluation. This is a currency fix that is negotiated one country at a time. In April 2025, the administration explicitly included the “currency issue” in negotiations with Japan. The euro appreciated by 13% in 2025, and the renminbi by 4.3%. The yen rose from 160 yen to the dollar at the beginning…
Recently, corporate strategy has shifted from the traditional emphasis on expansion to one that emphasizes precision. Across the industry, executives are reconsidering their portfolio strategies and asking tough questions about what should and should not be included at the core of their strategies. As a result, carve-outs increase dramatically. In fact, most carve-outs are not driven by a strategic deck, but by the realization that strategic focus is spread too thinly across too many priorities. As a result, organizations are spinning out or selling non-core businesses. Carve-out transactions themselves are not new. I can count many such transactions in my…
AI is reshaping strategy, risk, and governance in every region of the world. Join the impactful conversation about how boards around the world are approaching AI adoption, oversight, and ethical decision-making. This session will focus on the global trends that directors need to understand now and the key questions every board should be asking as AI accelerates.What you'll learn:How global boards are integrating AI into strategic decision-makingKey regulatory trends shaping board responsibilitiesOpportunities and risks that AI brings to organizations todayPractical guidance for boards leading AI-driven transformation Guest speaker: james hurley James Harley is a leading governance expert and product innovator…
The fractional CFO role comes with its own unique set of challenges—working with numerous clients, shifting between a variety of skillsets depending on their needs and the requisite leap of faith of becoming your own boss. But the job isn’t without strategic perks: “The advantage of being a fractional is that you’re not too close to the fire,” says Michaella Gallina, former CFO of Toronto-based fintech Wave who pivoted to become a fractional CFO. “You can see the whole landscape.“ Gallina discusses her transition to a fractional CFO role, the nuances versus traditional CFO positions and what she has learned…