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Editor's note: Julie Averill is the former vice president and global chief information officer at lululemon, where she led the technology transformation that grew the company's revenue from $2 billion to more than $10 billion. As we scale up [lululemon]the pressure to innovate faster has increased. New features, new markets, new guest experiences. The demands were relentless. Conventional wisdom says you need to create an innovation team. Provide space independent of operating pressure. Let them explore new technologies without being constrained by production systems. So we tried it. We created a small team and gave them great freedom of thought.…

Cyber resilience is no longer optional—it’s mission-critical for every modern organization. As CFO of Commvault, Jennifer DiRico is helping shape the future of how companies protect, rebuild and grow after cyber threats. In this episode, DiRico opens up about her journey from working in her family’s car wash to leading finance at one of the world’s top data security and AI firms. She reflects on the decade-long ride at Toast that led to its IPO, the mentors who shaped her as a leader and how she’s driving durable growth at Commvault through innovation and trust. Listen by clicking below. The…

Despite all the talk about disruption and reinvention, most CEOs still lead companies whose revenues are heavily tied to what they are already doing and have been doing for a long time. Recently chief executive In a survey of 315 US CEOs, 58% said less than 10% of their company's current revenue comes from products and services they didn't offer five years ago. Currently, only one in four say at least 20% of their revenue comes from new products. That doesn't mean CEOs are against innovation. Looking ahead three to five years, 77% said expanding into new categories, markets and…

When startups expand beyond the seed stage and raise significant venture capital to accelerate growth, resources in finance often take a backseat to sales and marketing. Jon Anderson, CFO of Bozeman, Montana-based B2C clearing and payment provider Payouts Network, talks about how he grew the finance function of his Series A company as it rapidly expanded, and what CFOs at other startups can learn from his experience. What key lessons can other early-stage CFOs take away from your experience? Series A is a special time in a company's lifecycle. The company probably has a product and has some interest in…

Members of the boards of U.S. public companies feel the current business environment is better than it was three months ago, even though most of the issues weighing on business, from geopolitics and trade policy to macroeconomic uncertainty and market volatility, remain largely unresolved. However, their increased confidence does not suggest a clear upward trend in the second half of 2026. in corporate directorIn Diligent Institute's second-quarter Director Confidence Index, conducted June 3-8, directors rated current business conditions at 5.9 out of 10, up from 5.6 in the first quarter. This 6% improvement returns the Board Current Rating to the…

The pressure to grow is relentless. The environment is not helping. Tariff disruption, volatile consumer confidence, and AI are reshaping purchasing behavior faster than most organizations can absorb. But we are beginning to see a clearer picture of how we will overcome this period and emerge victorious. Technology can accelerate almost anything, but sustainable growth belongs to companies that treat trusted relationships as their most defensible competitive asset. That was the thread that was flowing chief executive2026 Growth Summit to be held in Nashville. Here are some of the things the participants took home. The product needs to get marketing.…

It's no wonder that the finance and accounting function is undergoing rapid transformation. But what are the biggest changes to watch out for, and how can financial leaders respond? John Raffaele, global head of finance and accounting operations at Emapta, an outsourcing and offshore staffing company based in the Philippines with offices in major U.S. cities, has some thoughts. Finance and accounting burnout is on the rise. What changes should CFOs and company leaders make now to prevent talent loss and reduce pressure on overworked staff? Mandatory billable hour pressures and increased workload demands are challenging experienced and seasoned professionals,…

The legal risks facing companies in 2026 present a shifting, and in some ways unexpected, focus for CEOs. Overall dispute volumes are plateauing—but the cases that do go to trial are producing much higher verdicts. Regulatory actions have shifted with state regulators filling enforcement gaps left by federal agencies pulling back. Reverse discrimination claims are rising, reshaping how companies need to think about their diversity programs and hiring practices. And the AI tools companies adopted to drive efficiency are generating a new category of liability. In January, Norton Rose Fulbright released its annual Litigation Trends Survey, which revealed that only…

Kate Gulliver has been Wayfair's CFO for four years. But she has effectively worked for five different companies under the same roof. There was a story of a pre-IPO toddler, a super-growth rocket ship, a COVID-19 boom, a post-COVID-19 hangover, and now a pivot to growth. Add to this six years of running a human resources function, and you have one of the more unusual and profitable executive trajectories in American business. She shared what she learned at the CFO Leadership Council's 2026 Spring Leadership Conference in Boston. Survival reveals everything. When Wayfair finally decided to turn a profit, every…

Jennifer Langton has built a career through strategic pivots. Beginning in the finance sector, eventually earning the CFO seat at Atari, Langton switched gears for an operational role as senior vice president of player health innovation at the NFL. Now, she’s become a strategic advisor to organizations undergoing transformations of their own. She credits her time as an athlete for the mindset that helped her succeed, no matter the title. At 13, she was the only female player on an all boy’s lacrosse team, and went on to join the Youth Hall of Fame in Long Island and play for…