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Leading finance at a publicly held company is more than just numbers—it is about vision, leadership and building strong teams. Jack McCullough welcomes Lauren StClair, former CFO of NerdWallet, to the Secrets of Rockstar CFOs podcast to discuss how she led the personal finance technology company through its IPO while maintaining its core values of transparency and innovation. Lauren will be one of the keynote speakers at our Spring CFO Leadership Conference in Boston on June 2-4.On this podcast, recorded before Lauren left NerdWallet for another career opportunity, Lauren shares her unique journey from Stanford athlete to finance leader, highlighting…
While the West and Southwest remain prime locations for manufacturing and tech companies, the semiconductor industry is growing rapidly in several states. Chip manufacturers are investing billions in Arizona, Texas and Oregon. Meanwhile, Samsung’s growing project in Austin now ranks as one of the largest economic development deals in U.S. history.1. Texas* Samsung Doubles Down in Austin Everything is big in Texas, and Samsung is going all-in on Austin to develop one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing campuses. In April 2024, the Korean company announced it is making a $45 billion investment in the region for a second fabrication plant,…
Will Trump derail the economy? perhaps. Will Trump create a golden age for American manufacturing? perhaps. Will we fall into a recession? perhaps. Will your business flourish despite the headwinds? Again, maybe.If it all sounds like Buddhism, apologise. But “maybe” might be the real thing we can say about the current wild moment. Without a doubt, there is a lot of the volatility and uncertainty that is currently brought about by Magazine Washington, which has left many people nervous.It's a good moment to remember what you know (and perhaps more than once): In all times of radical change, some companies…
Many international companies have withdrawn their cross-border list of US stock exchanges over the past few years, but few have been based in Italy. 75-year-old industrial companies like Stevanato Group were 75-year-old industrial companies like Pharma, Biotech, Life Sciences Industries' manufacturers of glass vials, syringes and other products. Stevanato was published on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2021 and raised $672 million. The CFO says the PADUA-based company built the infrastructure, assembled talent and documentation, and refined the process six months before the IPO. As many private companies wait to list on the wings (although recent market slump…
Match your vision. Mark Fields, former CEO of Ford Motor and current senior advisor at TPG Capital, said it “contains a specific lever for value creation with investors very clearly and in advance about value creation plans.” “It's really important to have a clear understanding of 'What is my mission?' ”Field also recommended a boning-down of the types of questions investors are asking and how to ask them. “You're probably considering reporting about your business or making innovative investments through new adjacencies, so think about sprinkling it on.” These kinds of positive responses tell investors that “this CEO knows not…
As boards navigate an increasingly complex business landscape, ensuring the right mix of skills and perspectives in the boardroom has never been more critical. However, a persistent challenge remains: while boards recognize the need for fresh expertise and strategic oversight, turnover remains low and outdated skills persist. What’s preventing boards from evolving at the pace of business, and how can they foster a culture of continuous renewal?To explore these pressing issues, we turned to Julie Daum, North American Board and CEO Practice Co-Leader, and George Anderson, North American Board Effectiveness Leader. In the following conversation, they unpack the key findings…
About 20 years ago, he took on a series of corporate roles before hooking up Sara Daw, co-founder of the CFO Center. “I had to have a fulfilling career and raise a family,” she says. [corporate world]. “After starting as part-time finance director (the UK version of CFO), she couldn't realize that she didn't need her expertise and couldn't realize that she couldn't make a CFO full-time earning,” says Daw. She currently leads an organization with 800 fractional CFOs in 18 countries, so she is at the forefront of the trend of CFOs opting out of traditional employment and working…
Artificial intelligence is disrupting industries at a pace we've never seen before, making some corporate strategies obsolete before they can take root. Trade tensions and tariffs threaten rattle supply chains and suffocate growth. Nationalism and populism are restructuring global markets and disrupting long-term plans. result? Many businesses and their employees are stuck in defense rather than attacks. Employers are postponing frozen employment, reduced training budgets and innovation efforts. Employees are beginning to stay in place and it's too scary to quit the job they have for the unknown. That's a mistake. Now is the opposite time. It involves training investments,…
It's accurate to say that FP&A software doesn't have a dominant player. According to popular sampling, the top five tools have a total market share of just 13%. But it doesn't count all the most commonly used FP&A tools, namely spreadsheets. “The biggest reason people come back to spreadsheets, whether it's Excel or another brand, is flexibility,” says FP&A Guy, a podcaster, FP&A Trainer and Sealth Leader (the first expert in this category). Spreadsheets are ubiquitous and at FP&A, according to a benchmark survey by the Association of Financial Professionals, acts as the “most common denominator” used to connect data…
Strong financial leadership can shape the success of any organization, and Amy Butte, CFO of Navan, exemplifies this with her vast expertise and emboldened vision.Amy joins host Jack McCullough in a conversation that dives into the evolving role of CFOs, the importance of mentorship and strategies for building a world-class finance team. Amy shares her career journey from how she got her start on Wall Street to why she accepted the CFO job at Navan last year after serving a short time as a board member. She also explains why young CFOs should take every opportunity to network.To book a…