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Thirty years ago, if you told a CFO that being the steward of their organization's data was a strategic responsibility, they might have found it difficult to imagine. Not so today. A single source of truth, enabled by robust data management and governance, remains a goal that most organizations strive for. But getting there is essential to building the foundation for forming and guiding smart business strategies.To discuss how CFOs are progressing beyond financial gatekeepers to data stewards, our Katie Kuehner-Hebert joins Aaron Levine, CFO of Toronto-based FP&A platform company Prophix. I spoke to him. As a finance executive at…
While Sho-Joung Kim-Wechsler was finding success in her finance career, with roles at Deloitte, PwC and more, she knew her true passion was in the art world. Now, as the founder of XVERSO.IO, a premium digital art marketplace, Kim-Wechsler lives in the intersection of art, technology and business. Transitioning to entrepreneurship comes with its own challenges. In this episode, Jack McCullough sits down with Kim-Wechsler to discuss how her finance background informs her decisions as a small business leader, the tricky balancing act of risk and how XVERSO.IO is revolutionizing the art marketplace.Listen by clicking below. The Q&A, lightly trimmed…
We recently taught and spoke to over 100 future leaders from around the world. Based on our interactions, we believe two major societal trends are creating challenges for both them as young professionals and for you, their leaders. · Success culture. The amount of recognition and recognition given to highly successful people in many fields varies dramatically compared to an “average” or “highly successful” person. For example, elite athletes, entertainers, influencers, founders, investors, and CEOs are making many times more than in the past at very young ages. · Comparative culture. The rise of instant global communication has created an…
Our Board of Directors is made up of experienced and talented people who know how to ask the tough questions, are capable of constructive discussions, and are passionate about steering the company in the right direction. That should ultimately lead to timely and wise decisions…right? Not always. As experienced directors know, even boards with top talent and the best intentions can fall prey to biases, entrenched thinking, and internal dynamics that prevent effective decision-making. . “Problematic group dynamics affect all kinds of teams,” Paul DeNicola, principal at PwC's Governance Insights Center, told the assembled audience. CBM's recent Board of Directors…
This article is an excerpt from AI Mastery for Finance Professional.sa new book by Glenn Hopper, published by Readers Press. Copyright © 2024. Mr. Hopper will be the keynote speaker at the Finance & Accounting Technology Expo in New York on October 30th. OpenAI, a leading research organization and technology company specializing in the development of artificial intelligence, has outlined five steps for artificial intelligence that are very representative of the direction the industry is heading. Founded in December 2015, OpenAI is focused on how artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity. Known for breakthrough technologies such as ChatGPT and DALL-E,…
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…
After a proxy season with the lowest say-on-pay failure rate since 2017, compensation committees could be forgiven for being relatively optimistic about the 2025 voting season. But scrutiny of investor compensation practices has grown just as intense. A closer look at the 2024 proxy season highlights how investors and proxy advisors continue to have high expectations of companies of all industries and sizes when it comes to paid program design and decision-making. . Research into the outcomes of companies that have struggled to receive Say on Pay support this year shows the need for stronger disclosures around remuneration, particularly in…
To paraphrase a 1980s commercial, “This is not your father's business landscape.” We live in a world of constant change. This reality led to changes in all C-suite positions, but no one experienced a CFO transformation. Therefore, it's time to throw out the old playbook. Modern CFOs face a variety of challenges that require fresh perspectives, innovative thinking, and a willingness to embrace new paradigms. Here are 12 unconventional strategies every CFO should adopt to succeed in today's environment and ensure their organization is future-ready. 1. Adopt a startup mentality Startup culture has redefined the pace of innovation. CFOs can…
In June 2016, world psychiatryThe official journal of the World Psychiatric Association has published an online article to help you understand the experience of burnout. “Burnout is a psychological syndrome that manifests as a long-term response to chronic interpersonal stressors at work. Three major aspects of this response are overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, cynicism and disengagement from work, and and a sense of helplessness and lack of accomplishment.The importance of this three-dimensional model is that it clearly places an individual's experience of stress within a social context, involving both the person's concept of self and others. That’s it.” Eight years…
Innovation is a tricky beast. Everyone talks about it, but few people know how to grow it, and even fewer know how not to kill it. Some of the world's most innovative companies, like Pixar, understand that innovation is more than just shiny new ideas. It's about dismantling outdated beliefs that stifle creativity before it has a chance. Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull realized that a few stubborn business ideas act like a dam, blocking the flow of innovative new ideas. And it wasn't just Pixar. From tech giants to startups, these four outdated management beliefs (beliefs you've probably never thought…