“I've seen a huge change in finance and IT. Previously, I felt more transactions. I was in charge of finance, focusing on systems and support, budget and forecasting,” says Kathryn Eskandarian, Visual Lease CFO. Now she touches on almost every part of the business, and it has something to do with finance and what it is much more collaborative and strategic.
Eskandarian oversees it on Lease Management's online platform (acquired by Costar Group in 2024), but she emphasizes it's more of a partnership. In an interview with author Katie Kuehner-Hebert, Eskandarian discusses that he has an open and transparent dialogue with it, and that he chooses an IT system that links financial data to actual outcomes.
As the CFO overseeing it, what are the most impactful steps financial leaders can take to promote stronger collaboration with technical functions?
What makes a difference is building relationships based on trust and shared goals. Neither of them need to be experts in their counterpart's world, but each one needs to understand where decisions overlap, whether it's cost modeling, data governance, or systems architecture.
Bringing it early in planning and budget conversations and having an open and transparent dialogue makes a real difference. When finance and it operates as a true partner, it becomes much easier to scale smartly and move your business forward with confidence.
Many financial leaders are expected to do more with less. How did you balance your business positioning and operational efficiency for long-term success?
Efficiency initiatives could tempt CFOs to reduce costs widely. In my experience, real efficiency comes from thinking about how to use automation to reduce friction while protecting investments that help finance leaders shrink their lines.
When evaluating technical options, I like to stay a few steps ahead. Does the solution make sense when your business grows significantly or expands to new markets? The advanced guides decisions about budgets, systems and team structure. Tools like operational dashboards and scenario modeling keep things on track without compromising flexibility.
Equally important is to stay closely connected to the partners of the business as a whole, especially it. The tools we choose today need to continue working for us for tomorrow.
Trends at the forefront of your mind, and how do they shape visual leasing decisions and leadership?
Recently I was thinking [external] The ability to influence business strategy. Three things continue: economic uncertainty, the pace of new technology [development] And of course, ai. Each one is woven with an extra thread of complexity, but opens the door to opportunity.
Technology plays a bigger role. But in my experience, new tools can be adopted simply because it is shiny or the trends rarely work. I always ask: Does it help us work smarter?
Steering changes require curiosity, collaboration, smart, willingness to take risks. That's the way I'm trying to bring to every decision. Don't chase change for that.
“The future-looking KPIs are great, but only if you use them to tell stories that will help guide your decision.”
What advice would you offer to financial professionals who are aiming for a more strategic leadership role?
They need to evolve beyond reporting and cost control. Strategic partners connect deeply to the big picture of how the company grows, what drives customer value, and where to allocate future investments.
The best insights often come from analyzing numbers as well as asking the right questions. Future-looking KPIs are great, but only if you use them to tell stories that will help guide your decision.
I always emphasize the importance of disassembling silos. The closer you work with other teams, the more you can connect your financial data to actual results. When everyone understands the “why” behind a decision, business becomes faster and smarter.
Strong communication skills are also important. The ability to distill complex data into something useful to stakeholders, boards, or investors separates great financial leaders from great leaders. Helping others understand the meaning of numbers is a way that becomes essential in the room where strategies are set.
