With the increase of blockchain technologies, Rakib has some words of wisdom for financial leaders trying to navigate this complex financial system:

- Web3, using blockchain, allows for smart contracts to replace the middlemen of finance operations.

- The crypto market democratizes otherwise exclusive and elitist markets.

- More impoverished areas of the world could soon be hotbeds of economic activity.

- The lack of formal regulation means that much of the crypto market is more volatile in the face of market uncertainty.

As technology continues to evolve, finance leaders must adapt to new systems.

Rakib Azad - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakibazad/

Chainalysis Inc. - https://www.chainalysis.com/

Ken Boyd - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-boyd-28616317/

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#businessfinance #financeinnovation 

Simone has a diverse background and has worked for organizations with headquarters across the globe. These experiences taught him invaluable lessons about the current global market and he is here to touch on the following:

- Having a team with different backgrounds is a unique problem-solving asset.

- The world is rapidly shifting and international workforces are becoming the norm.

- CFOs should be intimately involved with the integration of new acquisitions.

- Global expansion opens up new markets for revenue as well as new talent pools.

- A workforce composed of multiple nationalities offers insights into different national markets and regulatory standards.

Simone’s journey is a lesson in navigating an increasingly globalized economy.

G-P - https://www.globalization-partners.com/#gref

The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=TheSaaSCFO&utm_campaign=ProfileLink

#businessfinance #financeinnovation 

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Wayne’s journey from internal auditor to financial leader within the technology industry has taught him valuable lessons about balancing an organization’s assets:

- Professional mentorship is essential to developing successful financial leaders.

- Technology should be used to automate time-intensive manual tasks.

- All team members should have access to professional development resources.

- Efficient workflows merge the best parts of people and technology.

- Understanding every asset’s strengths and weaknesses is essential in leveraging tools and teams effectively.

- AI is an essential tool in merging disparate data sets.

For Wayne, the best systems put the right technology in the hands of skilled workers.

SymphonyAI - https://www.symphonyai.com/

The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=TheSaaSCFO&utm_campaign=ProfileLink

#businessfinance #financeinnovation 

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SVP, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller at Talkdesk, to discuss Nick’s career transitions and the lessons learned.

For those seeking to move from one role or industry to another, Nick offers several important principles to keep in mind:

- A CPA controller background is advantageous on the path to CFO.

- Private business offers experience in building systems from scratch and public accounting offers experience in refining existing data.

- Moving to a new industry is a great opportunity to learn new skills.

- Organizational culture should be a primary consideration when transitioning roles.

For Nick, a healthy amount of change can promote strong professional development.

Talkdesk - https://www.talkdesk.com/

The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=TheSaaSCFO&utm_campaign=ProfileLink

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices. 

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#businessfinance #financeinnovation

Guy’s background has included military service and a stint as a professional athlete. His whirlwind of a career taught him a few important principles of management:

• Interdepartmental communication is foundational to success.
• Diverse experiences help make a well-rounded leader.
• There’s always something new to learn.
• A good CFO is involved in operations.

As Guy’s journey shows, all experiences, no matter how diverse, are valuable in teaching financial leaders something new.

• Guy Melamed
• Guy Melamed - Email
• Varonis
• Varonis - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO
• The SaaS CFO - LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices. 

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#businessfinance #financeinnovation

Deepak’s career has brought him into contact with many different people and organizations from around the world. These diverse experiences have opened his eyes to new perspectives and taught him valuable lessons, which include:

• Recognizing that the “right way” may simply be one of many right ways.
• Conflict resolution between people of different backgrounds.
• Stepping out of your comfort zone often promotes growth and development.
• Understanding that language may need to be tailored to different partners.

Learning from people who are different from him has made Deepak a more knowledgeable financial leader and a more personable collaborator.

• Deepak Doegar
• GAVS Technologies
• Ken Boyd

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#businessfinance #financeinnovation

Before founding FutureView Systems, John spent a substantial portion of his early career as a financial leader based in Southeast Asia. The culture of business, standard operating procedures, and available resources were vastly different there from what he had been used to. This experience forced John to be more creative in his financial approach, and taught him a foundational idea that would guide the rest of his career: finance is a conversation.

Rather than be tethered to what the numbers themselves seem to be saying, John is a proponent of using financial data as a jumping-off point to engage in a broader conversation about the whole organization. Letting this broader conversation guide his approach to finance, instead of letting the isolated data guide the organization, has formed John into a holistic leader who recognizes the role each department has to play in shaping a business’s success. To him, an organization’s financial picture is important, but it’s not the whole story.

- John Baule - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-baule-639b142/

- FutureView Systems - https://www.futureviewsystems.com/

- FutureView Systems - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureview-systems/

- Jack McCullough - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmcculloughcfo/

- The CFO Leadership Council - https://cfoleadershipcouncil.com/

- The CFO Leadership Council - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cfoleadershipcouncil/

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Although Dave’s financial career followed a fairly traditional path right out of school, the last several years of his work have caused a shift in his mentality around data. For much of his career, data had been a siloed asset. He would receive it, use it in his projections and analytics, and its purpose would have been served.

Recently, however, Dave developed an interest in interrogating the data he was getting. Where was it coming from? Where was it flowing to? How was this data feeding back into the acquisition of more data? These qualitative questions would shift the way Dave developed his organization’s financial best practices to account for the new variables present in the data streams.

Ultimately, these best practices would be codified into a digital employee handbook. The combination of its accessibility and data-driven focus has molded Dave’s organization into a picture of pragmatic consistency. There’s seldom a misunderstanding about how to handle any given situation, because the whole company has access to, and confidence in, Dave’s best practices guide.

• Dave Storer
• ConstructConnect
• ConstructConnect - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

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The lifeblood of any organization is its people. No business can achieve stability, let alone growth, without a strong team willing to grow themselves. This is something Chad has grown passionate about over the course of his career, and he dedicates much of his time to recruiting and training future leaders within Salesloft.

Chad is not only a talented financial manager but a skilled recruiter as well, and he’s developed a robust philosophy for hiring, retaining, and developing talent within his organization. Chad is constantly on the search for what he calls a “T-shaped leader” who can both dig deep into a specific area of expertise and has the curiosity and trainability to learn a host of diverse skills.

For Chad, a successful recruiting strategy starts internally, since the people with the most organizational knowledge are those most likely to promote organizational success. This emphasis on future leaders is part of Chad’s holistic FP&A strategy that looks at his company’s entire catalog of assets, including the financial leaders who will one day steer the organization in his place.

• Chad Wonderling - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-wonderling-41217b28/
• Salesloft - https://salesloft.com/
• Salesloft - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesloft/
• Ben Murray - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/
• The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/
• The SaaS CFO - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesaascfo/

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

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David is not only a talented financial manager but also a keen observer and a fast learner. Throughout his extensive career, he has paid close attention to company culture, trends in successful and failing businesses, and the character of his fellow financial leaders. He joins us in this episode and shares parts of his journey to his current role. He also provides some guiding principles that he hopes will help peers to succeed in the industry.

A common theme in David’s story is one of identity. Organizations that know their target market, their strengths, and their assets, are the ones that consistently outperform their competitors. Trying to be too many things to too many people, or entering a market you’re unequipped for, is a short road to failure.

Apart from these professional words of wisdom, David has also learned the value of nurturing healthy relationships within the workplace. These relationships are not only essential for personal fulfillment but also for financial stability.

• David Lapter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lapter-3b323a6/
• Dashlane - https://www.dashlane.com/
• Dashlane - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/dashlane/
• Ben Murray - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/
• The SaaS CFO - https://www.thesaascfo.com/?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=TheSaaSCFO&utm_campaign=ProfileLink
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesaascfo/

Use these discount codes to receive 50% off a Dashlane subscription!

• dashlanepremium50
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While Jeff has an extensive financial background, he claims his career didn’t really begin until almost two decades into it, when he discovered his passion for the private equity world. The idea of moving from business to business while provoking extraordinary growth called to him like nothing had before, but it was not without its fair share of challenges.

Jeff’s current role has him juggling the finances for three different organizations as he seeks to earn back his initial investment. Having to split focus across multiple businesses is not a challenge most CFOs encounter, but the fast pace and problem-solving nature of the job make Jeff feel right at home.

To effectively keep all his plates spinning, Jeff has learned to put a lot of trust in his various leadership teams. As he puts it, the best thing he can do for his various organizations is to hire the right leaders and then get out of their way. Relying on a talented team is fundamental to Jeff’s, or any financial leader’s, success.

• Jeff Cross
• BrandMaker
• BrandMaker - LinkedIn
• Hive9
• Hive9 - LinkedIn
• Allocadia
• Allocadia - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

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Rachita is somewhat of a growth specialist. For much of her career, she’s been a part of either building new teams from the ground up or scaling businesses to help them expand into new markets. For Rachita, financial leaders are uniquely positioned to help propel this sort of expansion, because they sit at the crossroads of so many business functions. Being able to see the whole of an organization’s operations through the lens of finance grants Rachita an important perspective on future growth opportunities.

Rachita has gone beyond this, however, and has actively sought opportunities to expand her knowledge in areas of operations, engineering, and marketing. In this way, her personal growth and professional expansion mirror the kind of scaling she hopes to bring about for her organization. It’s the consistency between her personal and organizational approach that makes her such an effective strategic partner for companies seeking to scale up. Rachita’s adaptability and desire to learn have continually been an asset not only to her career but to the businesses she’s been a part of.

• Rachita Sundar
• HubSpot
• HubSpot - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn

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Ryan initially wanted to pursue a career in music, having obtained a degree in music from the University of Alabama. While he still enjoys music as a hobby, the intricacies and complexities of managing a constantly rotating inventory of retail merchandise captivated Ryan while he was still just an operator at America’s Thrift Stores. His passion for making these complex systems run smoothly allowed him to work his way right up to the role of CFO.

Much of the time Ryan spent on his journey to his current position was dedicated to making better use of data and analytics. While the budgets and forecasts he was given seemed good on paper, in reality they were often disconnected from the daily operations of the business. Using data to make plans consistent with the reality of organizational operations has been a great achievement for Ryan.

Joining these analytics to meaningful partnerships with nonprofit collaborators makes Ryan not only a good steward of systems relationships but human relationships as well.

• Ryan Myers
• America’s Thrift Stores
• America’s Thrift Stores - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

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Barbie has been a successful financial leader for many years but her passions go far beyond her professional aspirations. To Barbie, her role as CFO has never been an end in itself but a job that makes space for her to do the things she truly cares about: serving her community and spending time with her family.

Barbie willingly left a publicly-traded company to work for a nonprofit, first a South Carolina state college and then eventually the YMCA of Greenville. This decision was motivated by a desire for a healthier work-life balance, but it also placed Barbie in a position where she could embody her own personal values in a way that advanced the mission of her organization.

Barbie’s vision and that of the YMCA in Greenville were in lockstep, making Barbie an effective agent for fulfilling the goals set forth at the YMCA. The consistency between personal and organizational values not only made Barbie an ideal worker in her role but made the YMCA better equipped to serve its community.

• Barbie Jefferson
• YMCA of Greenville
• YMCA of Greenville - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

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Adanma has a background in more than just finance. Her professional career has given her experience in project management, IT systems, and HR research. Such a diverse skill set serves her well not only in her financial management position, but also in the way she connects her role to the business at large.

Adanma understands the people that make up her organization, just as well as she understands the numbers. This knowledge allows her to build bridges between the various departments of By Light. She creates relationships between her team, the technological tools they use, and the organization at large. These relationships help to create healthy team dynamics and a work environment that caters to her staff’s needs. This, in turn, promotes staff longevity, and a more efficient business.

To Adanma, financial management is not just about understanding money. Rather, it’s about understanding the relationships between a business and all its assets, people included. Managing these assets means understanding the connection points between them, and providing the proper tools to create healthy interdepartmental relationships.

• Adanma Osuagwu
• By Light
• By Light - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

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Sarah is not only skilled in numbers and data analytics but has also developed a keen emotional intelligence. She knows how to relate those numbers and data points into a meaningful story that unites her team around a shared company vision. It’s this understanding and care for the people in her organization that have made her a talented team builder.

Sarah has a background not only in finance but also HR, and her experiences have given her a broader understanding of the interconnected pieces of her organization. She’s merged these two elements of business together in her compensation philosophy, which reflects a concern for how Tradeshift’s finances affect employee well-being.

Sarah doesn’t see herself as someone who manages both finances and people. Rather, she sees both elements as a singular asset that advances the company’s mission. No asset is an island and to see the way the pieces of an organizational puzzle work together and compliment each other is a foundational trait of the successful financial leader.

• Sarah Wilson
• Tradeshift
• Tradeshift - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn

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Karen started at Benco as an intern in the finance department. Over the better part of two decades, she worked her way up from being a staff accountant all the way to her current role as CFO. Through that journey, Karen has been able to see the transformation that Benco has gone through as it has evolved to keep up with changing times, and Karen has been able to be a part of that evolution as well.

While many might view modernization as a simple update to an organization’s tech stack or the adoption of new financial standards, Karen sees it as a more all-encompassing philosophy. To her, modernization means flexibility in company culture, hiring practices, work environment, and even the implementation of new KPIs. Society changes almost as rapidly as technology and keeping financial systems current means paying attention to the needs of the people running those systems.

Financial success requires a holistic understanding of not only the systems and technologies in place but also the human capital needed to make those assets work most effectively.

• Karen Friar
• Benco Dental
• Benco Dental - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn

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Will’s background is as both a venture investor and the CFO of private, venture-backed organizations. It gives Will a uniquely holistic understanding of the finances involved in managing a SaaS organization. He has applied this understanding to his current role at Iterable, seeking to approach the CFO role in a way that engages the entire organization and involves him in operations, sales, and other non-traditional CFO capacities.

This has allowed Will to stay on the leading edge of a role that is constantly evolving and to meet his organization’s needs in a way that a more traditional CFO might not be able to. One such need is in strategic future planning. Will is able to competently work with management teams to create financial forecasts, rather than simply analyzing past financial models, due to his willingness to engage in tasks that go beyond those that were historically expected of a CFO.

Will’s immense success with Iterable is a testament to the need for the modern CFO to be adaptable and versatile in their work.

• Will Johnson
• Iterable
• Iterable - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn

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Shahrooz thinks of himself more as a project manager than only as a CFO. He’s often directly involved in overseeing the operational side of Cal Poly Humboldt, which has offered its fair share of challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

When students transitioned to primarily online instruction, and when they began making greater use of Cal Poly Humboldt’s mental health services, Shahrooz was doing more than financial projections. He was on the front lines of building out the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the school’s needs, often measuring success with intangible metrics, like student well-being.

By bringing his resource management experience into his project oversight, Shahrooz has helped build Cal Poly Humboldt into a competitive, accessible higher education institution. His understanding of both concrete and abstract metrics of success allowed him to gain a holistic understanding of his organization’s needs and ensure they were met, even in a time of crisis.

• Shahrooz Roohparvar
• Cal Poly Humboldt
• Cal Poly Humboldt - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

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At Central Valley Ag, individual farm owners and producers pool their resources to maximize their collective assets. From a financial standpoint, this means Fran is managing the resources of multiple organizations, combined into one financial system. It offers unique challenges to financial management, but also unique advantages.

Every member of the co-op’s board is themselves a farmer or producer. Every executive member, then, is by definition keenly aware of the needs of the organization. Under this structure, leadership is interwoven with operations and an increasing scale doesn’t necessarily lead to detachment from everyday functions.

This is an essential component of Central Valley Ag. As a leader in the agriculture industry, the everyday functions of the organization are often on the frontlines of conversations surrounding businesses’ impact in the social and ecological sphere. Fran is tasked with managing his company’s resources in a way that not only strengthens the organization but also accounts for social and environmental responsibility.

• Fran Swain
• Central Valley Ag Cooperative
• Central Valley Ag Cooperative - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

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While she now reports to a city council and works with public funds, Betsy got her start in the private sector. After spending some time working for a shipping company based in Los Angeles, she applied for a position with the City of Long Beach. Her experience in the shipping industry made her an ideal candidate, but she was initially hesitant to accept a job in the public sector.

After spending some time with other city employees, Betsy found that her reservations about public sector work were completely unfounded. Work in the public sphere was built on a passion for serving the community and building more efficient public systems, and this new challenge was exactly what Betsy was looking for.

Public work is often not so different from the private sector. Betsy still reports to a board, manages a budget, and makes use of an ERP system. Now, however, she works with the community to implement strategies that benefit the whole city.

It is a uniquely challenging and profoundly rewarding new environment.

• Betsy George
• City of Oxnard
• City of Oxnard - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn

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Shannon has built a robust portfolio over the course of her impressive career. She began working towards becoming a CPA while still in high school, but also earned a JD from the University of Virginia Law School. She was also the producer of a documentary film.

It may seem like an atypical route to becoming a CFO, but Shannon takes pride in her diverse background. For her, the most valuable asset someone can bring to a team is their unique experience. For that reason, Shannon continues to be a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within the finance and technology fields. More diverse teams have been proven to outperform their less diverse counterparts.

While Shannon appreciates that diversity is simply good business, she seeks to make the world a more inclusive place for the sake of people, not for the sake of numbers.

• Shannon Nash
• Reputation
• Reputation - LinkedIn
• Colored My Mind - Film
• National Society of Black CPAs
• National Society of Black CPAs - LinkedIn
• Jack McCullough
• CFO Leadership Council
• CFO Leadership Council - LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

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While many businesses have had to face unique challenges in the wake of Covid-19, working within a school district carries its own special kind of adversity. Like so many, Jennifer has had to contend with employee shortages and reduced funding. She does this, however,  while working in an industry notorious for its tight budget and limited staffing.

Before working in Lovejoy, Jennifer was a part of Arlington Independent School District, an area with many more resources available to it. Transitioning to a smaller district forced Jennifer to adapt quickly, and her resourcefulness has been an important asset in this new environment.

From technology that maximizes system efficiency, to tax codes that allow for increased funds, Jennifer uses every tool available to her to rebuild her institution’s finances and earn the public’s trust.

Through the work she does, Lovejoy ISD is building working budgets in an environment of scarcity.

• Jennifer DuPlessis
• Lovejoy ISD
• Lovejoy ISD - LinkedIn
• Ken Boyd
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

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Krista began her career in public accounting and, early on, she moved to a large healthcare firm. On her path to becoming a CFO, she spent some time outside of finance in various roles in operations, product, and venture capital to expand her overall business acumen.

After a successful exit with a behavioral health company, Krista continued on a mission-driven path in her career. That’s when she took the position of CFO at Be The Match.

When asked about the transition to the non-profit world, she says the biggest challenge was getting used to not always making decisions based on maximizing profits.

Like any traditional finance role, metrics are the driver for decisions but, at Be The Match, their top-priority metric is lives impacted, including transplants facilitated and cellular therapy delivered.. Additional metrics center around delivering the optimal product to improve outcomes for patients and increasing diversity on the national registry to provide equal access to transplant for patients regardless of race or ethnic background.

The result is they look to minimize margins which enables them to reinvest in their mission, to impact as many lives as possible today and well into the future.

• Krista Dusil
• Be The Match - LinkedIn
• Be The Match
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO - LinkedIn
• The SaaS CFO
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

The discussion is centered around the current breakneck pace of the recruiting market today compared to years past, and they take a look into their crystal ball about what the market will look like moving forward.

They all agree that this is the fastest market they have ever seen, and Tony points out that clients have to move quickly right now if they want to bring in top talent. Most of the top candidates are weighing several offers, and companies that drag their feet are going to get passed by.

Andy observes that there is a huge demand for the Corporate Controller position right now, mostly due to the evolving role of the CFO. He also sees high demand for the Director of Technical Accounting and SEC Reporting due to the number of companies going public.

With such high demand, candidates are in the driver’s seat. Moving forward, companies that don’t keep up with current compensation or don’t allow remote work are going to struggle.

It’s a fascinating discussion.

• Derek DeWinter
• Tony Tilleskjor
• Andy Dunayczan
• DeWinter Group
• DeWinter Group
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Her time with tech companies included the industry’s migration from perpetual software licensing to a SaaS model, giving her valuable knowledge she would use throughout her career. She landed at Zendesk when it was a late-stage startup and helped guide them through an IPO and an explosive growth period.

Now, as CAO at Confluent, she oversees the accounting and maintains a strategic partnership with the CFO.

• Christina Liu
• Confluent
• Tiffaney Fox Quintana
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Peter has the title of controller, and he and Jack talk about how the evolution of the CFO role in a post-pandemic world has become more of a revolution. Much of that revolution is made possible through new technology innovations that allow controllers to get away from being buried in spreadsheets all day to become more cross-functional members of the accounting and finance team.

A major area where Peter has seen a massive improvement in efficiency is data input. He and his team use AI to automate 80% of data that was traditionally input manually. This frees him and his team to focus on strategic thinking and being a partner in helping to achieve business goals.

The two have an in-depth discussion about Peter’s five gold standards, which include clearly defined and documented processes, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and proper data capture.

It’s a fascinating and educational conversation.

• Peter Taylor
• Purple
• Jack McCullough
• CFO Leadership Council
• Stampli
• Stampli - LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Shachar brings a strong finance background to his position as CFO of this global company with over 17,000 team members worldwide. He oversees a department of more than 50 finance and accounting professionals who were already working mostly remotely before the pandemic hit.

Shachar emphasizes the importance of communication when working in a remote environment. He believes it is the job of the leader of a team to find out how each individual prefers to communicate, for example by email, text, or phone, and the leader should adapt for each individual.

Shachar has led some major initiatives at Acronis that resulted in overhauling entire systems and processes. He compares it to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, in that most of the energy expended getting to the moon is spent launching and leaving the earth’s gravity. Major initiatives have to be extremely well thought out and organized from the beginning to be successful.

• Shachar Rabbe
• Acronis
• Acronis - LinkedIn
• Ben Murray
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn
• The SaaS CFO
• Stampli - LinkedIn 
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Kerstin’s career journey is far from conventional. She grew up in Germany and she’s fluent in German, French, Spanish, and English. Her career started in global taxation with a big six consulting firm. She started as an administrative assistant, but her fluency in German opened the door to her becoming an account lead.

Kerstin has a natural curiosity and a love of learning. Many times during her career, doors opened for opportunities that most people would be too afraid or intimidated to take. She walked through many of those doors knowing that she had what it takes to learn the role quickly.

She’s also been a bit of a rebel. She tells the story of openly defying a dress code that didn’t allow women to wear pants. It ended up changing things for all the women at that company.

Her talent, knack for building relationships, and tenacity paved the way to her current role as a CFO.

• Kerstin Benden
• Altium Packaging
• Tiffaney Fox Quintana
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

WorkForce is headquartered in the heart of Michigan, but after a stint as an accountant Bob got his MBA and headed to the Bay Area, working for several early-stage companies during the dotcom boom. One of those companies was Salesforce, and he rode that growth wave through their IPO.

Currently, Bob oversees more than $100 million in ARR with 1,000 employees and contractors across the globe. That means overseeing a corporate finance team, cash ops, sales ops, and all the functions that go into being CFO at a large global company with more than 1,100 customers.

Bob believes in automation when it will increase speed, data accuracy, or both. With his background in SaaS, he knows it’s an ever-evolving process, and he’s always evaluating his tech stack, looking for ways to improve his processes.

In his experience at several companies, Bob has learned that the team he puts in place is vitally important. Get the right people in place and it builds trust.

• Bob Feller
• WorkForce Software - LinkedIn
• WorkForce Software
• Ben Murray
• The SaaS CFO - LinkedIn
• The SaaS CFO
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Jack is a published author known for  Secrets of Rock Star CFOs, a book based on conversations with elite CFOs, and most recently, The Psychopathic CEO: An Executive Survival Guide.  He says the secret to becoming a rock star CFO is to think of yourself as a cross-functional executive, who happens to be a financial expert. Being a back-office executive isn’t going to fly in the modern world.

He says the role continues to evolve, and now there are more MBAs in the position because the role has become more strategic than operational. He wouldn’t be surprised if ten years from now we start seeing data scientists in the role.

Jack also talks about the importance of having a mentor or coach, and not necessarily one in finance. He shares the importance of the relationship between the CFO and the CEO. And he offers great insight into the importance of ethics.

It’s a fascinating conversation.

• Jack McCullough
• The CFO Leadership Council
• Tiffaney Fox Quintana
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Evgeny goes into some detail about his journey to his role as CFO at Semrush, where he was brought on just a couple days before they began the process of going public. His earlier career included banking and investment capital, including experience with the Russian Stock Exchange.

When it comes to dealing with other departments at Semrush, Evgeny and his team’s philosophy is to treat them as clients. This promotes a culture of financial responsibility, resulting in sound fiscal decisions on their part.

A major component of those decisions is the data Evgeny and his team provide. He points out the importance of distributing data to those internal clients that is necessary for them to make informed decisions, but not to overwhelm them with data that is irrelevant.

As he says, it’s important to humanize your data.

• Evgeny Fetisov
• Semrush LinkedIn
• Semrush
• Tiffaney Fox Quintana
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Scott has been CFO at Recorded Future since 2013, which he says is an unusually long amount of time in the tech industry, particularly for a company that provides Software as a Service.

By joining the company at its earliest stage, Scott has had a front-row seat to explosive growth over the years. His first year he oversaw $1 million in annual revenue. That revenue has grown to over $200 million today.

With that growth comes the temptation to overspend, but Scott says the culture of being financially responsible still exists, having been instilled in the early, leaner days. He also credits a culture of humility and teamwork that creates a desirable work environment and a stronger company.

Despite all the growth, Scott says he hasn’t forgotten the leaner days, and he is still willing to roll up his sleeves and get done whatever needs to be done. Good advice for any finance leader.

• Scott Almeida
• Recorded Future
• Recorded Future
• Tiffaney Fox Quintana
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Dan talks about the current state of AiFi, which is building its Series B and experiencing some expansion with support in China, Europe, and India. Things have become more complex recently now that it is shipping the product and delivering the platform in a live environment, and Dan is in the process of hiring a team to bring functions in-house that have previously been outsourced.

AiFi is a SaaS company, but it also has hardware and deployment costs as part of its model, which is kept in mind when developing its KPIs at this stage of its growth.

Dan has been tracking all the finance and growth metrics from the beginning, even though some of them may not be important today. Growth is the focus right now, but he knows in the long run cash is king, and he’ll need all the numbers at his fingertips in the future to paint a complete picture of the finances of the organization for investors and board members.

Resources:

• Dan Haarmann
• AiFi - LinkedIn
• AiFi
• Ben Murray
• The Saas CFO - LinkedIn
• The SaaS CFO
• Stampli - LinkedIn 
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Mike talks about the differences in early stage companies, specifically Series A through Series C. He points out the specific needs at each of those stages, and what leadership roles in finance and accounting should be filled at each stage.

They continue the discussion around the skills and expertise needed for Series D and beyond, including filling leadership roles when your company is getting ready to go public. At that stage, you need a different set of skills, including Wall Street relationships; being able to manage the expectations of Wall Street; and managing SEC reporting.

With over 50 years of experience between them, Derek and Mike provide valuable insights on the way founders and leaders should think about each stage of the company’s growth when it comes to financial and accounting leadership.

Resources:

• Derek DeWinter
• Mike Tomasello
• DeWinter Group
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Peter starts with the importance of planning. He admits that he’s not always the best at planning in his personal life, but asking the right questions to make sure the plan is a comprehensive and efficient one is critical to success.

He also suggests leaders jump into researching new tools that can provide automation and efficiency in the daily operations of your department. This may also affect your decision-making on human resources. If you’re running more efficiently, you might not need to bring on new hires.

Peter is also a big fan of documentation. He loves email as a documentation tool to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the plan, goals, and objectives of the department. Clear documentation helps the team work toward a common goal.

Resources:

• Peter Taylor
• Purple Innovation
• Ben Murray
• Kate Scolnick
• Dan Haarmann
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli. The Most Powerful Way to Process & Pay Invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice so that accounts payable collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.

Mike kicks things off by talking about the Controller Report, which is a compensation study and industry report for Bay Area Accounting and Finance Professionals. He talks about how thorough their data collection is and some of the interesting trends they identified in both public and private companies.

Don weighs in on the chaotic state of business today as a result of the pandemic. He shares what that means moving forward for both employers and candidates who are negotiating unprecedented flexibility options into their working lives, especially when it comes to where they are going to work.

Derek also explores workplace flexibility, and talks about his observations on what new demands are becoming commonplace for talented candidates, both in the Bay Area and in other parts of the country. He also describes what employers are having to do to accommodate those requests.

Click on the link below for the whole conversation.

Resources:

• Derek DeWinter
• Mike Tomasello
• Don Seeley
• DeWinter Group
• Stampli
• DeWinter Group
• Stampli

This episode is brought to you by Stampli, the most powerful way to process & pay invoices.

Stampli is the only Accounts Payable Automation software that centers communications on top of the invoice. This helps accounts payable to collaborate better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions, resulting in 5x faster approvals.

Contact us to see why users love using Stampli, and schedule a demo at Stampli.com.