Category: The Accidental CFO
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The Accidental CFO — The 80/20 of CFO Life
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” Early in my career, I thought a great CFO knew every detail down to the penny. I buried myself in variance reports and reconciliations. It felt important. But over time — and through a few tough lessons — I realized much of that activity was noise.…
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The Accidental CFO — Lost in Translation (Corporate Acronym Edition)
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” Behind the buzzwords: what leaders actually need to know. Early in my career, I sat in a meeting where someone enthusiastically declared:“We’ll increase ARR with better NRR, driven by a strong PMO, and of course, we’ll need tight SOX controls.” I nodded like I understood. Inside,…
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The Accidental CFO — What Does Success Look Like for a CFO?
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” When I first stepped into a CFO role, I thought success would be easy to define: hit the numbers, keep the books clean, and make sure everyone got paid on time. Simple, right? Not quite. Over the years, I’ve learned that a CFO’s success is far…
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The Accidental CFO: Leading When It Matters Most
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” 💡 “In moments of crisis, leadership is not about the numbers—it’s about the people.” Sometimes as a CFO, you find yourself carrying responsibilities you never imagined. In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Astound Commerce had 650 employees and their families based across the country. Overnight, my role…
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The Accidental CFO — Integrity Isn’t Optional
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” When people ask me what makes a great CFO, they often expect me to say something about capital strategy, M&A, or scaling operations. Those matter, of course. But the truth is, none of them work without one foundation: integrity. Integrity is not about perfection. It’s about alignment—between…
