Category: The Accidental CFO
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The Accidental CFO — Driving Value Beyond Finance
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” The value of a CFO is not measured by accurate reporting alone. Today, the best finance leaders are strategic partners, guiding product strategy, pricing, capital allocation, and customer experience. Finance provides the lens to answer critical questions: Which investments drive the highest ROI? Which products or…
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗙𝗢 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 Foundation 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲
Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance. After decades building finance functions and leading transformations, I’ve realized the most overlooked driver of success isn’t the system, ERP, processes, or reports — it’s the people. A strong finance team doesn’t just close the books. They translate data into insights, anticipate risks, and collaborate with…
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The Accidental CFO — Building the Plane While It’s Flying
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” I was recently brought in to transform a finance function that “needed serious attention.” The mandate was clear: rebuild the foundation—modernize systems, improve accuracy, and strengthen controls. But at the same time, I was expected to keep delivering strategic insights, supporting growth, and driving enterprise value.…
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The Accidental CFO — Gross Margin: The Cupcake Shop Profit Test 🧁
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” Let’s say you open a cupcake shop. You sell each cupcake for $5 — because obviously, these aren’t your run-of-the-mill cupcakes. They’re small works of art, made with imported vanilla, Himalayan salt, and frosting whipped by hand while listening to motivational podcasts. Now, let’s talk about what it…
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The Accidental CFO — Art Restoration & Leadership
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” This fall, my daughter Eliza began her sophomore year at Scripps College, where she is studying Art Conservation. For her, this means diving deep into the science and craft of restoring and preserving artworks—learning how to study a piece, understand its history, and carefully bring it…
inersec 