The Diary of a CFO

What does it take to turn a traditional finance team into a true strategic business partner? In this episode, Paul Young , CFO of Liberty Bank, shares how he connected strategy, budgeting, and talent development to create a finance function built for impact. Paul brings over 25 years of experience leading finance, strategy, business transformation, and digital innovation across major institutions...

CFOs are expected to drive transformation, lead strategy, and still deliver flawless numbers every month. In this episode of The Diary of a CFO , I sit down with Tom Hood , one of the most influential voices in finance leadership, to unpack what’s really behind the growing pressure on today’s CFOs. We talk about: ✅ How the CFO role has evolved from finance expert to strategic co-pilot ✅ Why upsk...

Brought to you by insightsoftware. Register for our upcoming webinar: https://insightsoftware.com/resources/get-out-of-the-reporting-rut-how-finance-leaders-drive-strategic-impact/ In this episode of The Diary of a CFO , I sit down with Anna Sagan , Senior Principal Solutions Engineer, who brings over two decades of experience in financial software and strategic reporting. We talked about: The evo...

Brought to you by insightsoftware. Register for our upcoming webinar: https://insightsoftware.com/resources/get-out-of-the-reporting-rut-how-finance-leaders-drive-strategic-impact/ What does it take to lead finance through real estate booms, construction slowdowns, and global crises? In this episode of The Diary of a CFO Podcast, I sit down with Bona Allen, a CFO with three decades of experience a...

Not every CFO starts as a controller or FP&A lead. Axel Talout shares how banking and private equity shaped his journey, why your “different” background can be your edge, and how to intentionally build a team that fills your blind spots. Brought to you by insightsoftware. Register for our upcoming webinar: https://insightsoftware.com/resources/get-out-of-the-reporting-rut-how-finance-leaders-d...

Mike High (CFO, NAIT; ex-Shell Deep Water CFO) shares leadership lessons from the Army to corporate finance: why the “platinum rule” beats one-size-fits-all leadership, what truly changes when you move from FP&A to the CFO seat, and how to carry a portfolio of crises without burning out. We discussed: practical playbooks to lead through a portfolio of crisis, how to keep long-term work moving...

Andrea Hecht, EVP & CFO at CSAA Insurance Group, walks through the real shifts at each step of her career — from auditor at Big 4 accounting firm, EY, to Controller, and ultimately CFO. She explains how the focus moves from technical detail to culture, strategy, and leadership. We cover: Why the first move from public accounting to industry didn’t work, and why the second one did. How intervie...

Controller vs FP&A : which path gives you a better shot at the CFO seat? Wassia Kamon has done both. In this solo episode, she reveals why neither route guarantees success on its own and what truly sets future CFOs apart. Drawing on her first year as a CFO, Wassia introduces her Executive Readiness Framework and explains how to develop the executive substance, influence, and presence boards an...

This week on The Diary of a CFO , host Wassia Kamon is joined by Sheryl Shaw, Senior Manager at Bridgepoint Consulting and a former CFO with three decades of experience leading finance teams through transformation. Sheryl shares her remarkable journey, from starting as an accounting clerk in the 1980s to becoming a CFO 3 times, and now a trusted consultant for companies implementing NetSuite. She...

Christian Wattig is the program director of Wharton’s FP&A Certificate and the founder of InsideFP&A. In this episode, he shares his path from Procter & Gamble to becoming a leader in finance education, along with the pivotal lessons he learned along the way. You’ll learn: Why forecasting accuracy remains a major challenge for finance teams How to apply multiple forecasting methods for...

In this episode, Summa Simmons, Associate VP of Treasury at Victoria’s Secret & Co., shares what most people get wrong about treasury and why it's a strategic powerhouse. She explains how treasury helps companies manage cash, risk, and financial readiness during major business decisions like mergers and divestitures. Summa also opens up about her own journey from accounting to treasury, and wh...

Most companies think cybersecurity is about firewalls and IT policies. But the real risk often starts with culture. In this episode, Dutch Schwartz, VP of Cloud Services at SideChannel and former security leader at AWS and Raytheon, shares why companies with poor culture are three times more likely to face a breach. We talk about how leadership, disengaged employees, and outdated mindsets quietly...

Christina Ross, serial CFO turned CEO of Cube, explains why spreadsheets aren’t the problem and what finance leaders should focus on instead. She shares multiple frameworks for moving from manual chaos to strategic clarity. This episode is packed with insights on real-time planning, clean data, and leading high-impact finance teams. In this episode, we cover: The four layers of strategic finance H...

In this episode of The Diary of a CFO , Wassia Kamon speaks with Dr. Tamer Alsayed , CFO at the Future Investment Initiative and author of The Art of Becoming a Strategic CFO . With over two decades of experience across industries and regions, Dr. Tamer offers a clear-eyed view of what today’s finance leaders need to succeed. The discussion covers: How the CFO role has evolved beyond reporting and...

Welcome to Season 2 of The Diary of a CFO . In this kickoff solo episode, Wassia Kamon shares behind-the-scenes highlights from Season 1, why some careers stall at the executive door, and what actually opens it. You’ll hear: The real reason technical skills alone won’t get you promoted The 3-digit P.I.N. code to executive leadership What separates great CFOs from the rest Why work-life harmony bea...

In this episode, Syed Nadeem shares the lessons he wishes more finance professionals learned early on. He talks about why certifications alone won’t get you promoted, and why your mindset, human skills, and personal brand matter just as much as your technical skills. Syed also shares how losing his job became a turning point. He built a global brand and started helping others grow in their careers...

If you’ve ever lost sleep over complex contracts, usage-based pricing, or revenue schedules that live in hundreds spreadsheet tabs, this episode is for you. I’m joined by Apurv Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Zenskar, to talk about how AI is helping SaaS companies automate billing and revenue recognition end-to-end. We unpack why legacy tools can’t keep up with modern pricing models, what finance te...

Audit Director at FORVIS Mazars and board treasurer for Girls on the Run Georgia, Kendra LaFleur opens up about her journey from intern to partner, how she grew into strategic leadership, and how she navigates the evolving role of finance in mission-driven organizations.

Stephen McLain led 250 soldiers as an Army Commander. He built internal controls in Iraq to fight fraud and misuse of funds. And, he defended military budgets in front of NATO. Now, he helps corporate finance and accounting teams fix problems with their internal processes, financial modeling, and strategy development. In this episode, he shares what finance professionals can learn from leading in...

Treasury often works behind the scenes, but Matthew Harlan shows why it should be a key player at the table. We cover what treasury leaders bring to IPO readiness, how to rethink working capital, and how finance teams can collaborate better across functions.

Jenny Fuss has led finance teams in Germany, China, and the United States. Each move meant learning a new way of working. In this episode, she shares how working and living in three different countries shaped her leadership style and helped her lead major transformations with clarity and confidence.

Tamica Williams went from relying on food pantries as a kid to leading the largest food bank in Georgia as CFO. She shares how she made the jump from teaching to accounting, built her career and why leadership is about showing up 100% no matter where you start.

Jack McCullough has spent decades in the CFO seat, but his biggest impact may be what he’s done for the next generation of CFOs. He’s the founder of the CFO Leadership Council, a global community of over 2,500 senior finance leaders, and the author of three books including Secrets of Rockstar CFOs and MBA for Lunch . In this conversation, Jack opens up about: What companies really look for in a CF...

What do you get when a CFO, CPA, and accounting professor starts teaching on TikTok? 42,000 followers and a new way to make accounting finally click. In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, I sit down with Professor Bee Nance to talk about her multi-hyphenate career, from leading a multimillion-dollar nonprofit to becoming a viral content creator and author of Sunny Gets Money, a financial literacy...

In this solo episode, I answer 4 questions from my newsletter subscribers: Is the climb and reach to CFO worth it? Do you enjoy the work and people? Do you have work-life balance? What helped you get there? If you’ve got questions about leadership, your team, or growing in your role, the best way to ask is through my newsletter. Subscribe at thediaryofacfo.com .