The CFO Show

Growth often looks impressive from the outside. New markets, new capabilities and new headlines. But as organizations scale, leaders quickly discover that growth is the visible part. Integration is the real work. In this episode of The CFO Show, Melissa Howatson sits down with Jim Peko, CEO of Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, to discuss one of the most significant transformations in the firm’s 100-yea...

The path to becoming a CFO is rarely linear. In today’s environment of constant change, finance leaders are expected to move between strategy, operations, and capital markets while developing the judgment needed to navigate uncertainty and drive growth. In this episode of The CFO Show, Melissa Howatson speaks with Greg Mrva, Chief Financial Officer of GoFundMe, about how varied career experiences...

Business agility has become a defining capability for organizations operating in today’s environment of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). But while many companies focus on operational flexibility or technology investments, fewer understand the critical role finance plays in enabling true agility across the business. In this episode of The CFO Show, Melissa Howatson speaks...

One of the most consequential decisions a CFO will make is selecting and implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. Yet beyond vendor comparisons and licensing costs lie hidden risks—customization overruns, stalled implementations, legacy system constraints, and organizational change fatigue. In this episode of The CFO Show, Melissa Howatson speaks with Harpal Mattu, FCMA, Managi...

Healthcare finance leaders are operating under unprecedented pressure. Rising costs, staffing shortages, payer complexity, and constant uncertainty.  Matthew Ennen , Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Development at  Ensemble Health Partners , shares how finance leaders can navigate volatility while staying anchored to their mission, their people and long-term r...

What separates good finance teams from great ones? In this special episode, host Melissa Howatson brings together insights from more than 20 finance leaders to answer one deceptively simple question:  What is the hallmark of a mature finance team?   Across industries and company sizes, their perspectives reveal a shared truth: modern finance teams don’t just report on...

Financial consolidation has long been treated as a “back-office necessity,” but in today’s complex, data-dense businesses, it’s becoming a strategic engine.  Craig Schiff , Founder and CEO of BPM Partners joins Melissa to unpack the evolution of consolidation, why it’s resurging in importance , and how AI is reshaping both FP&A and controllership.  Craig shares what companies are get...

Finance doesn’t need to chase a mythical “best-in-class” model; success comes from mastering the fundamentals.  In this episode of The CFO Show , Charlie X.W. Liu ,  Founder and Chief Happiness Officer of MCC , joins Melissa Howatson to unpack the FP&A Trifecta: finance, data and systems and how getting these right transforms finance teams from spreadsheet operators into strateg...

Career growth isn’t always a straight line, and sometimes the biggest leaps come from taking a step sideways.     Troy Anderson ,  Chief Financial Officer at  Kelly , shares the defining moments, pivotal decisions, and leadership lessons from his 35-year career spanning industries from telecom to education to talent solutions.     He reflects on leading major turnarounds and pu...

AI promises efficiency, automation, and smarter decision-making, but for large enterprises, the journey is far more complex than simply adopting the latest tool.  In this episode of The CFO Show, Rajat Bahri , CFO of Icertis , joins host Melissa Howatson to explore how enterprise finance teams can harness AI to drive transformation.  With experience leading finance at global organization...

Procurement is no longer just about cutting costs. It’s about creating value, building partnerships and helping finance teams make smarter, faster decisions.  On this episode of The CFO Show, Aaqil Kassamali , Procurement Director at Vena Solutions , joins Melissa Howatson to discuss how procurement has evolved into a strategic function that drives innovation and alignment across the business...

In this episode, Brookfield Residential  CIO Brandon Sharp joins host Melissa Howatson to share his unique career journey and to reveal why tighter alignment between finance and IT drives true transformation.  Brandon reflects on lessons learned while leading major initiatives in homebuilding and real estate, from navigating shadow IT to building cross-functional trust. He offers practic...

How do you scale finance operations to keep pace with a business that’s doubling in size every few months? In this episode of The CFO Show , Carta CFO Charly Kevers shares how he has navigated constant change while helping the company grow from Series C to Series G and reach a $7.4B valuation.  Charly opens up about the tactical lessons he has learned leading finance in a high-growth environm...

ERP migration can make or break your finance function. From outdated systems to cloud-based solutions, the stakes are high, and the risks are real.  In this episode of The CFO Show , Melissa Howatson, CFO of Vena, sits down with Scott Jorgens , Sr. Director of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at Endeavour Solutions . With more than 25 years of experience across finance, consulting , and t...

What does it take to lead a high-growth company through economic uncertainty, while still innovating for the future?  Larry Roseman , Chief Financial Officer of Thumbtack , joins us to explore the modern finance leader's role in balancing resilience, agility, and long-term value creation. With a career spanning investment banking, accounting, and tech, Larry shares how he's redefined capital...

Stepping into a PE-backed CFO role? You're not just signing up for financial reporting; you're stepping onto a burning platform.  Scott Engler , CEO & Co-founder of Sync Executive Partners , sits down to discuss what separates “A-player” CFOs from the rest in the high-stakes world of private equity.  Scott shares the mindset shifts, leadership capabilities, and stakeholder dynamics C...

Are you leveraging the full potential of strategic finance in your annual planning process?     In this episode of The CFO Show , Igor Stelea, Director of Strategic Finance, Analytics & Business Transformation at CFGI , unpacks what makes annual planning effective and what causes it to break down.  From aligning strategy with operational plans to integrating long-range forecasti...

What if the secret to financial agility lies in reimagining the relationship between FP&A and Controllership? Tom Seegmiller, CFO at Texada Software , returns to explore the transformative power of aligning FP&A and Controllership.  Tom shares his journey from FP&A leader to full-spectrum CFO, and what he’s learned about the often-overlooked (but essential) collaboration betw...

Are you leveraging AI to its full potential in your finance department?  In this episode, we dive into the practical application of AI in finance with Anton Medvedev , former Senior Product Manager at Vena and CPA/CFA. With his unique blend of finance and tech expertise, Anton offers a roadmap for effectively adopting AI in your financial operations.  Anton shares insights on training AI...

In this episode, host Melissa Howatson welcomes Steve Browning , VP of Data Privacy and Corporate Security at Vena , and Kaz Takemura , Managing Director of FP&A Technologies at Modelcom , to explore how finance teams can adopt AI safely and strategically.  Steve and Kaz share practical, cross-functional strategies for embedding AI into business operations, from building the right teams t...

Is your finance team truly driving strategic value, or are you stuck in reactive mode?    Host Melissa Howatson, welcomes Peter Emerling , Director in the Digital Transformation Practice at Citrin Cooperman , to explore the finance maturity model, the four stages of finance maturity and what it takes to move from reaction to transformation.  With over 18 years of experience adv...

The era of reactive supply chain management is over. Are you ready for predictive resilience?  Nick McKeehan, Managing Director at Protiviti, shares CFO-focused insights on modern supply chain disruptions, from cybersecurity to geopolitical tensions. With 25 years in finance transformation, Nick guides the shift from reactive to predictive, tech-enabled decision-making.  Learn how vision...

What’s driving finance leaders’ strategic planning in 2025—and its future trajectory?  In this data-packed episode, we welcome back Craig Schiff, CEO of BPM Partners to unpack the findings from Vena’s 2025 State of Strategic Finance Report . From AI adoption to strategic business partnering, Craig dives into key insights on how finance leaders are navigating change, deploying technology, and...

In today's unpredictable real estate market, CFOs are facing complex decisions that could significantly impact their bottom line.     In this episode, Scot Ginsburg , Executive Managing Director at Hughes Marino and author of ‘It's Not All About the Rent’, breaks down the current commercial real estate landscape and what finance leaders need to know to make smart, strategic choices.&nbsp...

As the startup funding landscape evolves, is your financial strategy keeping pace?  In this changing environment, a well-crafted financial strategy has become increasingly crucial for startups.  Janelle Gorman , CFO of York IE , York IE, an advisory and investment firm that helps technology companies grow , shares valuable insights on crafting financial strategies that can make or break...