Ep 50 - Mastering Cross-Functional Leadership: CFOs in High-Growth Startups

The role of CFO today, 10 years ago, and 10 years ahead look vastly different from each other. In this discussion, our panel of industry experts, current and former execs from CFGI, Brooklyn Boulders, Spinn Inc, Ring, and Made Renovation, dive into what traits and skills a CFO needs in order to adapt to today’s business landscape. 

They share their insights on what cross-functional leadership looks like in the role of CFO, why cash is king, and why guiding stakeholders through critical financial information is crucial.  

Here’s What We Discussed

• [01:04] Our panel introduces themselves and shared their background and experience 
• [03:11] Hiring a CFO: When is the right time for a start-up to look for a CFO and what are their key considerations? 
• [13:00] Navigating the financial complexities of fundraising rounds 
• [16:58] How the Role of CFO is evolving: Adapting to technological advancements and shifting organizational demands
• [28:34] Synthesizing Information to stakeholders and why it’s a crucial skill for finance and analytics leaders
• [40:46] Tips for propelling your career forward: Gain experience by stepping out of your lane 
• [47:35] How CFOs can adapt and manage financial stability in an uncertain landscape 

About Our Speakers

Gladys is a Chief Financial Officer with 20 years of experience in finance, accounting, and transformation. She’s an expert in consumer products, manufacturing, technology, and growth-stage startups (including proceeding with IPO and M&A exits). Gladys is directly responsible for overseeing accounting and finance functions, managing $50M to $200M+ P&L budgeting, as well as producing accurate financial reporting, strategic planning, investment due diligence analysis, KPI dashboards, and ERP NetSuite implementation. She’s scaled and positioned companies on an upward trajectory in addition to being the recipient of the 2022 CFO of the Year Finalist by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Shane's diverse leadership acumen spans all finance and accounting functions, company operations, strategy, legal, real estate, and business development. Shane also commands deep experience in the private equity space, from both the PE investor and portfolio company perspectives. Since starting his career in big-4 public accounting, Shane has spent more than 15 years in international financial leadership roles, ranging from Controller all the way up to CFO, across a range of industries and company stages. More recently, Shane has led strategic fundraising and M&A efforts as a consultant CFO for SME's and just last month joined a top-tier financial consulting firm in their Business Transformation practice.

Hari has 20+ years of professional experience across VC-backed startups, Fortune 500 companies, and public accounting. He has held finance leadership roles across several startups and played a key role in scaling for growth, fundraising, and getting to profitability. Hari has led teams of 100+ members across multiple functions including Finance, Supply chain, People, and Business operations

 

Quotes

“As a CFO, as a financier, you want to avoid saying ‘no’ and saying ‘yes’ too much. You want to make sure that you're helping people get to their goals while minimizing risk.” – Hari Seshadri

“Having the willingness to take risk is critical, but to be able to take risks with discipline and foresight is definitely a big part of the role that a  CFO plays for a growing startup.” – Shane O’Brien.

“As capital comes in from different sources and you start thinking about capital allocation becoming more complex, that's when it’s the best time to bring on a CFO on a full-time basis.” – Gladys Fung 

“The CFO needs to chart out the map that shows the company, all the stakeholders how you get from point X to point Y. Everything the CFO does revolves around that one thing.” – Hari Seshadri 

“Finance leaders need to be proactive and to learn about what's going on, not just in the finance industry, but in the general economy to know how we can navigate changes in the future.” – Gladys Fung 

“Be willing to step out of your lane; Especially when you're earlier on in your career.” –  Hari Seshadri

 

 

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