The CFO Alliance

In just 15 minutes, Rachel Grunbaum was able to pinpoint our “need,” not asking what we “want.” This approach was very helpful.

Congratulations to CFO Alliance member Ruben Rietveld on his newest venture at Guardian Restoration Partners. We wish him all the best!

LinkedIn Colleagues and Friends -- Thinking about your career, the talent acquisition and performance gaps you have to address? Wondering what other CFOs are doing? Take a read of the feature story for The CFO Alliance in this month's Global Finance Magazine!

Roughly 45 days ago, we were approached by someone from Global Finance Magazine asking if our The CFO Alliance members were having issues with hiring and retaining talent. The short answer was yes; the longer answer was, let's assemble a task force and ask them questions. Here is the article (link is in the comments): CFOs are struggling to hire people with the right balance of quantitative and strategic skills in today’s increasingly tech-centric corporate environment. Adnan Bokhari knows how to balance a ledger. He’s a practicing CPA who was named CFO of JA Worldwide, a global nonprofit youth organization, about a year ago. His wife is also a CFO and a CPA. But their three kids? They have zero interest in following in their parents’ footsteps. It’s not just a case of rebellion, either. Bokhari has noticed a broader trend: Fewer and fewer young people are interested in his line of work. “The risk/return matrix is not appealing,” Bokhari remarked during a recent webinar with The CFO Alliance, a peer group of some 9,000 finance professionals. Thank you to the many members who participated in this special task force. Here are the CFOs that went on record and were quoted in the article: Adnan Bokhari Joel Quall, CPA Christian DeChurch Robin Helfer

Join CFO Alliance Members and other finance leaders for this virtual Roundtable. This event is only open to finance leaders. Contact me if you have any questions.

🌟 Ready to take your experience to the next level? Become a member today and unlock exclusive benefits like early access to events, discounts on merchandise, and behind-the-scenes content! Join our community of passionate individuals who share your interests and passions. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded people and enhance your overall experience. Sign up now and be a part of something special! 🌟 #membership #exclusivebenefits #community #joinus #cfonetwork🔍 Ready to elevate your network and make maningful connections? Join the CFO Alliance community at https://hubs.ly/Q02Gs7Sl0

🌟 Invitation to Finance Leaders: Q2 2024 Virtual Quarterly CFO Roundtable (2 CPE) 🌟 Are you currently implementing or planning to implement new software in the next 12 months? Join our upcoming virtual event to unlock your finance team's potential! 📅 Date: June 26, 2024 🕒 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:45 PM (EDT) 🔗 Register here: Q2 2024 Virtual Quarterly CFO Roundtable https://lnkd.in/gFjwH7Uz Event Highlights: 1. Unleash Your Finance Team's Potential: Discover strategies to enhance your finance team’s effectiveness and technology readiness. 2. Insights from Industry Leaders: Engage with fellow finance leaders who are navigating similar journeys. 3. Earn 2 CPE Credits: Participate in this educational event and earn Continuing Professional Education credits. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights, share experiences, and prepare your organization for the future of accounting and finance technology. Nick Araco JR will facilitate this virtual roundtable, with assistance from our partners First Water Finance and Oracle NetSuite and insights shared from over 500 finance leaders who have contributed to this series. Register today and lead your team to success! #CFOAlliance #FinanceLeadership #TechnologyReadiness #CPE #VirtualRoundtable #FinanceInnovation #Q22024Roundtable #AccountingTechnology

🌟 Follow-Up: Key Takeaways from the Washington DC CFO Roundtable 🌟 This week, 25 CFOs gathered in the great Washington DC area to discuss critical insights on implementing technology in our organizations. This discussion was facilitated by Nick Araco JR with help from Charles Fleet. Here are the key takeaways captured: Implementation and Misunderstanding: The implementation process often involves separate buyers and implementers, leading to misunderstandings. Key to Success: Involve more stakeholders in the buying process and break down implementation into shorter cycles with regular updates to ensure alignment. Aligning with Strategy: Psychological safety is crucial. Allow employees to ask questions and reprioritize workloads to accommodate new initiatives. Balance power dynamics and ensure equitable participation across teams and functions. Embrace pivot potential when "what if" scenarios arise. Project Management: Think of project management as coaching with a focus on long-term goals while remaining an active team member. Develop individual contributors to work as a cohesive team. Foster a 2-way dialogue using the Ask-Ask-Tell tool. CFOs as Relational Leaders: Mohammad Sediqi said that CFOs need to become "people persons," focusing on relational aspects of leadership. Ashley Bovino added: "Navigating technology can be challenging and may feel overwhelming, especially with varied experiences and "battle scars." Managing System Fatigue: To gain buy-in, address system fatigue by identifying and replacing the most disliked processes with technology. Balance the need for new systems with the concerns of those experiencing fatigue. The CFO as Campaigner: Always be campaigning for new initiatives, improvements, and buy-in from your team. Continuous Learning: Technology and automation are essential. As CFOs, we must continuously learn and adapt to these tools to drive our organizations forward. Here are some of our members who embrace this concept of continuous learning: Gale Sommers, CPA, Barry Hartzberg, Ilana Esterrich, Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, Simiso Kabo, Truong Nguyen, MBA, Linda Montgomery, Analia Castelo, Jeffrey Dufresne, CPA, Larry Smith, C-Level Executive, Rebecca V., Raj Kapur and Gresford Barrington Gray Let's embrace these insights and continue to lead with strategy, empathy, and innovation! If this describes you, then join the CFO Alliance Community @https://lnkd.in/gN8NyXUU Thank you to our partners: Adam Zorin of Oracle NetSuite, Robb Nesmith, CPA of Planful, Robert Driscoll of Homestead Smart Health Plans, Withum, and Benjamin Lehrer of First Water Finance, for your support and contributions. #CFOAlliance #TechnologyReadiness #FinanceLeadership #ProjectManagement #TeamEngagement #ContinuousLearning #CFOasCampaigner #WashingtonDC

Despite personal issues preventing us from meeting in person in Chicago this morning, some members still joined a virtual Zoom call to discuss their goals, passions, and struggles (GPS). As CFOs, we are always in the path of catching everything and being reactive. Additionally, we are expected to lead the organization in strategy and new technology. Once again, we hear that the CFO needs to be more of a communicator than an accountant. Finance and Accounting are in the communication business, not the financial business. Thank you, Nick Araco JR, Patrick Roesler, TIM WEBER, Kevin Kaye, Albert Kline, Robert Walsh, Robert (Bob) Gold, John Udelhofen, and our partners First Water Finance, Oracle NetSuite, and Insperity for your contributions.

Insights from GenZ finance professionals at recent Roundtables! Our recent CFO Alliance Roundtables on Technology Readiness has sparked a fascinating discussion on tech preferences. Gen Z'ers in the room revealed using TikTok for quick searches over Google or YouTube! See more on Technolgy Readiness: https://hubs.ly/Q02C88Fq0 Here's an interesting resource shared by one of our attendees, Daniel Nelson: 📊 Explore 'Big Excel Energy' on TikTok! Tap into Daniel's recommendation for insightful dashboard tutorials: https://hubs.ly/Q02C88Gl0 Let's stay ahead of the curve with innovative learning platforms! 🚀 #CFOAlliance #TechTrends #FinanceLeadership