In this episode, host Kevin Appleby speaks with Andrea Hecht, Chief Financial Officer at CSAA Insurance Group, to explore the realities of leading finance within a member-owned insurance organisation. The conversation traces Andrea’s professional evolution—from a Midwest-based controller with a public-accounting background to a strategic CFO steering one of the nation’s major property and casualty insurers.

Andrea shares how transitioning from controller to CFO required developing a deep strategic lens, embracing enterprise-wide business partnering, and cultivating confidence to challenge executive consensus. She also discusses the complexities of the insurance sector—from pricing uncertainty and catastrophe risk to regulatory constraints—and how technology, data, and AI are reshaping financial planning and claims management. Her story offers a practical playbook for finance leaders ready to elevate their impact beyond accounting into organisational leadership.

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net