Of the three traditional paths to the finance chief’s seat, Bluesnap CFO Chris Menard took the approach less traveled, and it’s made quite a difference. Most fledgling finance executives begin their journey in public accounting or investment banking, Menard parlayed an undergraduate experience rich with entrepreneurial grooming (along with an MBA) into financial planning and analysis positions at several high-growth software and fintech companies. One early career assignment – where he assisted the finance team in completing an IPO, six acquisitions and a stock buyback before the company’s lucrative sale to Oracle – proved especially valuable.  Menard talks about applying his operational finance expertise and commitment to “leading with analytics” to the online payments technology company that he joined in May 2018. He also explains the two-step approach – assess and strengthen the accounting team first and then build up the finance function’s analytical chops – he favors when taking the CFO reins at a new company.