In this episode of CFO Weekly, Mark Dempster, Founder & Chief People Officer at Founders Circle Capital, joins Megan Weis to explore how peer community has become essential infrastructure for CFOs navigating the intense pressure of pre-IPO growth. Mark brings a rare perspective shaped by decades at the intersection of leadership, brand, and venture capital, having previously served as the marketing partner at Sequoia Capital where he was among the first to create this role at a venture capital firm.


With his deep background in brand strategy and relationship management, Mark shares how The Circle, a private leadership community for CXOs, has evolved from accidental dinner conversations into a structured peer-to-peer environment where finance leaders can be vulnerable, process uncertainty, and build the confidence needed to scale themselves and their companies. Currently serving as Founder & Chief People Officer at Founders Circle Capital, Mark oversees leadership services for the firm's CXO community, driving vision and culture internally while supporting CFOs through one of the most scrutinized phases of their careers.


What You'll Learn:

• Why CFOs in the IPO tractor beam face constant reinterviewing by their boards
• How vulnerability and peer support combat the isolation inherent in the CFO role
• The critical shift from individual contributor to leader and storyteller
• Why the CFO role has the highest unfilled recruiting rate in venture capital
• How community infrastructure helps CFOs avoid replacement at the IPO threshold
• The power of lived experience over data alone in high-stakes decision-making

Learn more about Mark:

• Mark Dempster on LinkedIn
• Founders Circle Capital Website

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Kevin Appleby, Head of Partnerships at GrowCFO and host of the GrowCFO Show podcast, joins Megan Weis to explore how new CFOs can successfully navigate their critical first hundred days in the role. Kevin brings extensive experience mentoring finance leaders through one of the most challenging career transitions, drawing from his years supporting aspiring and newly appointed CFOs as they shift from technical finance roles to strategic enterprise leadership.
With his deep background in management consulting and finance education, Kevin shares how new CFOs can overcome imposter syndrome, build effective peer networks, and establish credibility while managing the overwhelming demands of business-as-usual operations. Currently serving as Head of Partnerships at GrowCFO, Kevin oversees programs that help finance professionals develop the strategic thinking, leadership presence, and operational expertise needed to thrive in the CFO seat.


What You'll Learn:

• Why the transition from finance director to CFO represents such a significant cultural shift
• How to structure your first hundred days for maximum impact and credibility
• Strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and building genuine confidence
• The importance of peer networks and mentorship for isolated finance leaders
• How to balance strategic planning with immediate operational demands
• Why filling the "blank sheet of paper" on team culture matters from day one
  
  

Learn more about Evan:

• Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn
• GrowCFO Website
  
  

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Evan Schwartz, Chief Innovation Officer at AMCS Group, joins Megan Weis to explore how modern CFOs can transform ERP implementations from high-risk projects into strategic competitive advantages. Evan brings more than three decades of experience driving large-scale digital transformation across resource-intensive industries, having held roles spanning Chief Innovation Officer, CTO, and Chief Enterprise Architect.


With his extensive background in ERP modernization and firsthand experience with both spectacular successes and painful failures, Evan shares how finance leaders can avoid the Gartner-cited 70% failure rate through strategic vision setting, robust vendor partnerships, and proactive change management. Currently serving as Chief Innovation Officer at AMCS Group, Evan oversees the development of AI-native platforms that help companies transition from legacy systems to scalable, interconnected solutions. He is also the author of the Amazon best-selling book, People, Places, and Things, a practical framework for achieving ERP success without costly overruns or failed deployments.


What You'll Learn:

• Why most ERP transformations fail to deliver ROI and how to avoid common pitfalls
• How to build a compelling vision statement that drives project success
• The critical importance of vendor relationships over software features
• Strategies for effective organizational change management during digital transformation
• How to define and track meaningful ROI beyond traditional cost savings
• The future of AI-powered interoperability and agentic workflows in finance operations

Learn more about Evan:

• Evan Schwartz on LinkedIn
• AMCS Group Website
• People, Places, and Things Book
  
  

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Devin Weil, Chief Financial Officer at ShipMonk, joins Megan Weis to explore how modern CFOs are revolutionizing operational finance by becoming true partners to warehouse and logistics operations. Devin brings extensive experience as a finance leader across organizations like XPO and Carrier, where he built his career inside some of the most operationally complex environments in the supply chain and logistics space.


With his deep background spanning corporate finance, performance improvement, and network operations, Devin shares how finance teams can leverage data to diagnose performance issues, drive meaningful KPIs, and build field finance organizations that sit alongside operators. Currently serving as CFO of ShipMonk, Devin oversees finance for one of the fastest-growing tech-enabled fulfillment platforms in the world, managing 12 warehouses and 1,600 employees across the globe.


What You'll Learn:

• Why CFOs must embed finance resources directly in operations for maximum impact
• How to balance top-down targets with bottoms-up planning to drive operator buy-in
• The critical role of granular unit economics in high-volume logistics businesses
• Strategies for rapid performance intervention without becoming a bottleneck
• How robust data infrastructure enables both visibility and speed
• The evolution of the CFO role from financial oversight to operational partnership

 Learn more about Devin:

• Devin Weil on LinkedIn
• ShipMonk Website 
  
  

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Claire Bramley, former Chief Financial Officer at Teradata, joins Megan Weis to discuss the modern CFO, how technology and AI are reshaping the CFO's responsibility, and defining what a successful executive looks like. Claire also dives into career growth, leadership strategies, and the underestimated power of storytelling in finance.

With a vast background in corporate finance and technology, Claire brings over two decades of experience, including significant tenure at HP, where she served as Global Controller and led finance strategy for their $17 billion EMEA business. Claire's expertise spans financial controls, strategic planning, and digital transformation, particularly in leveraging AI and analytics for business growth.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The evolution of the CFO role beyond traditional financial operations
• How Teradata implements rotation programs and cross-functional collaboration to develop talent
• The impact of AI and analytics on financial decision-making
• How modern CFOs balance traditional responsibilities with expanding strategic duties

Learn more about Claire:

• Claire Bramley on LinkedIn
• Xero Website
  
  

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Jim Benson, Chief Financial Officer at Dynatrace, joins Megan Weis to share insights about modernizing the finance function, developing succession strategies, and what CFOs should focus on as we enter 2025.
Jim brings over three decades of leadership experience in market-leading technology companies. Before joining Dynatrace, he served as Executive Vice President and CFO at Akamai Technologies and spent over 20 years in various leadership roles at Hewlett Packard.In this episode, we discuss:

• The evolution of the CFO role from traditional financial steward to strategic business partner
• What are the critical components of modernizing finance functions
• How CFOs can leverage data analytics and storytelling to drive better decision-making
• CFO's expanding role in driving company-wide alignment and growth

Learn more about Jim:

• Jim Benson on LinkedIn
• Dynatrace Website
  
  

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, John Glasgow, CEO & CFO at Campfire, joins Megan Weis to explore how modern CFOs can balance financial discipline with product innovation while operating in dual leadership roles. John brings unique insights from his distinguished career holding finance leadership positions at prominent companies like Bill.com and Adobe, where he mastered the intersection of financial strategy and product development.
With his extensive background spanning corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, business development, and pricing strategy, John shares how finance leaders can evolve from transactional gatekeepers to strategic partners who drive cross-functional value. Currently serving as both CEO and CFO at Campfire, John oversees the development of an AI-native ERP platform that helps finance teams automate repetitive work and focus on strategic initiatives, having raised over $100 million primarily from Excel.


What You'll Learn:

• Why CFOs must evolve their focus at each funding stage from seed to Series B and beyond
• How to balance customer-driven product demands with cost discipline for scalable growth
• The critical frameworks for evaluating product priorities through financial signals
• Strategies for building financial infrastructure without overinvesting too early
• How AI and automation enable finance teams to shift from transactional to strategic work
• The importance of cross-functional collaboration in maximizing shareholder value

Learn more about John:

• John Glasgow on LinkedIn
• Campfire Website

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Dan Wheadon, Partner and Advisory Leader at Cherry Bekaert and leader of their CFO Advisory Practice, joins Megan Weis to explore how modernizing finance operations can unlock a company's potential, transforming the function from a back office support role into a true driver of performance, insight, and innovation.
Dan draws on over twenty-five years of strategy and management consulting experience, advising C-suite executives on solving complex strategic, financial, operational, and technological challenges. He shares practical, three-step guidance for CFOs in the middle market to start small, drive continuous improvement, and prepare their organizations for rapid growth.


What You'll Learn:

• Why the finance function must move from backwards-looking reporting to forward-looking strategic decision support.
• The three-step approach to modernizing finance, starting with fixing the close and building FP&A capability.
• How to balance digital transformation with practicality by focusing on measurable outcomes and ROI.
• The challenge of the CFO as the data steward and the critical need for timely, accurate, and complete information.
• How to build a continuous improvement culture by converging financial and technological skills.
• The future of the CFO role as it becomes more focused on strategic decision support and the convergence of finance and technology.

Learn more about Dan:

• Dan Wheadon on LinkedIn 
• Cherry Bekaert Website 

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Siqi Chen, CEO & CFO at Runway, joins Megan Weis to explore how modern CFOs are transforming their finance operations by moving from manual spreadsheet-based processes to real-time, AI-powered forecasting systems. Siqi brings unique insights as a serial entrepreneur and former CEO at Sandbox VR, where, during COVID-19, he experienced firsthand the painful inadequacy of traditional planning tools when rapid scenario planning became critical for survival.


With his extensive background spanning founder, CEO, product leader, and now CFO roles, Siqi shares how finance teams can leverage technology to automate data integration, implement real-time forecasting, and build systems that make financial intelligence accessible across entire organizations. Currently serving as CEO & CFO of Runway, Siqi oversees the development of connected financial systems that help companies transition from months-long implementation cycles to getting up and running in six weeks or less, with integrations to nearly 800 data sources.


What You'll Learn:

• Why traditional FP&A platforms create new problems while solving old ones
• How to connect operational intent with financial outcomes for the first time
• The critical role of flexibility in building finance systems that teams actually trust
• Strategies for making financial models accessible to non-finance stakeholders
• How connected data systems transform the CFO from controller to strategic partner
• The future of the CFO role as it becomes more technical and strategic

Learn more about Siqi:

• Siqi Chen on LinkedIn
• Runway Website

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Jacob Moelter, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at SupportNinja, joins Megan Weis to explore how modern CFOs are transforming customer experience from a cost center into a strategic growth lever. Jacob brings extensive experience in finance and operations across public and private companies, with a deep background in investor relations, FP&A, and outsourcing services.


With his unique perspective on connecting financial metrics to customer outcomes, Jacob shares how finance leaders can leverage data to drive retention, improve unit economics, and design hybrid AI-human service models that balance efficiency with empathy. Currently serving as COO and CFO at SupportNinja, Jacob oversees the strategic evolution of omnichannel support solutions that help fast-growing companies elevate their customer experience while driving measurable financial returns.


What You'll Learn:

• Why CFOs must view customer experience as a revenue driver rather than just a cost center
• How to quantify the ROI of CX investments using unit economics and customer journey analysis
• Strategies for designing hybrid AI-human service models that optimize both efficiency and empathy
• The critical metrics CFOs should track to connect CX improvements to financial performance
• How AI is creating a skills premium for human agents rather than replacing them
• The future of the CFO role as architect of growth, experience, and organizational design

Learn more about Jacob:

• Jacob Moelter on LinkedIn
• SupportNinja Website

Episode resources:

• Personiv's Website
• Personiv on LinkedIn
• Personiv on Facebook
• Personiv on Twitter
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing CFO Weekly are here.
Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

Check out some of our most recent episodes:

• Driving Value Beyond Finance with Tom McDermott
• Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
• Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
• NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
• What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
• Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
  
  

If you are interested in joining CFO Weekly as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/cfo-guest

CFO Weekly is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so