In this episode of CFO Weekly, Sara Daw, CEO of The CFO Centre Group Limited, joins Megan Weis to talk about the role of a fractional CFO in the growth of modern entrepreneurial businesses. Learn when growing companies should consider bringing on a fractional CFO, how experienced executives can successfully transition to fractional work, and why this flexible model is reshaping the future of executive leadership.
Sara is a distinguished Chartered Accountant and co-founder of the CFO Center and Liberti Group, pioneering the fractional CFO model globally. With over two decades of experience transforming entrepreneurial businesses, she has grown the CFO Center to operate across 17 countries with 800 CFOs. Having started her career at Deloitte and holding an MBA, Sara revolutionized the part-time CFO concept in the early 2000s, developing it from a personal solution for work-life integration into a global business model.


What You’ll Learn:

• How fractional CFO services enable growing businesses to access high-level financial expertise without the cost of a full-time executive
• Why the $2-3 million revenue mark is the optimal time for businesses to consider bringing on a fractional CFO
• How to transition from traditional CFO roles to fractional work
• Why culture fit matters more than industry expertise when matching fractional CFOs with clients
• How the fractional model helps executives achieve better work-life integration while maintaining career growth

Learn more about Sara

• Sara Daw on LinkedIn
• The CFO Centre Group Limited 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, Todd McElhatton, COO and CFO at Zuora, joins Megan Weis to explore how the CFO-CEO relationship has evolved from reporting what happened to engineering what will happen. Todd brings a rare dual-lens perspective shaped by more than three decades leading global finance and operating organizations at companies like SAP, Oracle, VMware, and Hewlett Packard.
With deep experience spanning public companies, private equity transitions, and M&A, Todd shares how modern CFOs must move beyond spreadsheets to become true business partners who understand operational levers, drive cross-functional outcomes, and help architect company strategy. Currently serving as Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer at Zuora, where he oversees finance, operations, M&A, IT, legal, HR, and strategic partnerships, Todd played a key role in guiding the company through its $1.7 billion acquisition by Silver Lake and GIC, navigating the transition to private ownership while maintaining strategic clarity and execution speed.
What You'll Learn:

• How the CFO role has shifted from reporting history to engineering outcomes
• Why understanding operational levers matters more than spreadsheet mastery
• The importance of end-to-end visibility in building CEO-CFO partnership
• How CFOs can develop business acumen beyond traditional finance skills
• Why radical transparency accelerates decision-making and builds trust
• What CEOs should expect from finance leaders who aspire to be true partners

Learn more about Todd:

• Todd McElhatton on LinkedIn
• Zuora 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, Chris Garber, Chief Financial Officer at Guild, joins Megan Weis to explore how AI is reshaping the CFO role from technical specialist to cross-functional business generalist. Chris brings a unique perspective shaped by fifteen years working with a transformational mentor across multiple companies, leading diverse functions from FP&A and analytics to sales operations, IT, and workplace experience.

With deep experience across SaaS, public companies, IPOs, and large-scale business transformation at Guild, LiveRamp, and Acxiom, Chris shares how AI and automation are accelerating the shift away from traditional finance specializations toward more versatile, business-minded leaders. Currently serving as CFO at Guild, a company transforming workforces for Fortune 1,000 companies, Chris discusses why the future belongs to finance leaders who can move from being scorekeepers to coaches, from producing numbers to telling strategic stories, and from managing teams to driving cross-functional impact.


What You'll Learn:

• Why traditional finance specializations are breaking down in the AI era
• How AI is enabling finance leaders to shift from scorekeeping to coaching
• The importance of experimentation and hands-on AI learning for CFOs
• Why cross-functional experience matters more than ever for finance leadership
• How to build finance teams focused on scope of impact over scope of responsibility
• The skills future CFOs need beyond traditional finance credentials

Learn more about Chris:

• Chris Garber on LinkedIn
• Guild 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, Mark Dempster, Founder & Chief People Officer at  The Circle by 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 The Circle by 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
• The Circle by 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