This is a Greatest Hits re-release of one of our most beloved CFO Weekly episodes. Stephen Heath’s conversation on financial empowerment for college students struck a chord with listeners when it first aired and the lessons are just as essential today. From debunking myths about accounting to exposing the real cost of financial missteps in college, this episode is a timeless guide for students, educators, and finance leaders alike. If you missed it the first time, now’s your chance. If you loved it then, welcome back.
Stephen Heath, a full-time Accounting Professor at the College of San Mateo (CSM), joins Megan Weis on this episode of CFO Weekly to share why financial literacy is one of the most overlooked yet critical skills for college students. Stephen is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and a Certified Financial Forensic Analyst (CFF) with over twenty-five years of experience in accounting. Before teaching full-time at CSM, he served as a director at the Berkeley Research Group for nearly a decade.
In this fan-favorite episode, Stephen shares why financial empowerment matters beyond the classroom, how students can position themselves for meaningful careers, and what practical steps every young adult can take to avoid the financial pitfalls that set so many back by a decade or more.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why financial literacy is a missing pillar of college education
• How community college students can break into accounting and finance careers
• The real financial mistakes that cost students ten to fifteen years of recovery time
• How to build pathways to meaningful employment through internships and mentorship
• Why self-discipline, not secret strategies is the foundation of personal finance
• What resources students can use to develop financial skills outside the classroom

Learn More About Stephen:

• Stephen Heath’s Website 
• Stephen Heath on LinkedIn
• Stephen Heath’s Book
• College of San Mateo 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, David Liu, Chief Financial Officer at SuccessKPI, joins Megan Weis to explore what it truly takes to grow into a CFO role, from building breadth through rotational programs to navigating career pivots across vastly different organizations. David brings a grounded, experience-driven perspective shaped by roles at GE Capital, Amazon, Framebridge, and high-growth SaaS companies, ultimately stepping into the CFO seat at SuccessKPI, an AI-driven platform helping organizations transform customer experience through data and automation.


With a career defined by intentional learning, cross-functional curiosity, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty, David shares how exposure to diverse environments both large enterprises and scrappy startups, built the judgment and perspective needed to lead at the executive level. Currently serving as CFO at SuccessKPI, he offers candid advice for aspiring finance leaders on what accelerates the path to the CFO role and what common missteps to avoid.


What You’ll Learn:

• How early rotational programs can create a compounding career advantage
• Why breadth of experience matters more than deep specialization for CFO readiness
• How working at large enterprises versus high-growth startups prepares leaders differently
• Why technical finance skills alone are not enough to reach the CFO level
• The role of cross-functional partnership in executive-level decision-making
• How to know when you’re ready to step into the CFO seat
  
  

Learn More About David:

• David Liu on LinkedIn
• SuccessKPI 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, Ignacio “Nacho” Redondo, former Senior Vice President of Finance at Nextpower, formerly Nextracker, joins Megan Weis to explore what it truly takes to prepare an organization for an IPO - from building rigorous financial processes and internal controls to developing the operational discipline required to operate as a public company. Nacho brings more than twenty-five years of finance leadership experience spanning accounting, financial planning, investor relations, and compliance, and previously served as CFO of Nextracker during a critical phase of growth and public market readiness.
With an unconventional path that began in engineering and wound through private equity, utility companies, and global manufacturing, Nacho shares how a process-first mindset, implemented years before any IPO was on the horizon, ultimately positioned Nextracker for a successful public market debut. Currently serving as Senior Vice President of Finance at Nextpower, Nacho offers a grounded, practitioner’s perspective on the discipline, systems, and storytelling capabilities finance leaders need to scale companies from startup to public stage.
What You’ll Learn:

• Why building financial processes three to four years before an IPO is critical for success
• How Nextracker accidentally became IPO-ready by focusing on operational excellence
• The two most important finance processes to transform before going public
• How to build a control environment that satisfies PCAOB audit requirements
• Why an ERP is a company-wide business system, not just a bookkeeping tool
• How the CFO role has evolved from numbers provider to strategic business partner

Learn more about Ignacio:

• Ignacio “Nacho” Redondo on LinkedIn
• Nextpower 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 “Greatest Hits” episode of CFO Weekly, Angie Paglinawan, former Director of Finance IT at Aristocrat and now a Finance Accounting Consultant, joins Megan Weis to explore the real-world evolution of finance leadership. From standardizing processes and implementing automation to mastering the art of financial storytelling, Angie offers practical insights for finance leaders.

Angie is a solutions-driven finance leader and financial project professional with over 25 years of experience spanning utilities, gaming manufacturing, hospitality, IT, and construction industries. She specializes in driving financial processes, executing transformation projects, and implementing strategic system improvements.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to transition from traditional accounting roles to strategic finance leadership
• Why standardization and automation are crucial for enabling finance teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine tasks
• The evolution of the CFO role into a storyteller who must communicate financial insights differently across various stakeholders
• How to leverage AI and automation to free up finance teams for more strategic work while maintaining data accuracy
• Why cross-training teams and standardizing processes are essential for maintaining agility in fast-paced environments

Learn more about Angie

• Angie Paglinawan on LinkedIn

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 "Greatest Hits" episode of CFO Weekly, we revisit a standout conversation with Jessica McClain, a leader who has mastered the art of evolving from public accounting to high-impact executive strategy. At the time of this recording, Jessica served as the CFO of Girl Scouts Nation's Capital, where she steered the financial strategy for the country’s largest council, overseeing everything from the iconic cookie program to complex property management. Her trajectory has only climbed since; she now serves as the CFO of the American Staffing Association, continuing her legacy of excellence and strategic transformation in the professional association space.

Jessica’s insights are more relevant than ever, reflecting the same expertise that earned her titles such as the 2023 Nonprofit CFO of the Year and a 2024 Rising Star by the CFO Leadership Council. In this retrospective, she joins Megan Weis to explore why continuous learning is the bedrock of modern financial leadership and how she successfully navigated a decade in public accounting into the C-suite of mission-driven organizations. This episode serves as a masterclass for any finance professional looking to balance technical rigor with visionary leadership.

What You'll Learn:

• Why emotional intelligence is becoming the defining skill for modern CFOs
• How to foster a culture of continuous learning within finance teams
• The evolution from technical accounting to strategic storytelling
• Practical strategies for staying ahead of technological disruption
• Building communication skills that translate complex financial data into actionable insights

Learn more about Jessica:

• Jessica McClain on LinkedIn
• Girl Scouts Nation's Capital Website
• American Staffing Association 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 Greatest Hits episode of CFO Weekly, Sara Wyman, CEO & Founder at Stackpack, joins Megan Weis to explore how modern CFOs are revolutionizing vendor management through AI-powered automation and strategic oversight. Sara brings extensive experience as a former VP of Strategic Partnerships at Affirm Inc. and VP of Enterprise Sales, where she witnessed firsthand the chaos of managing hundreds of vendors without proper systems at high-growth companies.


With her deep background in fintech and vendor relationship management, Sara shares how finance teams can leverage AI to automate contract term extraction, implement proactive risk alerts, and build comprehensive vendor management systems. Currently serving as CEO of Stackpack, Sara oversees the development of AI-native solutions that help companies transition from manual spreadsheet-based vendor tracking to automated, scalable systems starting at just $99 per month.


What You'll Learn:

• Why CFOs must take a proactive role in vendor management beyond traditional cost oversight
• How AI can automate contract term extraction with 100% accuracy in minutes versus weeks
• The critical metrics CFOs should track for effective vendor performance evaluation
• Strategies for implementing real-time risk alerts and renewal notifications
• How robust vendor management systems impact investor confidence and operational efficiency
• The future of AI in vendor discovery, evaluation, and strategic alignment
  
  

Learn more about Sara:

• Sara Wyman on LinkedIn
• Stackpack 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 Greatest Hits episode of CFO Weekly, Aaron Levine, Chief Financial Officer at Prophix, joins Megan Weis to discuss the challenges and opportunities of being a CFO at a company whose technology is made for CFOs. Aaron shares insights on the evolving role of the CFO in today's tech-driven landscape, the importance of data stewardship, and how innovative financial solutions can enhance collaboration across teams.
Aaron is a seasoned financial executive with vast experience in high-growth venture capital and private equity-backed technology companies. With a career that began in public accounting and transitioned through various roles, he has developed a robust skill set in business analysis, investor relations, budgeting, and P&L management. Before Prophix, Aaron held financial leadership roles at companies such as ChurnZero, EveryAction, BluVector, Fishbowl, and more.
In this episode, we discuss:

• The importance of technology integration to improve decision-making
• How Prophix's technology impacts decision-making and collaboration within finance teams
• The growing demand for tech-savvy finance professionals
• What skills future financial leaders must possess to succeed

Learn more about Aaron:

• Aaron Levine on LinkedIn
• Prophix 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, Patrick Villanova, Chief Financial Officer at BlackLine, joins Megan Weis to discuss the shift from binary automation to agentic AI in the office of the CFO. With over a decade at BlackLine and a background in big four accounting, Patrick explores how AI agents are moving beyond creative tasks to handle complex, transactional decision-making in highly regulated environments.
Patrick shares insights on why the "deterministic" nature of financial reporting requires a different approach to AI, one where perfection is the only allowable outcome. He explains how finance leaders can transition from "doers" to "reviewers," the evolving skill sets required for the next generation of accountants, and why embracing technology is the only way to avoid becoming a "dinosaur" in the modern era.


What You'll Learn:

• The fundamental difference between binary automation and agentic AI.
• Why the office of the CFO requires deterministic AI rather than probabilistic models.
• How AI agents act as the "fifth invisible person" in the room for forecasting and risk management.
• The shifting recruitment landscape: why "data savvy" is as important as "accounting savvy."
• Strategies for building a culture that embraces AI as a career-accelerator rather than a threat.
• How to maintain strict governance and auditability while deploying autonomous agents.

Learn More About Patrick:

• Patrick Villanova on LinkedIn
• BlackLine 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, Hari Sankar, Senior Vice President of Applications Development at Oracle, joins Megan Weis to explore how AI, automation, and cloud technology are fundamentally transforming the finance function. Hari brings over thirty years of experience driving enterprise transformation and is at the forefront of integrating AI into finance functions, having led Oracle’s journey with AI-powered finance tools.
With a career shaped by a pivotal insight from an MBA classmate over dinner, that finance had a substantial unmet need for analytics and planning software, Hari has spent fifteen years championing the cause of CFOs burdened by manual processes and disconnected systems. Now at Oracle, he oversees AI-powered solutions embedded directly into core finance platforms, helping organizations move from reactive scorekeeping to predictive, agentic operations.
What You'll Learn:

• Why finance has historically lagged in technology adoption and what is changing now
• The two biggest automation and prediction opportunities in finance today
• How AI is shifting the CFO role from governance and compliance to strategic advisory
• Why embedding AI inside systems of record matters more than layering it on top
• Real-world customer examples of AI-driven finance transformation across industries
• How CFOs should approach the transition to AI with a phased roadmap and agentic mindset

Learn more about Hari:

• Hari Sankar on LinkedIn
• Oracle 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, 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