In this special Icons edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole interviews Catherine Hoovel, former SVP, Chief Accounting Officer, and Controller of McDonald’s Corporation. Hoovel shares insights from her nearly 30-year career, including how articulating long-term aspirations reshaped her leadership trajectory, why AI is redefining entry-level finance roles, and how financial leaders must rethink talent development in an automated world. She also provides a practical framework for retirement and transition planning – centered on continued growth, meaningful work, and paying it forward.

This episode is part of FEI’s special Icons series promoting the 2026 ICONS: Leaders in Finance event on March 25, 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, CA. Learn more and register here:

Special Guest: Catherine Hoovel.

In this special edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole interviews Muneera Carr, Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, and Controller of Wells Fargo & Co. Carr shares her journey from minimum wage jobs to senior-level financial leadership, emphasizing performance, advocacy, and building career “range.” She also offers insights into the future of finance, the integration of accounting and finance disciplines, and how AI should be treated as an enabler supported by strong operating models.

This episode is part of a special FEI Podcast ICONS series featuring past speakers from FEI’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance event, designed to spotlight the leadership lessons and real-world strategies shaping today’s finance profession.

Learn more about FEI's 2026 ICONS: Leaders in Finance at: https://www.financialexecutives.org/icons2026

Special Guest: Muneera Carr.

What does it take to become an Icon in finance?

In this compelling episode, Heather Cole, Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions, interviews Judy Wright, CFO of BTM Global Consulting, LLC, FEI Board Member, and incoming 2026 President of FEI Twin Cities.

Judy’s journey is anything but conventional. Early in her career, she quit her job to test her resilience—borrowing inventory from her father and becoming a street vendor in China. Carrying merchandise by bus, negotiating for market space, and building a wholesale network from scratch, she proved to herself that she could survive—and thrive—under pressure.

Today, she brings that same entrepreneurial instinct and composure to the CFO role at a global IT consulting firm.

In this episode, Judy shares:

Judy speaks openly about mentorship, faith, service, and the importance of personal development beyond the day job. Her message is clear: careers are built not just on technical skill, but on resilience, relationships, and the courage to lead with heart.

This conversation is a must-listen for financial leaders who want to elevate their impact—professionally and personally.

Special Guest: Judy Wright.

This episode is the second in a special FEI Podcast series spotlighting past speakers from Financial Executives International’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance event – designed to build momentum toward ICONS 2026.

Heather Cole, Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions, Inc., interviews Patti Humble, former Chief Accounting Officer at UPS, Institute of Management Accountants board member, and Golden Seeds investor.

Patti reframes careers as “jungle gyms, not ladders,” sharing the pivotal moment when she walked into her leader’s office and asked for a promotion—only to learn she wasn’t even being considered. That courageous ask set off a chain reaction that ultimately led her to the C-suite.

Together, Heather and Patti explore:

Why “don’t ask, don’t get” is a leadership strategy, not a slogan

How finance leaders earn influence by shifting from black-and-white answers to business-shaping questions

What real transformation leadership requires: hearts, minds, and momentum—not just project plans

The power of building an external network to accelerate decisions and reduce friction

Patti’s next chapter as a board-ready leader and angel investor supporting women-led startups through Golden Seeds

If you’ve ever assumed that hard work alone would get you noticed, this conversation offers a better playbook—because excellence is impressive, but advocacy is what changes your zip code.

Learn more about FEI's 2026 ICONS: Leaders in Finance at: https://www.financialexecutives.org/icons2026

Special Guest: Patti Humble.

Nobody becomes an icon by staying comfortable.

In this special ICONS: Leaders in Finance edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole – Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions – interviews Amber Kinney, Chief Financial Officer of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Amber’s career path is anything but traditional. From a background in the performing arts to executive leadership in nonprofit organizations with life-saving missions — including Mothers Against Drunk Driving — Amber shares how conscious career choices, grit, and faith shaped her leadership journey.

In this conversation, Amber and Heather dive into:

This episode kicks off a series spotlighting past speakers from Financial Executives International’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance event, designed to inspire finance leaders and build momentum toward ICONS 2026, taking place on March 25, 2026 at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, CA and virtually on April 22, 2026.

Learn more at www.financialexecutives.org/icons2026.

Special Guest: Amber Kinney.

Nearly half of all companies say their B2B payment processes need major improvement. Over 70% still rely on manual AP workflows, and nearly 60% of suppliers cite high acceptance costs as a top concern.

In this episode, based on a recent webinar hosted by Boost Payment Solutions and Financial Executives International (FEI), we explore the current state of B2B payments and the strategic shift toward automation and digitization. Hear directly from Boost executives as they share data-backed insights, lessons learned, and proven strategies to help finance leaders modernize their payment processes.

Topics Covered:

Speakers

Special Guests: Seth Goodman and Zach Held.

In this episode of the FEI Podcast, we explore key insights from a recent webinar hosted by the Financial Education & Research Foundation (FERF) and CohnReznick, focused on Financial and Accounting Outsourcing in the Age of AI. Based on new research, this conversation highlights how finance leaders are using outsourcing to overcome resource constraints, drive strategic priorities, and adapt to a rapidly changing business environment.

We’ll examine how outsourcing practices are evolving, what finance professionals expect for the future, and how technology, especially AI, is reshaping best-in-class approaches to working with providers.

Whether you're a CFO, finance executive, or strategic decision-maker, this episode will equip you with the knowledge to evaluate and evolve your outsourcing strategy for maximum impact.

Key Takeaways:

Speakers:

Special Guests: Kane Polakoff and Michelle Voyer.

In this episode of the FEI Podcast, Sam Peterson, EY’s Global Innovation Leader for Financial Accounting Advisory Services, explores the transformative impact of generative AI on the finance function. From the evolution of AI since its breakout moment to real-world use cases in FP&A, treasury, and financial reporting, Sam shares insights on how finance leaders can harness AI to drive efficiency, accuracy, and strategic value. The conversation also dives into emerging trends like agentic AI and reasoning models, and how professionals can prepare their teams for the future of work.

Special Guest: Sam Peterson.

In this deep-dive conversation, Isaac Heller (CEO, Trullion) and Shlomo Agishtein (Director of AI, Trullion) share how AI is reshaping the future of finance and accounting. From their origin stories to the development of Trulli, Trullion’s domain-specific AI, they break down what AI agents can really do, and what’s just hype.

You’ll learn:

This episode offers finance professionals a clear-eyed look at what AI means for your role today and where it's heading next.

Matt Waters unpacks the key insights from the 2025 Lease Accounting Outlook report, offering expert predictions on the future of compliance, technology, and regulatory change. Listen to Matt's podcast The Lease Report.

Special Guest: Matt Waters.