Automate or Stagnate, Advice from Lindsey Head, CFOLC San Diego Chapter Co-Chair Stagnation, the dreaded word that no founder wants to hear or experience. Imagine, you have poured your energy and life savings into launching a business. You’ve setup shop, the doors have opened, and you are feeling the excitement of growing sales and hiring employees.  Then you face a month or two where there is a lull in sales or a few key clients or staff members have left. You are supposed to be overseeing the big picture and growing the business. However, you have been pulled into the details of

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch Being a leader is a commitment. You are charged with guiding and supporting your team through the good times and the bad. Creative leaders can make enormous contributions through a focus on concentration and self development. So what does this mean exactly? During a recent webcast with Steve Wolff, a CFO for healthcare, technology & SaaS companies, as well as co-chair of our Chicago chapter, breaks down why it’s so important for leaders to commit,

Turn The Page!  What Our CFOLC Members Are Reading Recently our CFO Leadership Council members were asked by a peer via our online members-only forum CFO Connect "What materials are you currently reading that you find impactful to your role as finance leaders?"  The quick response was so phenomenal that we wanted to share the list.  Looking for something new to read that inspire you to take strategy and leadership to a new level?  Here's 40+ recommendations from valued finance leaders in our CFOLC community. Special thanks to Aaron Pullin, CFO NS1 and NYC Chapter member for posing this invaluable

Surviving Today’s Technology Complexity, One CAO’s True Story Requirements in the back office have grown exponentially while reporting deadlines remain fixed. New accounting standards, ASC606 and ASC 842, and new business models, such as the subscription economy and IoT, are driving this change.  Technology is the answer, but the game has changed significantly.   The “Cloud” was to provide new benefits but brings new challenges.  Instead of delivering insight to leadership, finance teams are forced to direct time to overcome these technology challenges. Old models for automating no longer apply, and finance leaders must embrace new approaches to avoid significant risks to the business. Tom Zauli, SVP & General Manager, Softrax will facilitate an insightful discussion with special guest speaker, Michael Smith, Chief Accounting Officer, Tyler Technologies at our 9th annual CFO Leadership Conference. (Pillar #5 – Technology, Disruption & Change ~ Tuesday, May 14th @ 10:40am).

A CFOs Imperative - Putting Your Controller In Control   It’s well-known that today’s CFO must be strategic to succeed.  But, what about their financial controller? Much like the CFO of ten years ago, today’s controller must buck the stereotype of an introverted number-cruncher. For CFOs to be strategic, their controller needs to evolve into a business-savvy and tech-savvy leader. They must provide insightful information, both financial and non-financial, about business operations. When this is realized, the quality of decision making to reduce risks and improve outcomes is greatly heightened. Unfortunately, many of today’s controllers aren’t “game day” ready for this new

Creating the power to get things done!  Spotlight on the CFO Leadership Conference Kickoff Keynote Christina Spade, CFO, CBS Corporation Creating the power to get things done - Closing the books is table stakes.  CFOs today must deliver much more.  Successful CFOs know how to shape themselves and their team to create influence over others they may not have assigned authority over. It’s called “Influence Power” and is the cornerstone for creating winning collaboration by finance across all levels of a company. Finance organizations with effective influence power guide their company to make winning strategic choices, know when a pivot in