PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Reaching the C-suite is not the finish line — it’s a new starting point. For many senior finance leaders, the skills that earned a Controller a promotion to CFO, or a CFO a seat at the table, are not the same skills required for the next leap: from CFO to board director, or from CFO to CEO. That transition demands a different posture entirely — moving from functional expertise to enterprise leadership, from managing numbers to shaping narrative, and from being accountable to the CEO to being accountable for the whole organization.
Leveling Up: Advancing Beyond the Executive Seat is designed for finance leaders who have already proven themselves in their current role and are ready to build the case — and the capability — for what comes next. The program examines the real, often unspoken differences between adjacent levels of leadership: what a board expects from a CFO versus a fellow director, what a CEO does differently than even the most strategic CFO, and how successful leaders have engineered their own transitions.
Through case studies of finance leaders who have made these exact moves, peer discussion, and structured self-assessment, participants will leave with a clear-eyed view of their own readiness gaps and a concrete plan to close them — whether that means earning a board seat, stepping into the CEO role, or simply becoming a more strategic, enterprise-minded CFO in the meantime.
Who should attend: CFOs, Controllers, and senior finance executives who are actively pursuing — or being considered for — a board seat, CEO succession, or broader enterprise leadership responsibility.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
By the end of the program, participants will be able to:
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- Diagnose the gap between roles — clearly articulate what changes (mindset, scope, relationships, risk ownership) at each transition: Controller to CFO, CFO to board member, and CFO to CEO.
- Reframe their value beyond finance — shift from being seen as “the numbers person” to being recognized as an enterprise strategist, capital allocator, and business leader.
- Build board-level fluency — understand what boards actually look for in a director, how to contribute meaningfully in the boardroom, and how to position for a first board seat.
- Develop CEO-caliber judgment — practice the kind of cross-functional, ambiguous, high-stakes decision-making that CEOs face daily, beyond the more bounded scope of the CFO role.
- Strengthen executive presence and narrative — communicate vision and strategy (not just results) in ways that build trust with the board, investors, and the broader organization.
- Cultivate the right relationships and sponsors — identify who influences these transitions (board members, search committees, current CEOs) and how to build those relationships authentically over time.
- Create a personal advancement plan — leave with a concrete, honest self-assessment and a 12–24 month roadmap of experiences, visibility, and skill-building needed to move to the next seat.
SPEAKERS
Matt Barnes | President & CFO | KURU Footwear
Matt Barnes, CPA, is a seasoned finance executive and business leader serving as President & CFO of KURU Footwear. He brings extensive experience in financial leadership, strategic planning, operational management, and business growth.
As a senior finance leader, Matt combines financial expertise with a broader enterprise perspective, partnering across functions to drive performance, strengthen operations, and support strategic decision-making. His experience spans accounting, finance, technology, and business operations, with a focus on leveraging data, process improvement, and technology to create sustainable business value.
Jerry Bregg | Partner | Whittet Advisory
Jerry Bregg is a partner at Whittet Advisory and a board director with more than 30 years of executive and advisory leadership across public, private, and private equity-backed companies. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Altabank on the Audit & Compliance and Loan Committees, and serves on the NACD Utah Chapter board as Audit Committee member and Treasurer. Jerry’s executive background includes serving as Managing Partner at BDO USA and Head of Tax at Cricket Wireless, where he supported the company’s $7 billion acquisition by AT&T. He has guided companies through IPOs and SPAC transactions advising Boards and Audit Committees on financial reporting, risk, and governance. Jerry is also a Visiting Instructor at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business teaching in the Masters of Accounting program and chairs the School of Accounting Advisory Board.
Melanie Jones | CEO | Sego Leadership
Melanie Paris Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of Sego Leadership, formerly the Women’s Leadership Institute of Utah, a Utah nonprofit dedicated to elevating professional women through leadership development and corporate partnerships. She brings 28 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, including manufacturing, beauty, media, and nonprofit organizations. Before joining Sego Leadership, Melanie served as Editor-in-Chief of Utah Business and previously held leadership positions at Ultradent Products and Younique. She has also served as a TEDxSaltLakeCity curator and speaking coach and has been involved in initiatives focused on organizational strategy, leadership, and advancing women’s leadership.
EVENT POLICIES AND RESOURCES
Please visit our Events Policies and Resources page for information about chapter leadership, support, CPE, attendance, cancelations and more.
SPONSOR PARTNERS
Thank you to our valued Sponsor Partners. This event is open to members, sponsors, and special guests.
