Roadmap Creation for Finance

The path to becoming the CFO of one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies has been marked by challenges, learning, and enormous personal growth. I recently had the opportunity to reflect on my experience as a leader with Jack McCullough. We covered a lot of ground, from my personal journey of immigrating to America as a child, to my role as CFO, where I helped build the most talented team in the industry, and importantly, the strategic pivot AT&T has undergone over the last 4+ years.     Some of my most valuable lessons:     ⭐ Embrace Bold Decisions: Over the last four-plus years, we’ve been on a path to refocus the business on connectivity, which included divesting non-core assets, significantly reducing our debt, and cutting the dividend. All of these choices led us to where we are today- growing earnings, growing cash, and growing shareholder returns. Bold decisions, however challenging, are essential for long-term success.  ⭐ Build a World-Class Team: Building a strong team is foundational to the success of your business. A recurring theme in my career has been the importance of surrounding myself with the most talented, most inclusive team possible. This involves maintaining great networks, being an honest broker, and providing constructive feedback.   ⭐ Stay Curious: Throughout my career, I’ve sought opportunities to learn and grow. From a fellowship with the SEC, to earning my MBA at Columbia University, continuous learning has equipped me with the skills needed to navigate the evolving landscape of the finance industry. Encouraging a culture of learning within your teams can drive innovation and success – your colleagues have a lot to teach you!    Read more in Forbes:

When I was hired as a CFO, I was probably the least qualified candidate. No CFO experience. No Big 4 pedigree. Never built a finance team from scratch. Honestly, I loved being the underdog. Because it taught me something important: Most finance leaders don’t fail from lack of qualifications; they fail from lack of clarity. They think finance is about reporting what already happened. But I saw finance as a team that shapes what happens next. So, three years ago, I had a clear vision that shaped my mission: Finance wouldn't just be a cost center. It would become the intelligence hub of our company. If you're a finance leader, here’s exactly how you can do the same: 1️⃣ Hire people smarter than you...fast. Stop hiring mini-versions of yourself. Identify your blind spots and fill them immediately. Great teams are built from diverse strengths; not comfortable copies. 2️⃣ Fix your data foundation first. Your finance function is only as strong as your data clarity. We upgraded our ERP, revamped our chart of accounts, and built dashboards that gave us insight. 3️⃣ Become an internal business partner, not the finance police. Your job isn’t just budgets and controls. Your role is enabling Sales, Marketing, and Ops to clearly see exactly how their daily decisions create shareholder value. That’s when finance stops reviewing results and starts driving them. Our mantra became crystal clear: “We are the compass of the company. We put the business back on the rails. And we guide it toward value.” So if you’re an FP&A lead, a VP Finance, or a CFO-in-the-making: Don’t wait for permission to lead. Design your finance function to drive strategy. It starts with mindset. Then systems. Then trust. #CFOInsight #FPandA #StrategicFinance

Finance teams don't fail because they can't do maths. They fail because leaders don't know how to build them. I've inherited underperforming finance functions multiple times. Smart people. Good technical skills. Yet the team was fractured, slow, and invisible to the business. The assumption was always the same: "We need better talent." We rarely needed better talent. We needed better leadership. Here's what I discovered: the difference between a finance team that drives value and one that just processes transactions comes down to how the leader structures the work, develops the people, and connects finance to the business. I took over a team of eight where people were siloed. Accountant on payroll. Another on accounts payable. Another on reporting. Nobody talked to each other. Knowledge was trapped in individuals. When someone left, institutional knowledge walked out the door. Within six months, we reorganised around business outcomes instead of functions. Same people. Same technical skills. Completely different energy and impact. Why? Because suddenly they understood how their work connected to decisions that mattered. That's leadership, not hiring. Elite finance leaders build teams around three things most miss: First: Clarity of purpose. Your team needs to understand how their work drives business outcomes, not just compliance or process. When a junior accountant sees how their work feeds a decision that impacts growth or cash, their engagement shifts. Second: Capability development. You're not just managing current performance. You're building people for the next level. That requires deliberate investment in skill development, exposure to different work, and coaching on judgement, not just execution. Third: Cross-functional integration. Your team doesn't exist in isolation. Finance teams fail when they're disconnected from operations, strategy, and decision-making. Elite leaders embed finance in the business, not besides it. The maths never changes. But how do you structure the team, develop the people, and connect finance to strategy? That's everything. What's one area where your finance team has untapped potential because of how they're currently structured or led?

High Financial Literacy = Better Leader , How........? Let’s be real—great leadership isn’t just about motivating your team. It’s about understanding the numbers that keep the lights on. When I became Chief Strategy Officer at 28, I learned this the hard way. One day, someone asked me, “What are you contributing to the business?” And honestly, it stung. I realized that no matter how empathetic or visionary you are, if you can’t manage the P&L, optimize costs, or align resources effectively, you’ll hit a wall. Leadership is about more than inspiring others—it’s about delivering results backed by sound financial decisions. That’s when I started using the EMBED framework, a simple way to connect financial literacy to leadership: 🔵 E – Empathy: Numbers don’t exist in isolation—they’re connected to real people. Instead of cutting costs blindly, look for ways to protect team well-being while driving engagement. Engaged teams are 21% more profitable.(Gallup) 🔵 M – Managing Stakeholder Expectations: From your team to your investors, people want clarity. Clear financial communication builds trust and confidence. Transparent leaders increase investor trust by 30% (McKinsey & Company). 🔵 B – Building Future Leaders: Great leaders pass on their knowledge. Teach your team to think about costs, benefits, and the bigger picture—you’re building tomorrow’s leaders. Leadership-focused companies see 2.4x higher returns (Deloitte). 🔵 E – Efficient P&L Management: Your Profit & Loss isn’t just a report; it’s your strategy. Streamline operations, question redundancies, and align spending with priorities. Financially literate leaders make businesses 20% more profitable (HBR Consulting). 🔵 D – Defining Clear Structures: Every role in your team should have a purpose, both strategically and financially. This eliminates overlap and boosts efficiency. Well-structured organizations improve margins by 10% (PwC). In my role, focusing on these principles didn’t just improve the bottom line—it created a culture where everyone knew their impact. What’s one way financial literacy has shaped your leadership journey? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments. Follow Sanjay Kathuria, CFA for more! #LeadershipTips #FinancialLiteracy #BusinessGrowth #TeamEngagement #StrategicLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment

I’m speaking to more VC finance leaders who feel close to making the jump into private equity but keep hitting the invisible wall. The blocker is almost always the same. They haven’t operated inside a private equity environment and they narrowly lose out to candidates who have that experience. That gap matters more than people think. And most VC finance leaders simply haven’t been exposed to the cadence, scrutiny and value creation model that PE expects as standard. There is a route that works consistently well for making the transition. Stepping in as a number two under a proven private equity CFO. You get real exposure to the PE operating rhythm. You see how value creation gets executed. You build the muscle memory around accountability & board pressure. You learn what a real PE cycle feels like. And most importantly, you experience a full transaction from inside a PE backed business, learning directly from an experienced operator. Once someone has that on their CV, combined with the growth journey they picked up in venture, stepping into a first-time PE CFO role becomes significantly more natural and far more compelling for investors. The VC → PE number two → PE CFO pathway has become one of the more reliable routes into private equity for first-time CFOs. #cfo #privateequity #venturecapital #finance #CareerProgression

Finance: More Than Numbers As CFOs, we’re often seen as the number crunchers, focusing on reports, balance sheets, and financial models. But true financial leadership is about transformation—driving change across the business by aligning strategic vision with empowered people. Transformation starts with collaboration. Working with a great CEO and an aligned C-suite is crucial to make sure the shared vision becomes a unifying force throughout the organisation. Initiatives like DNA workshops have shown me how important it is to align purpose, strategy, and execution—embedding cultural values that spread throughout the business. But, above all, transformation is powered by people. Finance isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about connecting with the heart of the business, understanding its challenges, and being ready to provide real solutions. True business partnering means stepping outside the finance function to foster collaboration and build trust across departments. I’ve always believed in a collaborative environment—one where my finance teams feel confident stepping into the wider business and are welcomed as trusted partners. This isn’t just about sharing financial insights; it’s about listening, understanding, and contributing to the broader agenda. Seeing my teams thrive and make an impact beyond their role is one of the most rewarding parts of my career. Because at its core, transformation is about people—aligning them with strategy, empowering them, and creating a culture where every individual can drive success. How do you empower your teams to bridge gaps and create lasting impact? #CFOInsights #BusinessTransformation #LeadershipPartnership #TrueBusinessPartnering #FinanceLeadership #PeopleCentricFinance

After 15 years in the C-suite and 4 board seats, I’ve noticed the same mistakes that quietly stop talented finance leaders from becoming CFO: 1) They think like controllers, not operators. CFOs don’t just report numbers - they shape decisions. If you never talk about customers, product, competitive pressure, or revenue levers, you’re signaling you’re a functional expert… not an enterprise leader. 2) They build relationships up, not across. Great CFOs aren’t just trusted by the CEO and board. They’re trusted by GTM, Product, Ops, and People because they show up early, listen, and help solve real problems. 3) They can model a forecast but not tell the story. The CFOs who earn board confidence connect everything in one clean thread: what’s happening, why it matters, what options exist, and the trade-offs behind each path. Boards remember the narrative - not the spreadsheet. 4) They wait to be invited in. Future CFOs don’t sit back. They initiate scenario plans, pressure-test strategy, and surface risks before anyone asks. 5) They stay stuck in precision mode. Perfect accuracy slows companies down. Standout CFOs set decision thresholds, embrace scenario ranges, and call out the unknowns so the business can move faster. 6) They solve today’s problem, not the next stage. Boards choose the leader who can scale the company from $20M → $50M, $50M → $200M, or pre-IPO → public. Your mindset must shift with the stage. 7) They underestimate how much the CFO role is leadership. Most misses aren’t technical - they’re about influence. CFOs lead rooms, drive alignment, and bring clarity in moments where ambiguity is high. The difference between a great finance leader and a CFO isn’t technical skill. It’s how you think, how you lead, and how you show up. PS: I coach finance leaders on strategic storytelling, board communication, and executive presence. If you’d like to explore working together, send me a DM.

Stuck in the Middle? You’re Not Alone. Many mid-career finance professionals tell me they feel stuck: solid track record, heavier responsibilities but no clear path to career growth. Titles freeze. Pay flattens. The work widens but doesn’t elevate. Good news: you don’t need a miracle; just a deliberate shift. Here’s a practical framework with 3 paths and concrete choices that can restart your career. 1) ENRICH: Win where you already are. Raise your value in the current role so the decision-makers and search firms ‘see’ you differently. i) Reposition yourself. Reframe your role around outcomes (ROIC, cash, growth) instead of tasks (closing, reports). Update your title/summary, talking points, and success stories to influence business partner, not reporting owner. ii) Re-brand yourself. Rephrase your LinkedIn headline, bio, and content to reflect the role you want next (Strategic Finance | Value Creation | Board-facing). One strong case study post on LinkedIn beats ten random shares. iii) Build Networks Systematically add peers, CFOs, and professionals in your network. Join 1–2 high-profile communities and show up in discussions. This approach compounds existing credibility. You’re not changing jobs; you’re changing perception and impact. Low risk, fast results. 2) EXPAND: Add capability the market pays for. Focus on skills that unlock scope, salary, and optionality. i) Develop Digital/AI Expertise Learn how data/AI changes forecasting, pricing, working capital, and productivity. Create one visible analytics win (e.g., forecast error, DSO). ii) Explore Entrepreneurship Lead a new revenue stream, internal venture, or profit-improvement play. Act like an owner; document the economics. iii) Major Upskill (CFO Program) A structured program accelerates executive thinking, boardroom skills, and cross-functional influence. Use that toolkits on a real business problem. This approach works because markets reward capability that moves P&L and cash. Expansion makes you the person who can create value, not just track it. 3) DIVERSIFY: Change the landscape, not your standards Step into an environment where your strengths become scarce and valuable. i) Switch Industry Move to a sector with better unit economics or momentum (recurring revenue, industry growth). Translate your wins into that industry's language. ii) Switch Geography Target markets with higher demand for senior finance talent or better comp structures. Build local strategic relationships before you move. iii) Switch Role Lateral into FP&A/Commercial Finance/Strategy/Corporate Finance if you’ve been caged into controllership. Choose the seat that gets you closest to decision-makers. A new environment resets the game. Your current ceiling is often contextual, not personal. Diversifying gives you optionality and a fresh trajectory. Stack them. Enrich for quick wins. Expand for capability. Diversify when the right door opens. If you need more guidance with your career, let me know.

Here is my framework for financial leadership. It’s the approach I’ve used for a decade. From public accounting to controller to director to VP-level and CFO. 1. WHO is important & what’s important to them 2. Set up the initial model & forecast 3. Create a reporting cadence 4. Learn the real business drivers 5. Align & validate the accounting 6. Systemize to elevate 7. Create the longer-term plan 8. Back into the shorter-term plan 9. Measure, learn & adapt It took me 3 years to do this my first time, with lots of mistakes and stops along the way. Now it takes 3-6 months, maybe even less or more, depending on the situation (usually how much cleanup, turnaround, and/or capital restructuring is required). The repetition and nuanced experiences built upon, deepened, and strengthened this foundational framework but didn’t really change it. What proved the effectiveness of this approach were the few times that I tried to deviate from it. Like jumping directly into step 5 (looking at you, ex-controllers). Or when I failed to take the next step. Like many struggling FT or fractional leaders that only offer visibility but no action past steps 5 or 6. Each shortcut produces less accuracy, timeliness and/or relevance. These qualities being what makes you valuable as a financial leader. What makes these steps especially relevant at emerging companies (startups, scaleups, smaller fast-growing & volatile) is the high likelihood that you’re part of something in progress where you have significant influence within finance & accounting, if not total control, and you’ve got to build from the ground up. If you’re wondering what the CFO System is about, here you go. For those with experience, am I missing anything? Do you agree with these steps?

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐏 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 In the dynamic world of finance, advancing your career to VP and Director roles requires more than just technical expertise. With over 30 years of experience in management and as the creator of the ACES Recruitment Method, I've guided many professionals on their journey to the top. Here’s what you need to focus on to reach those coveted leadership positions. 1. Develop Strong Leadership Skills: Technical skills are essential, but strong leadership abilities set you apart. Focus on developing your capacity to lead teams, manage projects, and drive organizational success. 2. Embrace Continuous Learning: The finance industry is constantly evolving. Stay ahead by continuously updating your knowledge and skills. Consider certifications, advanced degrees, and staying current with industry trends. 3. Build a Robust Professional Network: Networking is crucial for career advancement. Engage with industry professionals, join relevant associations, and participate in events. These connections can open doors to new opportunities and provide valuable insights. 4. Seek Out Mentorship: Find mentors who have successfully navigated their way to VP or Director roles. Their guidance and advice can be invaluable as you plot your career path. 5. Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: To move up, you need to show that you can think strategically. This means understanding the broader business context, making data-driven decisions, and contributing to long-term planning. 6. Cultivate a Personal Brand: Establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. Share your expertise through articles, speaking engagements, and active participation in industry discussions. A strong personal brand can significantly enhance your career prospects. 7. Gain Diverse Experience: Broaden your experience by taking on varied roles within the finance function. This diversity in experience will make you more versatile and better equipped to handle high-level responsibilities. 8. Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t be shy about your successes. Highlight your achievements and the impact you’ve made in your roles. Quantifiable results speak volumes to potential employers and decision-makers. 9. Foster Professional Empathy: Understanding the perspectives of your colleagues, subordinates, and superiors is key to effective leadership. Professional empathy helps in building strong, cohesive teams. 10. Leverage Human Judgment: In an AI-driven world, human judgment remains irreplaceable. Use your judgment, empathy, and understanding to navigate complex situations and make informed decisions. By focusing on these areas, you can position yourself for advancement to VP and Director roles in the finance sector. Ready to take the next step in your career? Let’s connect and explore how you can achieve your professional goals. #Finance #CareerAdvancement #Leadership #VP