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Erik Zhou, SVP of Finance and Accounting at Brex, on his path from over a decade in Big Four audit at PwC to building the finance function behind Capital One's $5.2 billion acquisition of Brex, the largest FinTech acquisition in US history. Erik shares hard-won lessons on the shift from auditor to trusted advisor, scaling finance from two accountants to a team of thousands, reading the signals that predict revenue before it lands, building a company that's ready to be acquired, and where AI is already paying off in finance.
Will Billings, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer at Chewy, on his journey from Big Four audit to leadership roles at GE, Airbnb, Global Foundries, and beyond. Will shares hard-won lessons on scaling global finance teams, leading through the pandemic, pursuing public company board service, earning an MBA mid-career, and why AI is elevation, not elimination.
CFO Greg Henry of 1Password reflects on his career journey from the Big Four to leading companies through IPOs, sharing lessons from what he calls "million-dollar experiences you would never sign up for." Greg discusses navigating major crises including an FDA shutdown at GE Healthcare and near-catastrophic setbacks at Couchbase that made him fear he had "wrecked the company," before ultimately leading the database company through a successful public offering. He explores modern CFO leadership challenges, the power of mentorship in building "CFO factories," and how his team leverages AI through innovative hackathons to stay competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.
NFL Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and 14-year NFL veteran Kelvin Beachum join Ravi Kumar to unpack what it takes to build elite performance–and successfully transition from the field to leadership and investing success. From discipline under pressure to humility in growth, they share lessons learned through elite competition that now guide their impact in business and philanthropy.
Public safety technology leader Dharti Patel, Chief Accounting Officer at Flock Safety, reflects on her career across Silicon Valley's high-growth companies, including SurveyMonkey and Yahoo, and shares her personal connection to Flock Safety's mission of making communities safer. She discusses lessons in leadership and teamwork, and how aligning work with purpose can lead to both organizational impact and personal fulfillment.
Entrepreneur and investor Lauren Maillian opens up about her early ambitions, personal challenges and the pivotal moments that shaped her 20-year career across wine, venture capital, tech, media and board leadership.
Silicon Valley CFO Shannon Nash reveals how leaving her comfortable East Coast life, caring for her autistic son, and an unexpected phone call from Debbie Allen transformed her into a powerhouse executive who teaches finance teams to say "yes, and" instead of "no, you can't." She and Ravi also discuss the evolving landscape of the CPA profession, the importance of soft skills in finance leadership, and why giving yourself grace is essential for long-term success.
In this episode, Scale AI CAO Josh Waldron shares about the chaotic world of finance in hypergrowth startups, how he weathered the storm by staying at Uber when others jumped ship—and how it propelled his career, the future of the AI industry, and more. This episode is a must-listen for finance professionals, tech enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the intersection of AI and business operations.
In this episode of Breakthrough Work, Mike Bufano, CFO and Youth Club President of League One Volleyball, takes listeners on an exhilarating journey through the thrilling world of sports business, the raw truths about conquering mental health challenges in high-stakes environments, and the unstoppable rise and bright future of women's sports.
In this episode of Breakthrough Work, Janine Korovesis, VP of Finance at OpenAI, shares insider stories and exclusive insights about the explosive growth at OpenAI since the launch of ChatGPT. Ravi and Janine discuss the world-changing innovation of ChatGPT—and how Janine built and scaled her finance team during the hyper-growth—as well as other tips for finance leaders who want to create their own breakthroughs.
In this episode of Breakthrough Work, host Ravi Kumar is joined by Nusano CEO Chris Lowe to discuss Chris's impressive career journey from CFO to CEO, how Nusano is disrupting major industries forever, and much more.
