CFO

?? Checkr CFO on impactful leaders; McKinsey's AI best practices; GoDaddy CFO's morning; late payments This week's newsletter features a Q&A with Checkr, Inc. CFO Naeem Ishaq, a new edition of the 6 a.m. CFO series with Mark McCaffrey of GoDaddy, data stories on the uptick of late payments from Creditsafe research and on AI best practices from McKinsey & Company, an update to the state-by-state CPA requirement tool and more.

Chris Kuwitzky, CPA has been named CFO and will be a key part of the team tasked with reviewing Oklahoma State University's financial practices following a state-led audit. The?misallocation?occurred under former university President Dr. Kayse Shrum and soon-to-be former interim CFO Eric Polak.?The?timing of Shrum’s resignation, along with that of former executive director of The Innovation Foundation at Oklahoma State University, Elizabeth Pollard,?have been speculated upon, as both departures came just weeks before the audit’s findings were published. https://lnkd.in/e8VjKbXp

Generation West Virginia's CFO Candice Holcomb details how she’s planning for possible cuts to federal funding, the working demands of Gen Z and factors that make up the state’s economic future. "Let’s just say we are definitely not unaffected," said Holcomb. "A lot of our income comes from federal sources, but I have really focused on making sure that all our eggs aren’t in one basket, so to speak. We’ve been able to forecast these changes and work on developing other revenue streams that can help supplement cuts in funding." https://lnkd.in/ednkpKzV

Cigna promotes its deputy CFO in management reshuffle, Bally’s names a new CFO a month after its $4.6B buyout and Beyond’s CFO takes on the role of president. ??Cigna Healthcare names their former CFO Brian C. Evanko president and chief operating officer, will be replaced by Ann Dennison, CPA who is being promoted to executive vice president and CFO ??Mira Mircheva is appointed to the CFO role at Bally’s Corporation after an M&A deal. Former CFO Marcus G. Glover will be promoted to executive vice president of global operations ??Beyond, Inc.'s CFO Adrianne Lee takes on the additional role of president ??Lin T. is promoted to CFO of Sony ??Wheels Up hires John Verkamp as their new CFO ??Thomas Kim is named CFO of European Wax Center https://lnkd.in/eDgGZwCr

GoDaddy CFO Mark McCaffrey shares how he leads with purpose, his favorite quote from Theodore Roosevelt and the origins of his New York Yankees fandom. "The CFO role now requires both financial expertise and emotional intelligence to engage stakeholders, respond to disruption and deliver value," McCaffrey said. "My approach is to lead with purpose and connect authentically. Real leadership is not about titles — it’s about emotional connection." https://lnkd.in/eRzi4qwM

Myles Corson, EY's global and Americas strategy and markets leader of financial accounting advisory services, discusses the evolving role of the CFO, the importance of communication during technology transformations and offers advice to young accountants. "For several years now, technology has been able to?analyze executive sentiment in real-time?on earnings calls using Layered Voice Analysis," said Corson. "If leadership teams don’t proactively address communication gaps, particularly CFOs, analysts will spot these discrepancies,?possibly with this technology,?and expose divisions within the team." https://lnkd.in/eWXTviHS

McKinsey & Company is expressing cautious optimism about the climate for deals. Calling last year’s deal environment less than a “full throttle” comeback, the firm suggested it may be understandably difficult for some M&A professionals to be optimistic in the new year. Even the busier pace of 2024 limited global deal volume and value to roughly the averages of the past 20 years, a recent report noted. https://lnkd.in/ev9T8h5T

Fast follow, big data and AI-powered lead the list of the most commonly used business and technology terms, according to a new list put together by Heepsy . These idioms, many of which have become?red flags for younger employees?during their job searches, have entered organizational communications of all types, including all-hands meetings, board meetings, stakeholder meetings, the hiring process and employee evaluations. https://lnkd.in/ehQkcC4f

As states explore alternative CPA licensure pathways, CPA society representatives addressed the misconception that they want to remove the 150-hour requirement during a recent Earmark webinar. "If there’s one bit of information that gets me frustrated, it’s when I hear anyone suggest that the 150-hour rule is going away," said Calvin Harris Jr., CPA, CEO of NYCPA - The New York State Society of CPAs. We’re talking in addition to — not instead of. If a person wants to go down the 150-hour pathway, they can. If they’re already in the pipeline going through the 150 hours now, they’re still on that path. And even for the things being discussed — including here in New York — this doesn’t change what anyone is doing right now." Read the full story with takes from Harris as well as Jodi Ann LaFreniere Ray, CAE, CCE, IOM, president and CEO of the Texas Society of CPAs, Geoffrey Brown, CAE, president and CEO of the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS), Denise LeDuc Froemming, CPA, CAE, president and CEO of CalCPA, Shelly Weir, president and CEO of Florida Institute of CPAs (FICPA) and Jennifer Cryder, CEO of PICPA here: https://lnkd.in/g89Kij-K

Bevi's new CFO?Wajeeha Ahmed is now in an industry she’s never worked in. She is also the company’s first CFO. Luckily for her, this is quite familiar territory. "From my CFO brain’s perspective, there's a strong product market fit, impressive growth trajectory, healthy unit economics and overall potential make this an exciting opportunity," said Ahmed. "There is margin with a mission here." https://lnkd.in/epz8XGDh