Axiom CFO Discusses New Role, SEC's Munter Urges Auditor Skepticism, and Planned Parenthood CFO Talks Digital Transformation

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Moving Planned Parenthood Into Digital Transformation

At the World Finance Forum 's CFO event in December, Planned Parenthood Federation of America 's Ilana Esterrich spoke about her company's digital transformation. To learn more, Adam Zaki recently sat down with the organization's CFO to breakdown how she is navigating the process.

"Lately, we have been shifting focus to the foundational operations and systems side of things so we can make sure they are optimal and functioning correctly. This approach involves things like eliminating our inefficient workflows and systems, and it extends beyond just automating manual work in finance and accounting."

- Ilana Esterrich , CFO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Read the full story here.

Questions or comments? Share them by becoming a member of CFO 's community page here .

70% of Retail CFOs Will Raise Prices in 2024

According to BDO 's 2024 Retail CFO Outlook survey , new revenues from higher prices in 2024 will likely be spent on tech integration to help facilitate inventory management and supply chain efficiency. Adam Zaki also notes there's a focus on employee upskilling — especially those who are interacting with customers.

“Coming into 2024, while there’s reason to be optimistic, we think retailers may need to taper their expectations. Consumers are likely to pull back on spending, and retailers may be putting too much faith in price increases or adjustments to keep their margins healthy.”

— Natalie Kotlyar , national retail and consumer products practice leader, BDO

Read the full story here .

Axiom’s Eric Bouchard Sits at the Corner of Finance and Law

David McCann 's Q&A with Axiom 's new CFO is a candid look into what three months into the position at one of the world's largest legal consulting firms looks like. When asked about his participation in the sales process, Bouchard mentioned how it was one of the reasons why he took the role.

"Sales operations and our deal desk report to my function...The sales team doesn’t report to me, but all the data the sales team uses for their pitches, and everything relating to quotas and territories, is within my function. So far that’s taking up probably 10% of my time, for deal approvals and such."

— Eric Bouchard , CFO, Axiom

Read the full story here .

SEC Chief Accountant Paul Munter: Auditors Should Exercise More Skepticism

CFOs are often labeled as the skeptics of the C-suite. But, according to Vincent G. Ryan 's latest story , regulators think auditors need to keep their eyes peeled more, too. Paul Munter , chief accountant of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission , said auditors should step up their game, especially as both costs and pressures rise to meet earnings expectations.

Read the full story here .

CFOs’ Impact on Authentic Sustainability in 2024

For a look into how finance can play a meaningful role in sustainability, Adam Zaki 's story compiled interviews from Maria Villablanca , a LinkedIn top voice and co-founder/CEO of the Future Insights Network , David Curran , the co-chair of ESG and sustainability at the New York State Bar Association , and Candice Holcomb , CFO of Generation West Virginia .

For business leaders, it's important to depoliticize these types of issues to take meaningful action. In a post sharing the story, Curran highlights how this idea is important to collaboration between finance and sustainability:

"[This story's approach] cuts through the political noise to demonstrate that ESG and sustainability are now core business imperatives being documented, tracked, measured and monitored by finance as part of the main engines of company operations...It's critical that CFOs and their teams work with legal and other corporate governance leaders to ensure compliance with publicly stated commitments — just like they would financials."

Read the full story here .

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This edition of Preferred Shares was created by Adam Zaki, reporter at CFO .