The CFO Show Vena Solutions

If you like sports, you might say James Suh has one of the coolest jobs in the world. After 11 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, James became CFO of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. What a first year he had, as the Panthers went from barely making the playoffs to the Stanley Cup finals! 

In this episode, James gives us an inside look at what goes into finance operations for a sports team, and what it was like to lead those operations for an underdog in a breakout year. His experiences offer valuable lessons in strategic planning, underscoring the importance of knowing your market, and prioritizing long-term growth and profitability over quick sales streams. 

Discussed in this episode:
Understanding the finances of a hockey franchiseThe many streams of revenue in an NHL franchise, and how those differ from team to teamScenario modeling in an industry and market that are both highly unpredictableThe impact fan behavior has on budgeting and revenue forecastingHow winning impacts work culture, revenues, and operations

Amid uncertain market conditions, many companies are adopting a cautious "wait and see" stance regarding their initial public offering (IPO) plans. However, instead of delaying, proactive planning for an eventual IPO launch is essential. By preparing in advance, companies can capitalize on market opportunities, mitigate risks, and position themselves strategically for a successful public offering when market conditions stabilize. 

Donna Dellomo, Former EVP and CFO and Current Senior Strategic Advisor for Lovesac, has has helped three companies go public throughout her long career leading finance teams. In this episode, Donna discusses how she built data-driven finance operations and prepared her teams to operate as public companies – long before they actually were. Donna’s experiences highlight the importance of investing in technology and establishing the right controls to ensure a healthy public offering, as well as how adaptability can help keep your valuation high.

Learn what meticulous planning and organization it takes for IPO readiness. While you can’t control when market conditions will shift in your favor, you can ensure you and your finance team are ready when they do. 

Discussed in This Episode:
Key factors to consider when timing your IPOWhy building the right team of advisors (bankers, lawyers, auditors, investor relations, etc.) is key to fundraising and storytellingThe role of agile planning and scenario forecasting in your IPO-readiness strategy.How Donna and her team navigated unprecedented macroeconomic shifts, such as COVID, supply chain disruption, and tariffsLeveling up as a CFO by learning to communicate with the Street and spearhead investor relationsCultural differences that arise once you go from private to public, and how to stay true to your company values

As your business grows, you may feel a lot of pressure to meet increasing operational demands. However, investing in new resources brings the company additional risk, especially in times of economic uncertainty. How do you strike the right balance between prioritization, creating operational efficiencies and hiring?


Andy Young, CFO at Horwich Farrelly, has led finance teams through multiple acquisitions and periods of high growth. In this episode, Andy and host Melissa Howatson discuss how to scale up finance operations amongst global economic shifts. Their conversation focuses on re-evaluating the traditional financial framework and implementing innovative strategies as technologies advance and business structures become more complex.

Learn how to approach seasons of high growth and lead your team through major business changes. 

Discussed in This Episode:
The challenges of scaling up and practical solutions to address themHow to lead and inspire a finance team through business and economic changes What to do when there’s a misalignment between resources and growth plansAutomating processes to trim down operations while you scale upThe importance of a dedicated team during acquisitions

Startups in highly regulated industries have to strike a tough balance — keeping operations both lean and compliant.

Sruthi Lanka, CFO at Public.com, leans on her engineering background, as well as out-of-the-box thinking from her team, to meet both criteria. Sruthi explains why she made process efficiency a top priority for her team, and how a combination of high and low-tech solutions have created efficiencies and mitigated risk. 

Learn what it takes to fortify your organization against unforeseen risk management challenges with this in-depth look at Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and internal controls.

Discussed in this Episode:
The impact of automation on internal controls and how to make time for automation when you’re resource-constrainedThe importance of accurate and unified data across the businessEnsuring regulatory and data compliance when leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)How smarter checks and balances and risk management can improve the quality of your business

Achieving optimal growth calls for collaboration between marketing and finance.

Ruth Zive, CMO at LivePerson, joins Melissa to dive into data-driven decisions and the critical need for business partnering between the CMO and CFO. She shares insights on driving scalable growth, pipeline coverage and brand awareness in B2B SaaS marketing, as well as nuanced marketing metrics and the impact of AI investments on customer experience.

Discussed in This Episode:
Marketing strategy and data-driven decision makingImproving finance-marketing business partnerships for better outcomesMetrics, ROI, and efficiency in enterprise B2B SaaS

When it comes to metrics, less is more.

Our host, Melissa Howatson, is joined by Craig Schiff, Founder and CEO of BPM Partners. A pioneer in Business Performance Management, Craig helped create and define the field as it evolved from generic business intelligence and analytic applications into BPM.

In this episode, we unpack the crucial components — dashboards, scorecards, KPIs, and metrics — that drive business performance management and strategic business success. We discuss the mismatch between technological progress and the slow evolution of organizational processes and culture in performance management. This conversation is filled with practical advice on navigating the complexities of business performance metrics and creating synergy between strategy and execution. 

Discussed in This Episode: 
The challenges of today’s performance management and business metrics.How the Office of Finance can take the lead when it comes to performance culture within the business.Differences between dashboards, scorecards, KPIs, and metrics.Common pitfalls companies face, from static approaches to KPI development to internal political resistance that hinders strategic execution. How to align business strategies with performance measures and foster a productive and enjoyable work culture.