CFO Weekly Personiv

Vandana Agarwal, a Finance Analyst at Merkley+Partners, joins Megan Weis to explore the key challenges when optimizing financial efficiency, the challenges and opportunities for women in finance, and the role of technology in the industry's future.

Vandana Agarwal has worked in finance for over eight years, having started in India and then moved to the United States. She is currently a Finance Analyst at Merkley+Partners, has served an internship at Colgate-Palmolive, and worked at Recro and Deloitte India. Vandana also pursued an MS degree in Business Analytics at Fordham University.

In this episode, we discuss:
- How the basics of finance are the same globally
- The importance of staying up-to-date with changing regulations
- The similarities in financial practices and leadership styles among multinational companies
- The challenges and opportunities for women in the finance industry
- AI’s role in finance

In the 200th episode of CFO Weekly, Corey Noyek, Vice President of Finance and Operations at Cardata, joins Megan Weis to discuss cost management for finance leaders. They analyze the impact of the rising production costs of everything due to inflation and the importance of collaboration across multiple departments, including finance, HR, and ops.

Corey is a CPA, CA, with a solid background in finance and operations. Before joining Cardata, he held various finance leadership roles at companies such as Cardata, Thriver, Deloitte Canada, and Norman, Goldberg & Co., gaining expertise in financial management, accounting, and tax filing.

In this episode, we discuss:
- How to thrive despite economic turbulence
- Why cross-department collaboration is essential for business success
- Strategies for identifying cost savings and operational improvement opportunities
- How to maintain employee morale while tightening the belt

While many companies treat business owners as simple customers, Hurley Fox sees them as partners. Therefore, their problems become his problems, and he's keen to solve them. Hurley is passionate about making finance easy to understand and helping businesses enhance their financial management. Today, he joined us to share his unique approach.


Hurley founded Fox & Partners to offer superior professional services to business owners. He is passionate about helping small business owners understand their finances and create reports and goals to achieve their ambitions. Beyond Fox & Partners, Hurley serves on the boards of several non-profits and holds equity stakes in other small businesses.

In this episode, we discuss:
- Helping entrepreneurs understand complex financial concepts
- How Fox & Partners turns client challenges into solutions
- The importance of understanding your cash flow
- What common financial pitfalls small business owners must avoid
- Fostering client trust and collaboration

Sharon Barber-Lui, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President at Teva Pharmaceuticals US, joins Megan Weis to unveil the multifaceted role of the CFO, the need for the CFO to connect with all aspects of the business, as well as the importance of diversity, inclusion, and innovation.

Sharon has over 20 years of executive experience in BioPharma, biotech, and public accounting, focusing on commercialization, finance, and operations. Before joining Teva Pharmaceuticals, she was the Senior Vice President of Global Finance at EQRx. Sharon also spent over 22 years at Merck.

In this episode, we discuss:
- Why CFOs must connect with all aspects of the business
- Key traits for successful CFOs
- Driving innovation through diversity and inclusion
- The integration of technology and data analytics in finance

Everyone thinks the main job of a CFO is to maintain the financial health of an organization. While true, Stacey Ryan-Cornelius believes that being a CFO has transcended beyond keeping books to becoming a strategic business partner, working closely with all business leaders to ensure organizational success. To learn more about the topic, Stacey joined us in the latest episode of CFO Weekly.

Stacey is the Global Chief Financial Officer at Ogilvy, bringing over 30 years of experience in the entertainment, media, and communications industry. As an innovative and strategic business partner, she is dedicated to driving growth. Stacey is also an NYS Licensed CPA, a Certified Management Accountant, a member of Chief, and serves as a Trustee Board member of Marymount Manhattan College.

In this episode, we discuss:
- How CFOs drive strategic organizational success
- The creative mindset of a CFO
- Aligning financial leadership with organizational goals
- Leading transformational initiatives
- The role of diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Traditionally, CFOs have been associated with established corporations. However, we've been noticing their growing presence in startups, including early-stage businesses. We were wondering: what are the primary challenges faced by CFOs in early-stage startups? To answer the question, we have Felix Beccar.

With more than 15 years of experience in management consulting and technology, Felix serves as the CFO at Mural, a top visual collaboration platform, where he leads the global finance team. Felix is also an Advisor for Brevity and Funnel IQ, an Investor at Mapo Tapo, as well as an Entrepreneur In Residence at INSEAD.

In this episode, we discuss:
- What role do CFOs play in early-stage startups?
- The CFO-COO combination and its impact on startups
- How to stay ahead in hiring and technology implementation
- The importance of aligning financial goals with operational objectives
- How to maintain financial discipline during rapid scaling