Episode 49: The CFO's Strategy Playbook: Leveraging Finance to Unlock Business Value and Drive Digital Transformation

This episode focuses on the evolving role of finance leaders, featuring insights from Larry Simcox of SAP. Based on an Oxford Economics survey of 600 financial executives, it reveals that CFOs are now strategic partners to CEOs, taking on new responsibilities beyond traditional finance roles.Larry discusses the challenges finance teams face, such as compliance with complex regulations like ESG standards and the need for modern technology to support growth. Many finance executives report their existing systems are inadequate, hindering innovation and responsiveness.The conversation highlights the importance of adopting cloud-based solutions and AI technologies to streamline processes and enhance decision-making. Larry provides actionable advice for CFOs, emphasizing the need for clear goals, strategic technology use, and fostering a culture of innovation. This episode is essential for understanding the evolving landscape of finance and how leaders can effectively navigate it for future success.

Guest Speaker: Larry Simcox, Sr. Director, Product Marketing, GROW with SAP at SAP

Larry Simcox joined SAP in February 2024 and is the Sr. Director, Product Marketing, GROW with SAP. He is a key member of the team working on the go to market strategy and execution for the GROW with SAP offering. Larry came to SAP with over twenty years of diverse sales, marketing strategy, product marketing and business leadership. 

Prior to SAP Larry was the Senior Director, Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP Product Marketing and has over 20 years of marketing strategy and business leadership. He has also worked in marketing and pre-sales support roles with innovative supply chain planning and execution software companies: G-Log (acquired by Oracle), Optum, and Manugistics. He also spent over 5 years in the financial services industry with Moody’s Investor Service. 

Larry has a Masters in Business Administration from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina and a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science from Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, North Carolina. 

Larry resides in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrysimcox 

Host: Richard Howells, SAP

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Richard Howells: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

Host: Oyku Ilgar, SAP

Oyku Ilgar has been working in the digital supply chain area at SAP since 2017. As a marketer and blogger, she creates written and visual marketing content about ERP and Supply Chain solutions and focuses on the topics of business trends, IoT, Industry 4.0, and sustainability.

Oyku Ilgar: SAP Community, LinkedIn

Useful Links:

• SAP Cloud ERP: www.sap.com/ERP
• Download the Oxford Research:
• CFO Insights: Adapting the Role of Finance to Unlock Business V