Liquid: How CFOs Outperform

Kyriba
  • 5.0 (10)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Today’s finance leaders are up against a major challenge: liquidity gridlock. They’ve got the skills and know-how to solve big problems, but disconnected, confusing systems keep their financial data siloed. What’s the impact? Weak data interpretation, poor future planning, and subpar risk control. And frankly, they deserve better. Welcome to Liquid: How CFOs Outperform, the podcast where top CFOs share their biggest and boldest approaches to transforming corporate liquidity and shaping business strategy straight from the Office of the CFO. This isn’t your typical finance show. Whether you’re a CFO, Treasurer, or any finance leader who has a stake in how your organization manages, plans, or optimizes liquidity, it’s time to break out of the mold to meet the moment and outperform the competition. Join Tom Gavaghan as he talks with visionary finance leaders to uncover the biggest and boldest strategies they’re currently using to grow their organizations and avoid liquidity gridlock. Powered by the team at Kyriba.

  1. FEB 5

    How PwC’s CFO Thinks About AI, Talent, and the Future of Finance

    In this episode, Tom is joined by Colin Wittmer, CFO of PwC. Colin's 31-year journey at PwC has seen him transition from the audit practice to a leadership role in finance, with a significant focus on deals and transaction services. Unlike the typical technology-centric CFO, Colin emphasizes the importance of human skills in AI-driven transformations. He offers insights into the evolving role of finance leaders, the impact of AI, and how to cultivate leadership within the organization.  Guest Quote: “As a CFO, you see the whole picture… where a good CFO really excels is being able to connect the dots so everyone understands how something happening in one part of the business affects the rest.” “If you start managing the business like you have a lot of cash, you can easily go sideways when things get tough. It’s maintaining that discipline in good times and in bad times.” “Make the tough decisions early and stay the course. The companies that don’t come out of restructuring are the ones that defer making the hard decisions.” Timestamps: 01:07 Colin Wittmer's Career Journey 02:27 Insights on M&A and Finance Leadership 07:34 The Role of AI in Modern Finance 08:49 AI Implementation at PwC 12:58 Balancing Human Skills and Technology 14:44 Continuous Learning and Adaptation 25:43 Advice for Aspiring CFOs 26:50 Balancing Client and Firm Management 27:54 The Importance of Leadership 28:26 Evaluating Career Decisions 29:54 Market Trends in M&A 31:52 Red Flags in Finance Functions 34:58 Future of the CFO Role 41:30 Personal Insights and Hobbies 44:41 Recommended Reads and Conclusion   Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with Colin Wittmer Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about PwC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    46 min

  2. JAN 8

    Inside the Mind of a CFO Who Connects the Entire Business

    In this episode, Tom is joined by David Smith, CFO at RevSpring, for a wide-ranging conversation on what a true 360-degree finance leader looks like. David shares how his rare path, from private equity investor to CEO to CFO, shapes the way he connects strategy, operations, and value creation across the entire business. He also explains why discipline, transparency, and partnership are essential in both turnarounds and high-growth environments, and how he helps teams stay engaged by empowering them to think and act like owners. Guest Quote: “As a CFO, you see the whole picture… where a good CFO really excels is being able to connect the dots so everyone understands how something happening in one part of the business affects the rest.” “If you start managing the business like you have a lot of cash, you can easily go sideways when things get tough. It’s maintaining that discipline in good times and in bad times.” “Make the tough decisions early and stay the course. The companies that don’t come out of restructuring are the ones that defer making the hard decisions.” Timestamps: 00:50 David Smith's Unique CFO Perspective 04:48 Insights on Private Equity and Turnarounds 10:26 The Importance of Forecasting and Cash Flow Management 13:21 Balancing CFO Responsibilities and Team Motivation 20:52 Building Trust Through Small Wins 23:14 Leveraging AI in Finance 28:19 International Experience and Its Impact 33:35 Future of Finance Roles Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with David Smith Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about RevSpring Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    39 min

  3. 12/11/2025

    Finance as a Coach, Not a Referee: Building Stronger Partnerships

    In this episode, Tom is joined by Nick Dahm, CFO at Salesloft, to discuss the importance of relationships and storytelling in the CFO seat. They discuss the role of the CFO as a coach, but not a referee or score keeper. Nick also talks about how his background in finance and M&D informs his current approach as CFO and how he maintains team engagement amid constant change. Guest Quote: “You think about like the player and the referee  getting into it. I never want to replicate that as far as how finance engages with the business. I really want to build that relationship like you would have with your coach or = with your trainer, where you're like, hey, we're both in this together. They're invested in me achieving my best.”Timestamps:  01:10 Nick Dom's Background and CFO Role Evolution 02:22 Balancing Growth and Profitability 04:23 Finance as a Coach, Not a Scorekeeper 06:12 The Importance of Storytelling in Finance 08:37 Common Misconceptions About Finance 11:25 M&A Insights and Value Creation 17:04 Team Management and Company Culture 20:20 Personal Reflections and Advice Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with guest Nick Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about Salesloft Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    29 min

  4. 11/20/2025

    Insights from the Other Side of the Fence: How Banks Really Operate

    In this episode, Tom Gavaghan sits down with Russell Haley, a finance veteran who’s navigated everything from manual ledgers to global treasury crises. Russell shares lessons from his early career starting at 18 in London’s financial sector through his leadership roles at major institutions. He discusses the value of apprenticeships and non-traditional career paths, the lessons learned from corporate failures, and the tension between automation and understanding.      Guest Quote:“People trust the computer—they assume it must be right. But it can only use the information it’s given, and that information can be wrong. Having an instinct for what the figures should be is invaluable.”Links & Resources:Connect with Tom Gavaghan:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasgavaghan/ Connect with Russell Haley:  linkedin.com/in/russell-haley-58676311/?skipRedirect=true Learn more about Kyriba:  https://www.kyriba.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    41 min

  5. 10/16/2025

    The Global CFO: Lessons in Leadership, AI, and Agility

    In this episode, Thomas Gavaghan talks with Michiel Boere, CFO of Remote, about leading finance for one of the world’s fastest-growing global HR platforms. Michiel shares how Remote helps companies hire, manage, and pay talent anywhere in the world, and how that mission shapes his approach as CFO. Michiel offers a candid look at the realities of managing finance across 100+ countries, from the complexity of global payroll and navigating diverse regulations, to the challenge of mitigating foreign exchange risk. He discusses the true ROI and variable cost of AI investments, sharing practical advice on balancing innovation with discipline in a fast-scaling company. Drawing on his experience at Uber and Remote, Michiel explains why great CFOs must balance data with judgment, stay nimble in uncertain times, and lead with both flexibility and trust. He highlights the importance of understanding the business beyond spreadsheets—connecting with teams, empowering decision-making, and focusing on what truly drives growth and resilience. Guest Quote:  From a financial point, the complexity with that global footprint lies, at least to a large extent, in the money movement, right? It's much more complex than generally people think to move money around the world. If it's not going to the top countries in the world, right? It’s very easy to move money from say, Europe to the US and back and forth, but to get the funds right in time for payroll to the Philippines or Pakistan, is a different story. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into managing that complexity.Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with Michiel Boere Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about Remote Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    45 min

  6. 04/03/2025

    The Career Curve: How Tech is Redefining Financial Leadership

    In this special crossover episode, Tom joins host Mike Richards of the Treasury Career Corner podcast to share his career journey and explore how technology and AI are reshaping the future of treasury. They dive into pivotal career moments, the impact of mentorship, and the evolving role of treasury in an increasingly tech-driven world. From traditional cash management to the rise of AI and complex financial solutions, Tom shares thoughtful insights on navigating change, leading with curiosity, and helping finance professionals stay ahead in a rapidly shifting landscape.   Tom: “When you're talking about AI, and you're looking at it from the point of view of a treasurer or CFO, the one thing and important thing that you have to understand, and this is one of the learning gaps that I think all of us are going through in our careers now, as we're working through this, is AI is useless without data. The way I always explain it is: if you read a thousand books, and if I read one book, you inherently have more knowledge and more information to operate off of than I do. So, when you're looking at how can we leverage AI in order to do what we need it to do within our organization, there’s two key things: does it have the necessary information, and is it right? And two, can I adapt it to what we ultimately need it to be?”   Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with Mike Richards Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about Treasury Recruitment Company Check out the Treasury Career Corner Podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    42 min

  7. 02/13/2025

    The Strategic CFO: Finance as the Engine of Success

    In this episode, Tom and Holly sit down with Curt Anderson, CFO and COO of Flexe, for a deep dive into the world of finance, leadership, and supply chain innovation. Curt takes us on his career journey from powerhouse companies like Microsoft and Amazon to the fast-paced world of startups. Sharing invaluable lessons on leveraging data, driving financial strategy, and, most importantly, investing in people. He also unpacks the pressing challenges of today’s economy, from navigating tariffs to the critical need for flexible infrastructure in supply chain management. At the heart of it all? Building an exceptional team. Because as a leader, your team is an extension of you, and success starts with setting the right tone from the top.   Curt: “We have a ton of data and…the volume of data is not the issue. Sometimes it's the quality of the data. And sometimes it's the speed with which you can access the data…At a smaller company and the companies that I've been privileged to be part of, a lot of the data tends to be more sales and customer focused data and then system generated operating data. It's not always clean. It's not always super easy to get to. One of my sort of mantras is to hire the FP&A function out really early as I'm building my teams, because, you kind of need people who can kind of sift through the data and make sense of it and create structure around the data so that you can understand it.”   Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with Holly McNulty Connect with Curt Anderson Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about Flexe Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    30 min

  8. 01/09/2025

    The Balancing Act: Innovation and Compliance in Fintech

    In this episode, Tom sits down with Alison Staloch, CFO of Fundrise, for an engaging discussion about her journey in finance, perspectives on industry regulations, and unique approach to leadership. They explore topics like aligning values with opportunities, fostering inclusivity to drive innovation, and Alison’s experience as Fundrise’s first female executive. Alison also shares how Fundrise cultivates inclusivity across the organization and highlights the intangible value of connecting with her team in person throughout the year.   Alison: “So, of companies that went public over the last 12 to 18 months a couple things to note. First one's super obvious, there's a focus on fundamentals. Sustainable business models, path to profitability, not growth at all costs like it was for so long. And then the second maybe less obvious observation is that all companies faced a constrained capital environment during the downturn, and some may have ended up relying on Interesting structured agreements, investor-friendly terms, whatever they needed to do basically to remain liquid, survive… I think the financial and strategic pressures that they navigated to reach this point will become more apparent, and maybe we'll see some of that uncovered in the coming year.”   Links & Resources: Connect with Tom Gavaghan Connect with Alison Staloch Learn more about Kyriba Learn more about Fundrise Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    29 min
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Today’s finance leaders are up against a major challenge: liquidity gridlock. They’ve got the skills and know-how to solve big problems, but disconnected, confusing systems keep their financial data siloed. What’s the impact? Weak data interpretation, poor future planning, and subpar risk control. And frankly, they deserve better. Welcome to Liquid: How CFOs Outperform, the podcast where top CFOs share their biggest and boldest approaches to transforming corporate liquidity and shaping business strategy straight from the Office of the CFO. This isn’t your typical finance show. Whether you’re a CFO, Treasurer, or any finance leader who has a stake in how your organization manages, plans, or optimizes liquidity, it’s time to break out of the mold to meet the moment and outperform the competition. Join Tom Gavaghan as he talks with visionary finance leaders to uncover the biggest and boldest strategies they’re currently using to grow their organizations and avoid liquidity gridlock. Powered by the team at Kyriba.

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