The Pre-Read

Workiva
  • 4.8 (39)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Just like the slides you get before a big meeting, The Pre-Read prepares CFOs and senior leaders for the decisions ahead. This is the global podcast for the modern office of the CFO, focused on how finance leaders drive performance, resilience, and long-term value in a constantly shifting environment. Designed for executives operating at scale, the show features candid conversations with CFOs, board advisors, regulators, and business leaders shaping how companies compete, comply, and grow. Hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter connect financial performance, data integrity, regulation, and technology to the real questions CFOs are being asked by boards, investors, and stakeholders. From AI adoption and enterprise data trust to evolving disclosure expectations and global regulatory pressure, The Pre-Read focuses on what matters now and what's coming next. Each episode cuts through noise to surface practical insight, strategic perspective, and the signals CFOs need to lead with clarity. If you're responsible for stewarding capital, managing risk, and creating value over time, you're in the right place.

  1. Decision-Grade Data: Turning Sustainability Silos into Strategic Assets

    50M AGO

    Decision-Grade Data: Turning Sustainability Silos into Strategic Assets

    How do leaders turn messy data into something they can trust? Global C-suite executive Amina Razvi joins us to explain why decision-grade data is the foundation of modern CFO risk management. She breaks down how integrating financial and non-financial data changes how companies manage volatility, price risk, and build long-term resilience. In this conversation, we cover: Why waiting for perfect data is a risk in itself How sustainability data quality drives innovation, not just compliance What CFOs gain by connecting financial, operational, and supply chain data Why working pre-competitively can reduce risk across entire industries Enjoying the show? Find past conversations at workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read Subscribe for more insights on leadership, data, and risk.

    26 min
  2. When Congress Rewrites the Rules for FPIs

    JAN 26

    When Congress Rewrites the Rules for FPIs

    Is your team ready for foreign private issuer (FPI) Section 16 reporting? Congress recently passed the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, which fundamentally changes how international insiders must disclose their trades. Alan Wilson and Chelsea Hall join the conversation to break down these new FPI director and officer reporting obligations and why the SEC has a tight deadline of March 18 to implement the rules. We discuss the sudden loss of exemptions, the need for individual EDGAR® codes, and the risks of missing the two-day filing window.   Chapters: 00:00–Introduction: A Regulatory Ground Shift The hosts introduce the end of long-standing exemptions for FPIs and the era of regulatory accommodation. 05:15–Breaking Down FPI Section 16 Reporting Alan Wilson explains the nuances of Form 3, 4, and 5 requirements, noting that while reporting is mandatory, short-swing liability (Section 16b) currently does not apply. 06:45–The Surprise of Congressional Speed Analysis of why Congress moved faster than the SEC and what this bipartisan unity signals for future securities rulemaking. 09:30–Future Outlook: Beyond Section 16 Insights into potential further changes, including updates to the FPI definition and the convergence of IFRS and US GAAP. 13:15–Infrastructure for Resilience Why investing in stability and agility is the only way to meet rapidly approaching deadlines like the March 18 cutoff. 17:30–Closing Thoughts: The Complexity of Compliance Final debate on whether this is a "big lift" for FPIs and how the market might react to potential moves toward quarterly reporting. Enjoy this episode? Find past conversations at workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read Subscribe to catch all our upcoming episodes.

    22 min
  3. Stability, Agility, and Clarity: What 2026 Will Demand from Leaders

    JAN 12

    Stability, Agility, and Clarity: What 2026 Will Demand from Leaders

    https://www.workiva.com/What does leadership look like when volatility becomes the norm? Workiva CEO Julie Iskow joins Steve Soder and Alyssa Zucker to unpack what 2025 taught executives and how to prepare for 2026. This conversation goes beyond headlines to explore how leaders can stay grounded while moving faster, make data a strategic asset, and meet rising board expectations with confidence. In this episode: Redefining resilience: Why stability and agility must coexist Data integrity as strategy: Turning trusted data into a competitive advantage AI readiness: Why governed, audit-ready data is the foundation for safe AI adoption The evolving boardroom: How expectations are shifting toward deeper, more frequent engagement Chapters 0:00 Defining resilience for 2026 3:15 Stability vs. agility in volatile markets 7:40 Data integrity: From compliance to strategy 11:20 When bad data becomes AI risk 15:00 The new expectations of the boardroom 18:30 Julie's word for 2026: Clarity Enjoy this episode? Explore more conversations at the intersection of finance, risk, and sustainability at workiva.com/pre-read-podcast.

    21 min

  4. 12/22/2025

    The Pre-Read Takes a Break: See You in 2026

    Steve and Alyssa are taking a well-earned break, but the challenges facing the office of the CFO are not slowing down. In this short episode, producer Mike Gravagno looks back on a year where AI moved from pilot programs to expectation and sustainability became more than a side conversation. Looking ahead to 2026, The Pre-Read will return with sharper conversations on data trust, AI governance, reporting rigor, and how leading teams turn systems into true productivity multipliers. Subscribe now and be ready for what's next.

    2 min
  5. Efficiency vs. Risk: The Semiannual Reporting Debate Continues

    12/15/2025

    Efficiency vs. Risk: The Semiannual Reporting Debate Continues

    Semiannual Reporting: Will doing "less" actually create more work? Finance and accounting leaders are split on whether moving from quarterly to semiannual SEC reporting will simplify processes or compound risk. In this episode, industry expert Tom Schneiders joins to unpack what a reduced cadence would really mean for teams, investors, and market stability. We cover: The hidden risk of doubling the data window—from three months to six Why most finance teams aren't asking to report less frequently How quarterly reporting strengthens risk management and operational discipline What's fueling the new momentum in the IPO pipeline Why generative AI is moving from experiment to essential for the C-suite If you want to understand how reporting cadence shapes trust, transparency, and executive decision-making, this conversation is for you.

    19 min
  6. Total Organizational Intelligence: Why AI and Integrated Data are a Survival Imperative

    12/08/2025

    Total Organizational Intelligence: Why AI and Integrated Data are a Survival Imperative

    Jacob Andra, CEO of Talbot West, joins to discuss the urgent imperative for companies to move beyond siloed, ad hoc growth and embrace an integrated, tech-forward future. What you will learn in this episode: Why "total organizational intelligence" is a survival imperative for the modern enterprise How orchestrating your data across the organization is a huge unlock for immediate revenue opportunities The most common and foundational AI use case: standardized knowledge management powered by large language models How to build a clear, defensible AI roadmap to avoid "AI washing" and drive real, long-term impact Beyond large language models: Using advanced machine learning for complex optimization  Find past conversations at workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read. Subscribe to catch all our upcoming episodes. #Leadership #FinancePodcast #AITransformation #OrganizationalIntelligence

    20 min
  7. What Leaders Really Think About Quarterly vs. Semiannual Reporting

    12/01/2025

    What Leaders Really Think About Quarterly vs. Semiannual Reporting

    Could U.S. public companies shift from quarterly to semiannual reporting? Jonathan Johnson, former chairman and CEO of Overstock and current member of various boards, joins the show to unpack one of the most debated proposals to SEC reporting. They explore whether fewer formal filings would help management teams stay focused on long-term enterprise value instead of reacting to quarterly earnings swings. In this episode: • How a semiannual cadence could affect a company's time horizon • Whether companies would still feel pressure to share quarterly updates • The gap between GAAP metrics and the metrics leaders actually use to run the business • Why the growing length of 10-Qs and 10-Ks is fueling this debate • The role XBRL® tagging plays in machine and AI analysis—and what could shift • Whether board oversight and accountability would meaningfully change Jonathan also points out that semiannual reporting already works in markets like Europe and Australia. Catch this episode for a candid executive view on one of the biggest potential shifts in public-company reporting. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Why semi-annual reporting is back in the spotlight 03:10 CEOs vs. CFOs: What the WSJ poll revealed 06:30 How quarterly reporting shapes internal rigor 08:00 Jonathan Johnson joins the conversation 08:20 Does quarterly reporting really drive short-term thinking? 13:00 Why internal reporting cadences won't change 15:20 Are 10-Qs simply too long? 18:00 Board oversight: What would actually change? 20:00 Should executives rethink their processes? 21:50 Semi-annual reporting around the world Subscribe to The Pre-Read for more conversations at the intersection of finance, reporting, and leadership.

    20 min
  8. How the Texas Stock Exchange is Changing Capital Markets

    11/24/2025

    How the Texas Stock Exchange is Changing Capital Markets

    The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) is challenging long-held assumptions about what it means to go public in the U.S. Jeff Karcher joins The Pre-Read to share how the TXSE is rethinking the public company experience—reducing friction, lowering reporting and legal costs, and creating an environment where management can focus on running the business, not navigating lawsuits. In this episode, we explore: • How Texas' corporate growth sparked the idea for a new national exchange • Why the TXSE focuses on helping companies become better public companies—not louder ones • Legislative wins in Texas that curb excessive litigation and the weaponization of governance • Why decentralization has made the physical location of an exchange less relevant • The roadmap for building investor confidence through ETF/ETP listings and a physical exchange launch • Why this is about practical rules that impact a company's bottom line, not loosening governance Timestamps: 01:00 | Why Texas? Corporate growth and diversification 03:50 | The TXSE philosophy and vision 08:30 | Litigation, governance, and reporting costs 10:15 | Business judgment rule and D&O insurance benefits 14:30 | The exchange's national and global ambitions 18:00 | Decentralization and the future of trading 20:15 | Building investor confidence 23:45 | Advice for private companies preparing for an IPO Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of finance, sustainability, governance, and strategy.

    25 min
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

Just like the slides you get before a big meeting, The Pre-Read prepares CFOs and senior leaders for the decisions ahead. This is the global podcast for the modern office of the CFO, focused on how finance leaders drive performance, resilience, and long-term value in a constantly shifting environment. Designed for executives operating at scale, the show features candid conversations with CFOs, board advisors, regulators, and business leaders shaping how companies compete, comply, and grow. Hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter connect financial performance, data integrity, regulation, and technology to the real questions CFOs are being asked by boards, investors, and stakeholders. From AI adoption and enterprise data trust to evolving disclosure expectations and global regulatory pressure, The Pre-Read focuses on what matters now and what's coming next. Each episode cuts through noise to surface practical insight, strategic perspective, and the signals CFOs need to lead with clarity. If you're responsible for stewarding capital, managing risk, and creating value over time, you're in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Workiva
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    164
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    The Pre-Read

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