Whether it's surviving the grind of the Big Four accounting firms, putting ideas to the test in a consulting role, or rising through leadership positions at startups, the experience required to become a CFO stems from different roles. These journeys, some more financially focused than others, need to provide much more than real-world experience in corporate finance and accounting; they must also supply an environment where a future CFO can develop people, management, and leadership skills.
For Rene Ho, experience outside of finance has been part of his journey and current approach to being a CFO. With all his higher education focused on engineering, including a master's degree from Stanford University, Ho has worn many hats before becoming CFO of Taulia, a working capital management software provider.
From holding roles in business engagement and sales management to a chief marketing officer (CMO) position before his first and only CFO role, Ho's résumé is anything but typical. According to him, his experience in different industries and positions has given him diverse skills vital to flourishing as a finance leader.
Rene Ho
CFO, Taulia
- First CFO position: 2018, Taulia
- Notable previous companies:
- Buzzhero
- Visa
- Strategic Decisions Group (SDG)
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
ADAM ZAKI: You're an engineer by trade. What brought you to corporate finance?
RENE HO: I've always been naturally analytical and liked numbers and logic. My electives were in economics, so applying these skills in finance seemed like a natural fit. Accounting, however, was one domain I had to learn on the job.
As an engineer, I like to apply what I’ve learned and want to know how things work. Finance is an application of math and analytical skills with a ruleset of accounting. I also spend a lot of time learning how my current company works. Its technology, products, sales efforts, operations, and more. Understanding the business helps me engage with my colleagues and helps me make better decisions on measuring the company, allocating financial resources, and keeping people accountable.
You spent a short period as a CMO. What made you interested in taking on an executive role in marketing? What marketing skills translate into your CFO duties?
HO: My role as a CMO also included product, marketing, and corporate communications. In that role, I was responsible for understanding customer needs, building products to meet them, and attracting new customers. The corporate communication part was appealing because telling your story as a company to the media is just as important as telling your story to investors, shareholders, and employees. Yes, it comes down to the numbers for finance, but the numbers are just a representation of the business, which is best told as a story.
Generally, I love to learn, I love a challenge, and I love to build upon previous experiences to become a better professional.
I’ve also had product roles and general management roles. I believe these various experiences help me as a CFO. They help me understand the challenges of being in the business, and they help me understand the challenges of “working with finance.” I’ve always enjoyed seeing things from other perspectives, which is critical to success in any role.
Generally, I love to learn, I love a challenge, and I love to build upon previous experiences to become a better professional.
Is working autonomously something that can be trained in employees, or is it only innate for some and should be treated as a valuable skill?
HO: I do believe many things can be learned. Some learn to work autonomously, and some don't. Those who do can do it because they have a sense of ownership of their work and understand how it contributes to the bigger picture, and they find it challenging and purposeful. Without this "ownership," people may see their work as a means to an end.
It’s our role as leaders to give people meaningful and challenging work they can own. Then they are more likely to be able to work autonomously and be successful. We also need to be in a coach's mindset and help them succeed, knowing they will do it differently than we would. We should expect and desire our team to do things differently than we would. They have different talents and will flourish with ownership and working autonomously.
To what parts of your personal or professional life do you credit your leadership abilities? How did you become and maintain the ability to be a good leader?
HO: Growing up, there were times when I thought I wanted to be a teacher, likely in math and physics. Helping people grow and learn is important, and learning skills that can benefit you at work and home are the best things to learn. There is a class I teach internally on communication. Often people are caught off guard because they wonder why their CFO is teaching a class on communication.
It’s our role as leaders to give people meaningful and challenging work they can own.
I like to teach this class because it’s a set of techniques I learned many years ago, found very helpful in my professional and personal life, and I want others to benefit from my experience. I also believe this helps set an example at the company where people should do things outside their job description and put their energy into helping others learn and grow.
At Taulia, we continually raise the bar, improve things, celebrate our accomplishments, and then raise the bar again. We can only do this if we are constantly learning, including myself. As a leader, I need to find ways to learn and improve continually and this starts with listening to others, hence the communication class.