Almost 16 years after joining The Middleby Corporation, Brittany Cerwin still marvels at how a finance career with a global public company headquartered just 10 miles from her childhood home has broadened her perspective and experiences. At the same time, it has allowed her to stay connected to her hometown.
Cerwin joined the commercial kitchen technology manufacturer headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, after nearly five years with public accounting firm Grant Thornton’s Chicago office.
With 11 acquisitions in her first year with Middleby as a senior financial analyst, the foodservice company offered growth potential in the type of fast-paced environment Cerwin thrived in. She soon took on positions with responsibilities, first as manager, then director of financial reporting; corporate controller; and chief accounting officer.
Cerwin was named Middleby’s first female CFO in March of this year.
Brittany Cerwin
CFO, The Middleby Corporation
First CFO position: 2026
Notable previous employers:
- Grant Thornton
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
SANDRA BECKWITH: You’ve been with Middleby for more than 15 years, about three-quarters of your career. What made that longevity possible for you?
BRITTANY CERWIN: Middleby’s growth profile and culture have always been the right fit for me. It’s a large public company with a small company feel. Everyone books their own travel, pours their own coffee and sends their own meeting invites. When I first interviewed, that showed me that no one is too senior, or too junior, to do what needs to be done.
That creates a sense of empowerment for people to make decisions, but also to be held accountable for them. I knew that culture would provide learning opportunities for me.
I was also intrigued by how my position wasn't a siloed finance role. It was a lean team, which meant I could grow as the company grew. I loved the fast-paced environment of public accounting and Middleby offered that, too.
You’ve taken on the CFO role at a point when the company is making significant structural changes. What is your mission through this?
My goal is to be an operational CFO. I need to stay deeply connected to our business leaders, so I understand their realities and can help build out the strategic initiatives that will shape the company’s future growth.
The fact that finance at Middleby isn’t just about reporting the results is also important. As a business partner, we provide timely and accurate information so people can make and execute the right decisions.
After our just-completed restructuring, my focus is on resetting priorities and keeping the organization aligned so we have the right processes, systems and financial visibility we need, especially during the transition.
What’s your biggest challenge right now?
It’s reminding ourselves to pause and celebrate the wins.
Over the past year, we've transformed this company from three segments of one business into three separately operated businesses. It's important to recognize the people who have been critical to the execution because there was no roadmap for this.
Recognizing what the organization can do together, even through challenging times, helps people realize what’s possible and builds confidence.
You’ve followed a classic accounting/finance career path. Once you had career experience, was becoming a CFO a goal? When did it feel like a possibility for you?
My goal was to be in a position where I felt like I had a seat at the financial leadership table, so I could help shape the strategy and build the processes and team that would support the business.
As Middleby became larger and more complex, I had opportunities to take on challenges, build a team and support growth. These experiences helped me see a few years ago that a path to CFO was possible.
What’s something you wish you’d known earlier in your career?
It’s okay to not know the answer.
I've learned as I've grown through leadership roles that it's really not about having the answer in that moment. It's knowing how to get to the right answer by leveraging the resources around you or the experiences of your colleagues and professional network.
Looking back on your entire career, what do you think was the most pivotal moment … or what “aha” has had a significant impact?
It was realizing that delegation can be more rewarding than just mastering a task yourself.
As an example, when I first started at Middleby, I automated and streamlined part of the sales reporting process. I was proud of that, and felt I really owned it. But there came a point when I needed to delegate it so I could step back and be more strategic about what those reports were saying.
When I saw how letting someone else put their stamp on the process helped them excel when they gained exposure to the management team, I realized you can find joy in someone else’s success when you empower them.
What advice would you give to others in finance hoping to become CFOs?
Stay humble and eager to learn.
Whether it's learning from a summer intern who knows great Excel tricks or from board members who have years of experience navigating through difficult situations, be willing to learn from above and below.
