We all know Jack.
With his rocking personality and excellent insight into the CFO job and the people who hold the title, the president of the CFO Leadership Council, Jack McCullough, has launched a podcast, Secrets of Rockstar CFOs. The eight episodes so far have provided first-person takes on the unique ways CFOs can build their careers and become great leaders.
Episode 2: Wetteny Joseph
As finance lead for Zoetis, one of the world's largest animal health-care companies, Wetteny Joseph's career path has not only brought him from Haiti to the U.S., but has put him in positions of incredible opportunity to achieve success. But it also has involved a lot of hustle and risk-taking.
Joseph describes some of the biggest challenges during his career and how, while in college, he gave up summers to work in different cities to gain experience. Joseph also discusses diversity in the C-suite, and how important it is to encourage those in minority communities to work hard and take career risks.
Joseph, who also talks extensively about using collaboration to drive profit, an idea popular with CFOs, will be the keynote speaker at the CFO Leadership Council's event in Boston this upcoming June.
Episode 4: Chris Kramer
Being the CFO of a unicorn means managing a lot of moving parts. For Chris Kramer, CFO of cyber-asset management company Axonius, it’s about managing growth, preparing to go public, and shaping company culture. Kramer is an accountant by trade and highlights how his journey to becoming proficient in FP&A challenged him. Much like many CFO peers, Kramer has had to navigate the changing role and demands of the CFO amid a company experiencing rapid growth.
For CFOs looking for ways to overcome turnover, live by the motto "cash is king," and have an interest in golf, this episode is for you.
Episode 6: Yoana Land
L'Oreal's North America-Transformation CFO Yoana Land's journey is highlighted in this episode, which covers ground similar to what Land discussed at the World Finance Forum’s CFO event earlier this month. Land is one of those finance executives whose ability to overcome unique personal challenges nurtured the traits that make them dynamic leaders.
McCullough and Land talk about her experience growing up under a communist regime, what that taught her about business, dealing with discomfort when changing industries, and how Transylvania's association with vampires has impacted her career.
This episode will be especially useful for leaders looking for inspiration from a story based on hard work, taking risks, and achieving the American Dream.
Episode 7: Carolina Dybeck-Happe
For someone who speaks four languages and has held CFO roles in six different countries, being the CFO of General Electric was just just another addition to a tremendously impressive career journey. Carolina Dybeck-Happe stepped down from the role of GE CFO last month, but she is assisting with GE’s spinoff transition and still has great insights for CFOs, as evident in her appearance at the MIT Sloan CFO Summit last month.
For CFOs looking to learn how to drive impact, stay vigilant in their growth, and manage the "business as usual" part of finance, this is a must-listen.
Episode 8: Jack Hartung
Chipotle's CFO Jack Hartung would have his jersey in the CFO Hall of Fame rafters, if there was one. Hartung has been with Chipotle for more than two decades, and has kept the company debt-free, consistently growing, and widely popular. Over the years, Hartung has spoken to CFO about technology, work-life balance, staying healthy, and the accountant shortage. In this conversation with McCullough, Hartung talks about why a little bit of chaos is good, his love for numbers, how he has only been on a few job interviews, and what it means to create a "food ethos."
For those looking to learn from the best, this is probably the episode most worthy of a listen. Do it on a full stomach, though; Hartung's description of the ingredients will surely get your burrito cravings churning.