Learning how to set financial benchmarks and use data in decision-making are standard skills for a CFO. Where many executives struggle, primarily due to the lack of opportunity to gain experience, is in leading other people toward success as a unit.
A great opportunity to learn how to combine teamwork and hard work, while promoting camaraderie and keeping morale high, is through athletics. In college sports, where the pressure and stakes can be high, the ability to lead is almost required to compete. The grit, determination, and goal-oriented mindset developed prepare players for leadership roles in organizations of all sizes.
Bryan Hipsher, a former Division I basketball player for Akron and Jacksonville University, is approaching his fifth year as CFO of Dun & Bradstreet. Not only does Hipsher bring sports analogies to the office; he brings a leadership style directly from the hardwood to the workplace. However, he is still focused on getting back on defense with that same energy — being agile in his company's approach to new technologies.
Bryan Hipsher
CFO, Dun & Bradstreet
- First CFO position: 2019
- Notable previous companies:
- Blackknight
- Lender Process Services
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
ADAM ZAKI: You've been in your first CFO role for more than four years. What has made you stick around?
HIPSHER: My role as CFO at Dun & Bradstreet is fulfilling, engaging, and continuously evolving. The finance team works closely with every function in the company and takes a data-driven approach while applying it to a variety of initiatives. That can include working with the tech team to spur innovation or assisting the sales team in sharing data with customers. My team is very hands-on, aiming to drive greater value across the company.
For most of my career, I have been involved in the data/analytics industry, so I have a good understanding of the role of data and data integration in finance. I started my role when Dun & Bradstreet went private and helped revitalize the company strategy. I played a key role in helping file the IPO for the company to reemerge on the public marketplace in 2020 — all while executing the virtual listing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IPO listing on the New York Stock Exchange was an extremely important experience for me as a CFO.
What did being a D1 basketball player teach you about being a leader? Do you believe there are parallels between sports and business?
HIPSHER: Yes, there are many parallels. Not only in terms of learning and cultivating motivation, desire, and drive but also learning how to collaborate and work with others — playing off your teammates’ strengths and skills as well as learning from your mentors and coaches. Playing basketball for Jacksonville University was an incredible opportunity, as it taught me many things and strengthened my vision, commitment, drive to win, and pushed my limits. Playing sports also taught me about time management, perseverance despite adversity, and being able to perform in pressure situations.
Athletes develop a determined mindset and belief that they can achieve remarkable things in their game, and I have applied this mindset to the company’s targets and growth plan.
Sports help people strive for excellence, tackle failures, and win — all these difficulties are also relevant to being an executive. Playing sports, especially at the collegiate level, takes a significant amount of time and commitment — you must be dedicated to practicing and working hard, putting in the time to improve your game, or working on a new strategy or game plan. This dedicated form of commitment translates well into the business world with the need to strategize, practice, and work to achieve business goals and objectives. Athletes develop a determined mindset and belief that they can achieve remarkable things in their game, and I have applied this mindset to the company’s targets and growth plan.
I apply these skills to managing my team. My team is a group of incredibly talented, skilled employees who each brings a unique skill set but works together to achieve [a] greater good for the company. A great coach/leader makes a profound impact, not just on the win-loss results but on each player's personal growth and development. Some of my most memorable [times] are being part of an inspired, high-performing team that won despite many setbacks and losses. That drive enables me to drive my team's performance and to work to the best of my abilities.
What emerging technologies most excite you? In what areas are you increasing technology’s role in the business?
HIPSHER: Many areas in technology excite me as the modern CFO must be a strategic partner in technology innovation and help foster a collaborative dynamic with technology partners. Finance can be the thread that connects technology and product and sales.
As the CFO, I have a solid understanding of technology infrastructure and development and how essential it is to operate in a modern environment. I have worked to foster a culture of technology innovation to make sure our finance functions and roles create value as a strategic partner to all the company’s business functions.
One of my favorite sayings is that you can take one of two approaches in finance: You can be the weatherperson reporting on how things go, or you can be a partner helping to drive the outcome.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool for data analytics and will be a significant growth driver for the company. ChatGPT has vast potential use cases with technology and reading data sources. As a company, we have 64% more analytics driven by AI and machine learning than we did in 2019. AI allows vast amounts of data to be processed quickly and can detect patterns and anomalies easier to help identify potential issues, such as fraudulent activity, outliers, or abnormalities.
What are some of your views on employee autonomy and work/life balance?
HIPSHER: We have an exceptional group of employees working for us globally, and we strive to provide an environment that offers a good work/life balance. We have become a more agile organization following the pandemic, as we are now accustomed to working in a hybrid model, collaborating in-person in offices and connecting remotely worldwide. The changing dynamics of the work environment help us become more flexible and collaborative as teams.
I encourage my team members to operate in a manner that suits them. One of my favorite sayings is that you can take one of two approaches in finance: You can be the weatherperson reporting on how things go, or you can be a partner helping to drive the outcome. That is what is important, not necessarily whether the employee is working in an office or at home.
Our culture allows our talented and capable employees to operate autonomously to complete their work, whether the setting is in-person, hybrid, or remote.