Episode Details

In many companies, the CFO is more important than the CEO. And the majority of private equity-backed CFOs are actually not up to par. In this episode, CJ is joined by Scott Engler, of LinkedIn fame, to explain why he believes these bold statements to be true. Scott is the CEO and co-founder of Sync Executive Partners and the co-founder of PE-Xcelerate. He has decades of experience studying, recruiting, and coaching CFOs. He shares insights on the evolving role of the CFO, the many hats they wear, and which they should prioritise. He gives advice on how to navigate your relationship with your CEO, your PE sponsor, and other stakeholders, and provides some social profiling hacks that can help. The conversation covers the benefits of upside-down reviews and why not having a recommendation can be the smartest move, before examining the best way to get a CFO job at a PE-backed company, and how to negotiate equity packages.

—

LINKS:

Scott Engler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottengler/

Sync Executive Partners:

https://www.syncexecutivepartners.com/

PE-Xcelerate:

https://www.pexcelerate.com/

CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222

Mostly metrics:

http://mostlymetrics.com

Looking for Leverage:

RELATED EPISODES:

So You’re Looking for a “Strategic” CFO? Bloomerang’s Steve Isom on What That Really Means -

CFO of FloQast on Why Finance Teams are Data Curators:

“What’s in It for Me?” The Art of Storytelling in an IPO - with Monday.com CFO Eliran Glazer:

Inside the "Triangle of Doom”: How Great CFOs Navigate CEO and Board Dynamics:

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:20 ) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev

(07:12) How the CFO Role Has Changed Over the Last Decade

(12:08) Why the CFO Needs To Drive the Pace

(14:49) Why Most Private Equity-Backed CFOs Aren’t up to Par

(16:36) Sponsor – Navan | NetSuite | Pulley

(20:07) The PE-Backed CFO Versus Hypergrowth VC CFO

(21:54) How Senior Leaders Are Incented To Play It Safe

(26:04) The Operational CFO: The CFO Becoming More of a COO

(28:41) Why the CFO Is More Important Than the CEO

(32:16) How a CFO Should Prioritize Their Many Roles

(34:46) The Importance of Being a Good Storyteller

(38:49) What an Upside-Down Review Is

(43:46) Why Not Having a Recommendation Can Be the Smartest Move

(49:50) The Hardest CFOs Are the Easiest To Influence

(55:37) The Art and Science of Managing Your CEO

(57:48) Social Styles Hack

(1:00:47) Working With Your CEO and PE Sponsor

(1:04:08) The Best Way To Get a CFO Job at a PE-Backed Company

(1:11:54) The State of Comp for PE-Backed CFOs in This Market

(1:13:16) Negotiating Equity Packages

(1:15:39) The Biggest Challenge for PE-Backed CFOs Today

—

SPONSORS:

Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at brex.com/metrics

Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at getaleph.com/run

RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15