1194: Why Curiosity Creates Better Finance Leaders | Stacey Jenkins, CFO, Aerotek

Each day, Stacey Jenkins watches a different set of indicators than the quarterly financial results that eventually appear on a report. Candidate applications, recruiter activity, and other throughput measures help tell the story of where Aerotek’s business may be headed. Financial results are “the lagging indicator,” Jenkins tells us.That perspective reflects how she views both finance and leadership. While Aerotek remains focused on helping clients solve talent challenges and build flexible, specialized workforces, the company has steadily expanded its approach. Today, it is helping clients rethink how work gets done through workforce solutions, data insights, and new delivery models. Aerotek is also building capabilities in fully outsourced industrial services, Jenkins tells us.The common thread is a willingness to look beyond traditional definitions of the business. Jenkins says she remains proud of the organization’s ability to help clients grow while helping people build their careers.The same mindset appears in her approach to capital allocation. Rather than viewing investment decisions primarily through the lens of cost, she begins with curiosity. Drawing on both operational and strategic experience, she listens carefully to business leaders, asks for supporting data, and seeks to understand the expected outcomes behind each proposal.The work does not end once funding is approved. Jenkins emphasizes the importance of measuring whether investments actually deliver the results that were anticipated. For her, resource allocation is about more than short-term spending decisions. It is about positioning the business, its people, and its clients for success over the next three, five, seven, and even ten years.