Building a Finance Function From the Ground Up

Episode 62 of the The CFO Show podcast, hosted by Vena Solutions, titled "Building a Finance Function From the Ground Up" was published on January 14, 2025 and runs 29 minutes.

January 14, 2025 ·29m · The CFO Show

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Summary

The journey from being a solo finance expert to architecting a robust finance function is complex. Knowing where to begin and how to proceed can shape the future of your department and company.In this episode, host Melissa Howatson welcomes Amy Ward, CFO of Blue River PetCare, to discuss the intricacies of building a finance function from the ground up. Amy shares her journey from Senior Accountant to CFO, offering valuable insights into the strategic approach required to align finance with organizational goals and drive sustainable growth. Amy joined Blue River PetCare's team in 2014 as a Senior Accountant and, since then, has played a critical role in the development and management of their Accounting and Payroll teams.Discover how finance leaders should navigate hiring, technology investments, and cross-departmental collaboration as they build and nurture a finance team to drive long-term success.Discussed in This Episode:The most important considerations for finance leaders before making their first hireWhy Amy invested first in her accounts payable team, and how she now views this function as a breeding ground for talentHow to assess the technologies a business truly needs at various stages of its growthNavigating the challenges of transitioning from a small to a larger, more complex finance functionWhy culture fit is often overlooked in finance, but is just as important as in any other part of the businessWhy cultural fit is often overlooked in finance, but is just as important as in any other part of the businessFor CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

Episode Description

The journey from being a solo finance expert to architecting a robust finance function is complex. Knowing where to begin and how to proceed can shape the future of your department and company.

In this episode, host Melissa Howatson welcomes Amy Ward, CFO of Blue River PetCare, to discuss the intricacies of building a finance function from the ground up. Amy shares her journey from Senior Accountant to CFO, offering valuable insights into the strategic approach required to align finance with organizational goals and drive sustainable growth. Amy joined Blue River PetCare's team in 2014 as a Senior Accountant and, since then, has played a critical role in the development and management of their Accounting and Payroll teams.

Discover how finance leaders should navigate hiring, technology investments, and cross-departmental collaboration as they build and nurture a finance team to drive long-term success.

Discussed in This Episode:

The most important considerations for finance leaders before making their first hire
Why Amy invested first in her accounts payable team, and how she now views this function as a breeding ground for talent
How to assess the technologies a business truly needs at various stages of its growth
Navigating the challenges of transitioning from a small to a larger, more complex finance function
Why culture fit is often overlooked in finance, but is just as important as in any other part of the business
Why cultural fit is often overlooked in finance, but is just as important as in any other part of the business

For CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.