CFO Hiring Secrets: What Ira Birns Looks for in Every Candidate

In this episode of Hire Learning, Oz sits down with Ira Birns, Executive Vice President and CFO at World Fuel Services—a Fortune 100 company and one of South Florida’s most respected global brands. With nearly 40 years of financial and leadership experience, Ira unpacks what most hiring managers get wrong when building teams—and why ignoring your “must-haves” in favor of “giving someone a chance” can be a costly mistake.From growing up in New York and starting as a paperboy to leading global finance teams and driving alignment across 1,000+ employees, Ira brings a wealth of perspective, candor, and wisdom to the conversation. Whether you're hiring your first employee or leading a large enterprise team, this episode is filled with practical, high-level takeaways for smarter leadership and sharper hiring.You’ll learn:Why strong hiring starts with discipline and clarityHow alignment (or lack of it) derails even the most talented teamsThe small moments in interviews that tell you everythingHow Ira builds trust across global teams—and why it matters more than everTimestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Meet Ira Birns 03:10 – From New York to South Florida: A CFO’s Journey 07:45 – Career Pivot: How Ira Got into Finance 13:30 – The First Day Doubt: Imposter Syndrome & Executive Growth 18:55 – Paperboy to Public Company CFO: Early Career Lessons 23:20 – Why Alignment is the Key to Scaled Leadership 27:40 – Keeping 1,000 People Aligned: Ira’s Global Communication Strategy 33:25 – Honoring His Mother Through Leadership & Legacy 39:10 – Ira’s Core Hiring Philosophy (And Why It Works) 42:15 – The #1 Hiring Mistake Most Managers Make 46:00 – Favorite Interview Questions That Uncover the Truth 50:00 – How to Spot a Bad Hire Before It’s Too Late 53:10 – Advice to His 20-Year-Old Self 56:20 – Rapid Fire: Yankees, Paper Routes, and PerspectiveThis a must-listen for hiring managers, CFOs, and anyone tasked with building and scaling high-performance teams! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.