Best Tim A Cummins Podcasts (2025)

1
Special Episode: In the Room Where it Happens (Part 1) 28:11

2d ago28:11

28:11

In Part One of In the Room Where It Happens, we hear from four CFOs reflecting on formative moments when they found themselves face-to-face with legendary industry leaders. Gabi Gantus of Mytra recounts a pivotal meeting at Tesla with Elon Musk, while CFO Jason Child (Arm) shares an FP&A breakthrough alongside Jeff Bezos during Amazon’s early growt…

1
Verbal Surgery -1116- “Exact, Expect, Accept! 49:14

5d ago49:14

49:14

Do you deal with physical pain? Ready to make some progress? Then dive into Verbal Surgery -1116- “Exact, Expect, Accept! And feel good, NOW! Literally!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1119: Driving Mission-Driven Growth in the SaaS World | Matthew Hardy, CFO, Bonterra 48:40

5d ago48:40

48:40

When people Google Bonterra, they often see 2021 as its starting point. That year, lead investor Apax joined with Vista, holder of Social Solutions, and Insight Partners, holder of EveryAction, to unite those businesses under one brand. But, as Matthew Hardy tells us, the company’s history stretches much further back—“We have customers that are 20–…

1
The Prove-It Mentality: Rethinking ROI in the Age of AI - A Planning Aces Episode 44:37

8d ago44:37

44:37

In Episode 47 of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore the evolving role of FP&A through the lens of three forward-looking CFOs. Dan Zhang (ClickUp), John Rettig (Bill), and Josh Schauer (insightsoftware) share how they’re driving enterprise agility, leveraging AI to eliminate inefficiencies, and rethinking c…

1
Controllers Classified: Weathering tariff risks 39:28

10d ago39:28

39:28

Host Erik Zhou, CAO at Brex, sits down with Richie Mashiko, Fractional CFO, to unpack the financial complexities of running high-growth e-commerce and CPG brands. From measuring the right things to navigating ad spend, pricing strategies, and fragile supply chains amidst tariffs, Richie offers a unique operator’s perspective on what it takes to dri…

1
Verbal Surgery -1115- “Time to Time” 45:44

12d ago45:44

45:44

Are you always on time? Never late? Examine chronology with Verbal Surgery -1115- “Time to Time” and feel good, NOW! We all need this one.By Tim A. Cummins

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1118: Partnering for Growth: Finance Meets Customer-Centricity | Andrew Casey, CFO, Amplitude 51:52

12d ago51:52

51:52

Andrew Casey remembers a moment when colleagues truly looked to finance for leadership. At ServiceNow, a then‑$400 million company with little go‑to‑market infrastructure, the team faced a long list of missing elements: no functioning comp plan, no partner ecosystem, and no clear strategy for scaling sales. “Whenever people said they didn’t know ho…

1
1117: Building a Unicorn with a Finance Blueprint | Konstantin Dzhengozov, CFO, Payhawk 42:07

17d ago42:07

42:07

When Konstantin Dzhengozov turned down a corporate development role in the U.S., he wasn’t walking away from opportunity—he was running toward a different kind of growth. Having helped lead the FP&A function at a fast-scaling Bulgarian tech firm through its acquisition by a U.S. public company, Dzhengozov knew what came next if he stayed the course…

1
1116: The CFO Who Thinks in Full Color | Dan Zhang, CFO, ClickUp 55:27

19d ago55:27

55:27

When Dan Zhang joined ClickUp in 2021, she stepped into a company intent on unifying how the world works. Two years later, she entered the CFO office—just as ClickUp’s strategic bet on AI was beginning to reshape its platform and its future. ClickUp is not just a place where work is tracked, Zhang tells us—it’s “where work happens.” The company com…

1
Why Finance Teams Must Learn Faster Than Ever | Tim Vipond, Co-Founder, CEO of CFI 34:43

23d ago34:43

34:43

When Tim Vipond was asked to help rebuild Newmont Goldcorp’s corporate model, the scale was daunting: “20 tabs across… each tab being many hundred rows deep,” he tells us. The model had to account for the intricate economics of mining—from extraction to refinement—and it all had to tie together in a single consolidated NAV model. It was a hands-on …

1
1115: The Evolution of a Leader—One CFO Chapter at a Time | Lisa Cummins Dulchinos, CFO, Ayar Labs 53:41

24d ago53:41

53:41

When Lisa Cummins Dulchinos joined Ayar Labs, she knew translating deep tech into a business story would be central to her role. At a company where 85% of the nearly 200 employees hold PhDs, Dulchinos found herself among experts fluent in micro-ring resonators and laser physics. To explain what Ayar Labs does, she took a different approach. “It’s b…

1
Verbal Surgery -1114- “Red Line” 48:37

26d ago48:37

48:37

Do you ever get really angry? It’s easy to cross the Red Line when all your buttons are pushed! Explore the hot emotion with Verbal Surgery -1114- “Red Line” and feel good, NOW! We all need this one!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1114: Building a Smarter Funnel at Speed | Kevin Wall, CFO, Stax Payments 44:55

1M ago44:55

44:55

When Kevin Wall first stepped into industry from public accounting, it wasn’t by accident—it was through a client he already knew well. The company, in the midst of an ERP conversion and preparing to go public, saw in Wall someone who understood both their numbers and their needs. “They were familiar with me. I was familiar with them,” he tells us.…

1
1113: The Strategic Leap from Finance Partner to Business Architect: Josh Schauer, CFO, insightsoftware 52:18

1M ago52:18

52:18

When Josh Schauer joined Longview, a Toronto-based software company, he had no idea that a transformative chapter of his career was just a few years away. In 2020, Longview was acquired by insightsoftware—a turning point that brought both uncertainty and opportunity. “It’s kind of equal parts fear and optimism,” he tells us. “You wonder: Am I going…

1
Verbal Surgery -1113- “The Birthday Present” 46:38

1M ago46:38

46:38

It’s my birthday! Explore the richness of the present with Verbal Surgery -1113- “The Birthday Present” and feel good, NOW!By Tim A. Cummins

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1112: The Value of Seeing Finance from the Front Lines | Nathan Winters, CFO, Zebra Technologies 36:51

1M ago36:51

36:51

When Nathan Winters led a supply chain team earlier in his career, he noticed something that would shape his leadership style: “The credibility you get by the operating leaders when they see you out in the field… is incredibly important.” Whether visiting customers, walking a manufacturing floor, or sitting in on operating meetings, Winters found t…

1
Verbal Surgery -1112- “The Weight of Hate” 46:36

1M ago46:36

46:36

How do your words affect your mental state? Expand your happiness by examining the words you systematically use! Absorb Verbal Surgery -1112- “The Weight of Hate” and feel good, NOW! Powerful!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1111: Inside the M&A Playbook: Why People Come First | James Redfern, CFO Reltio 55:55

1M ago55:55

55:55

Nearly a year into his CFO role at Reltio, James Redfern still feels like he’s catching up. “I’ve made some progress, but I’m definitely not where I… need to get,” he tells us. That steep learning curve was exactly what drew him to the company. Redfern didn’t find the Reltio opportunity through recruiters. Instead, it surfaced during a casual conve…

1
The CFO Role in Scaling AI Curiosity 15:25

1M ago15:25

15:25

How are finance chiefs steering the AI revolution? In this fast-paced special edition of CFO Thought Leader, host Jack Sweeney spotlights Packer Fastener CFO Brian Hogeland and LinkedIn’s top AI voice Allie K. Miller. Together they unpack why 2023’s “just try ChatGPT” mantra is obsolete, how agent-orchestrated systems will reshape mid-market operat…

1
1110: When Leadership Mattered | Amanda Whalen, CFO, Klaviyo 52:58

2M ago52:58

52:58

Amanda Whalen’s first unit CFO role began with a question. “You’re not a finance technical person,” her company’s president told her, “but you’re the strongest leader on my team. Will you be willing to be the CFO and help me transform the finance function?” She accepted. Over the following year, Whalen tells us, her team tackled three major initiat…

1
From Flailing to AI Forward Motion - A Planning Aces Episode 41:02

2M ago41:02

41:02

In this Planning Aces episode, Jack Sweeney and co-host Brett Knowles spotlight three CFOs who are advancing their organizations' FP&A capabilities through thoughtful AI adoption. Andrea Hecht of CSAA Insurance discusses aligning generative AI with enterprise strategy and efficiency. Matthias Steinberg of MindBridge explores combining machine learn…

1
1109: Building Finance Teams for Scale, Speed, and Smarts | Larry Roseman, CFO, Thumbtack 43:54

2M ago43:54

43:54

When the Silicon Valley Bank crisis erupted in early 2023, Larry Roseman was already well-acquainted with market upheaval. A member of the CFO class appointed around 2020—just as the pandemic began—Roseman had weathered previous storms. He began his career amid the dot-com collapse, then advanced through the 2008 financial crisis. “Scar tissue help…

1
Verbal Surgery -1111- “Sweet Talk” 48:01

2M ago48:01

48:01

Listen to the voice in your head. Is it helping you? Dive into Verbal Surgery -1111- “Sweet Talk” and feel good, NOW! This stuff works!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1108: Building Value in a Disrupted Industry | Kent Hoskins, CFO, Concord 1:02:28

2M ago1:02:28

1:02:28

Back in 2003, when a recruiter lined up Kent Hoskins for a finance interview at Boosey & Hawkes, he came prepared to discuss guitar manufacturing. Instead, the executive immediately began quizzing him on music royalties—the recruiter had apparently misunderstood the brief. Hoskins didn’t get the job—at first. But two days later, he got a call: the …

1
1107: When Finance Leads with a CEO Mindset | John Rettig, CFO, Bill 47:46

2M ago47:46

47:46

What sets John Rettig’s CFO journey apart from most is not just its length—spanning more than two decades—but its unusual symmetry. His CFO career roughly divides into two decade-long tenures: first helping scale a digital advertising firm from $15 million to $250 million in revenue, and now serving as CFO of Bill, where he’s helped lead the compan…

1
1106: Scaling Smarter: Inside the Finance Revenue Engine | Tim Ritters, CFO, Gong 39:37

2M ago39:37

39:37

During his decade at Google, Tim Ritters worked at the intersection of product and finance, helping to launch financial systems in collaboration with engineering, marketing, and product teams. The role gave him early exposure to cross-functional work and large-scale data environments. “Day one, you’re working cross-functionally,” Ritters tells us. …

1
Verbal Surgery -1110- "I Eye" 52:10

2M ago52:10

52:10

Examine the power of self-talk and perspective with Verbal Surgery -1110- “I Eye” and feel good, NOW! Powerful! Practical!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1105: The Steady Climb: Scaling with Purpose in FinTech | Rene Ho, CFO, SAP Taulia 47:40

2M ago47:40

47:40

It’s no secret CFOs frequently exit soon after a major acquisition—especially when a larger enterprise takes the reins. But Rene Ho stayed. Ho had been CFO of Taulia, a working capital fintech, when it was still an independent company. After helping lead the firm through its acquisition by SAP, he chose to stay on, guiding the company through integ…

1
1104: Navigating Cardinal Health’s Growth Journey | Aaron Alt, CFO, Cardinal Health 38:23

2M ago38:23

38:23

As Cardinal Health nears its second anniversary since the company’s first investor day under CFO Aaron Alt’s leadership, steady progress has been made in its ambitious transformation. Alt reflects on the company’s trajectory since his appointment, saying, “We’ve deployed several billion dollars in acquisitions to drive our strategy.” This shift hig…

1
Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI - A Planning Aces Episode 44:10

2M ago44:10

44:10

In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles spotlight the FP&A strategies and AI adoption journeys of three CFOs—Gillian Munson (Vimeo), Dan Fletcher (Planful), and Chad Gold (FullStory). Each finance leader discusses how AI is reshaping their planning processes, from accelerating automation and revenue generation to t…

1
Verbal Surgery -1109- “The Hard Part” 46:52

2M ago46:52

46:52

What keeps you from getting things done? No time? No desire? Too complicated? Examine the details with Verbal Surgery -1109- “The Hard Part” and feel good, NOW! We all need this one!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1103: Turning Anomalies into Advantage | Matthias Steinberg, CFO, MindBridge 58:26

2M ago58:26

58:26

When Matthias Steinberg entered the CFO office at MindBridge in 2022, the audit files displayed on his laptop were already being processed by the company’s own AI. KPMG, he adds, was using the same platform to automate journal‑entry testing—work “traditionally done manual.” That shift marked “a big step toward continuous audit,” Steinberg tells us.…

1
1102: Navigating Growth and Risk in a Member-Driven Business | Andrea Hecht, CFO, CSAA Insurance 48:21

3M ago48:21

48:21

When Andrea Hecht walks into a finance meeting, she’s not preparing for earnings calls or shareholder Q&A. Instead, her focus is inward—on aligning every financial decision with a mission that begins and ends with AAA members. CSAA Insurance, where Hecht serves as CFO, operates in 23 states and the District of Columbia. It’s not publicly traded. “W…

1
1101: Turning Home Equity into a Platform, Not a Product | Tom Egan, CFO, Hometap 59:38

3M ago59:38

59:38

When Tom Egan walks a homeowner through the math—“If your house is worth a million dollars and you owe five hundred thousand,” he says—the traditional options surface quickly: load the balance sheet with a costly home‑equity loan or sell and hope you can find somewhere new to live. That binary choice, he explains, is exactly what Hometap set out to…

1
1100: Lines, Not Dots: Turning Optionality into Outcomes | Chad Gold, CFO, Fullstory 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

Imagine an accounts‑receivable clerk clicking through four different systems just to finish one routine task. Chad Gold sees that bottleneck instantly. Fullstory’s newly launched Workforce product maps every mouse‑stroke of such employee journeys, then surfaces friction points so companies can “make them more productive, so they can do even more va…

1
Verbal Surgery -1108- “The Weight of Wait” 47:00

3M ago47:00

47:00

Do you like to put things off to the last minute? Prefer to wait to do? Then this episode is for you! Learn to take action with Verbal Surgery -1108- “The Weight of Wait” and feel good NOW! We all need this one!By Tim A. Cummins

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ON LOCATION: AI on the Frontlines - Live Insights from Planful Perform25 54:43

3M ago54:43

54:43

Broadcasting from Planful’s Perform 25 conference in Miami, CFO Thought Leader presents frontline finance insights in an on‑location special. CEO Grant Halloran rejects the narrative that generative AI replaces people; instead he calls it the only viable antidote to a looming three‑million‑professional accounting shortage and collapsing CPA pipelin…

1
1099: Turning Back‑of‑House Data into Front‑of‑House Wins | Emma Whelan, CFO, MarginEdge 53:39

3M ago53:39

53:39

When a restaurant’s weekly salmon order suddenly spikes in price, Emma Whelan wants chefs adjusting menus the next morning—not tallying losses a month later. “The system will alert them if the price of salmon (has) gone up unexpectedly,” she tells us, describing MarginEdge’s real‑time cost engine. It is a small but telling vignette from Whelan’s fi…

1
1098: Pandemic Rollercoaster Veteran Champions Smarter MRI Suites | Jill Woodworth, CFO, Prenuvo 1:04:24

3M ago1:04:24

1:04:24

When Peloton’s stock debuted in 2019, CFO Jill Woodworth believed the playbook was air‑tight. She had shifted fiscal calendars, re‑segmented reporting and shaped statements that “tell a story,” she tells us. Then COVID hit. Orders “flew nine‑fold overnight,” marketing was switched off, and customer focus narrowed to a single metric: getting bikes f…

1
Verbal Surgery -1107- “What Do You Want?” 53:48

3M ago53:48

53:48

What motivates you? Examine your desires with Verbal Surgery -1107- “What Do You Want?” And feel good, NOW! We all need this one!By Tim A. Cummins

1
1097: The Mutual Advantage in a Cyclical Market | Kevin Ingram, CFO, FM 41:57

3M ago41:57

41:57

For nearly ten years, Kevin Ingram knocked on S&P’s door, arguing that FM’s A‑plus rating undervalued its balance sheet. Other agencies, such as Fitch, already had the mutual insurer at AA. Each visit, Ingram presented fresh data; each time, the agency hesitated, wary of revising a long‑standing mark. Last summer, six months after FM dropped “Globa…

1
1096: Why Usage Beats Revenue in Video SaaS | Gillian Munson, CFO, Vimeo 49:29

3M ago49:29

49:29

When Gillian Munson pictures a Vimeo customer, she doesn’t start with a filmmaker, she imagines an insurance company or a corner grocery store owner uploading a training clip into Vimeo’s ever thirsty player, and hitting publish without ever surrendering control—or ad space—to a third‑party network. That simple embed workflow, she tells us, explain…

1
Verbal Surgery -1106- “Stability Instability” 48:29

3M ago48:29

48:29

How smooth is you life? Hitting a rough patch? Then it’s time for some Verbal Surgery! Grab a hold of Verbal Surgery -1106- “Stability Instability” and feel good, NOW! Powerful! Practical! We all need this one.By Tim A. Cummins

1
Built for Turbulence: Finance Planning in Motion - A Planning Aces Episode 42:39

3M ago42:39

42:39

This Planning Aces episode explores how finance leaders navigate volatility without drifting into political cross‑currents like tariffs. Prologis CFO Tim Arndt explains why e‑commerce triples warehouse demand and how real‑estate strategies must adapt. Genworth CFO Jerome Upton shows how disciplined leverage and balanced product exposure turn rate u…

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1095: Turning Volatility into Cross‑Border Opportunity | Bea Ordonez, CFO, Payoneer 47:28

3M ago47:28

47:28

Bea Ordonez still recalls the whirlwind of her first CFO post: a raw fintech start‑up where, in two short years, she recruited “over a hundred people,” built the processes they would follow and decided what kind of culture would bind them, she tells us. Immersing herself in every workflow taught her that finance leadership begins on the frontline—l…

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1094: Mapping Revenue Levers for Next‑Gen Data Businesses | Dilip Upmanyu, CFO, Cloudera 41:59

3M ago41:59

41:59

Back in the 1990s, Dilip Upmanyu sat in a room filled with servers as he pieced together a homegrown database of costs and SKUs. His employer at the time couldn’t tell which products paid the bills; by dawn, the young financial analyst could. That improvised profitability model, he tells us, still informs his investment mindset today. Upmanyu never…

1
Verbal Surgery -1105- “Night of Day” 45:31

3M ago45:31

45:31

What do you do when everything seems dark and hope is lost? Tune into Verbal Surgery! Explore “Night of Day” and feel good, NOW! This stuff works!By Tim A. Cummins

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1093: Anime Economics: Serving Fans, Driving Returns | Travis Page, CFO, Crunchyroll 35:36

4M ago35:36

35:36

A little more than decade ago, Travis Page was hauling gear off a tour bus, criss-crossing the country with indie bands. One late night, sweat-soaked and exhausted, he noticed fans waiting in the rain simply to glimpse their favourite artist. Passion like that ought to power a business, he thought. That backstage epiphany still guides him as CFO of…

1
1092: Balancing Mission, Margin, and Market Share | Steven Miller, CFO, Warby Parker 47:26

4M ago47:26

47:26

It was Friday the 13th in March of 2020, and Steven Miller was staring at a suddenly irrelevant budget. Hours earlier Warby Parker had shuttered every one of its 280 stores to protect employees and customers. “Remember that plan we just approved?” he asked the leadership team. “Forget it.” In its place he introduced PAR—Pause, Adjust, Redeploy—a fr…

1
Verbal Surgery -1104- “Fired Up” 50:05

4M ago50:05

50:05

How do you act when the heat is turned up? Get through the next hard time with Verbal Surgery -1104- “Fired Up” and feel good, NOW! Yeah, baby!By Tim A. Cummins

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