Career Perspectives: Applying Experience in Finance Leadership and Interim Roles

When a company is working through a leadership gap, a transaction, or a period of reporting pressure, the finance function doesn’t get a break. Decisions still need to be made, and a lot of times successful leadership comes down to experience and how quickly you can get up to speed. Recently, Paul Barnhurst and I spoke on the FP&A Unlocked Podcast and touched on a number of these situations, along with some practical lessons from my own career in finance leadership and interim management that can be applied across teams.

Prior to joining Riveron in 2025, I worked in seven different industries, worked for five public companies, a private equity firm, a family-owned firm, and two PE-owned firms. I had worked in FP&A and corporate strategy and built out four teams from scratch, enhanced another four FP&A teams, worked on two ERP implementations, and led four RFPs and implementations for EPM solutions. Now as an Interim Management professional at Riveron, I get to bring all of my experiences, best practices, cautionary tales, and impactful strategies to my clients. Interim Management isn’t just about bridging a gap until a new leader is hired, it’s also about helping companies improve transparency, efficiency, and profitability.

During the podcast discussion, Paul Barnhurst and I decided to explore the current state of FP&A and the trends, approaches, career advice that can easily apply to all aspects of Finance—or any professional role. Below are highlights from our collective experiences that aim to help others make similar impacts in their own organizations and career journeys.

How the path to becoming a CFO has evolved

About 20 years ago, if one wanted to become a CFO, there was a clear path: become a CPA, start your career at a Big 4 (back then called “Big 6”) CPA firm, become a controller or chief accounting officer, and be good at what you do. However, we’ve seen a big shift towards strategic CFOs with non-traditional backgrounds, and many with no accounting experience at all. What this means now is that there is no longer one way to become a CFO, and companies are looking for people who can see beyond the numbers and lead an organization to a new level.

Paul pointed out that the new CFO path has more to do with understanding the business and connecting with business leaders than just understanding the financials. Many finance leaders present financial results to executives, boards, or external parties. These constituents don’t want to hear an accounting explanation; they want to understand the business drivers and the impact on the organization overall. Being able to tell a more complete story will elevate your career to new levels.

Partner with empathy

One of the least talked about, and least taught skills that are critical to success in any role is empathy. Empathy is being able to see a situation through someone else’s perspective, removing all of your own thoughts and prejudices, to truly understand the other’s position. In my role in Interim Management, for me to be successful, I have to see what the client sees, feel what they feel, then apply my knowledge and experience to deliver the right solution for them, and one that they believe in.

On the podcast, I told a story of being very solution-oriented early in my career. All I focused on was finding the best possible answer. Then, when presented with a larger cross-divisional project, I came up with what seemed like the right solution, but my approach didn’t sit well with others that were impacted. My boss, the CFO at the time, advised that my career would go nowhere if I didn’t learn to bring people along. This was a pivotal moment in my career, and advice that was not only spot-on, but helped me elevate my professional abilities. In finance, we’re always taught that you have to have the right number or to tie-out, but if you do that while alienating those around you, your career will be very limiting.

Factors that underpin and enable leadership at all levels

When I was working at Charles Schwab, Walter Bettinger, the former CEO was discussing leadership at an internal meeting. The premise he spoke was that leadership isn’t about how many people you manage or being able to tell people what to do, it’s about getting people to follow you when they don’t have to. This perspective applies to effective leadership. We can all think about times when we followed someone’s lead, not because we were required to, but because we believed in the approach or direction. That means anyone from the entry-level worker to the CEO can show up each day and provide leadership. 

Paul and I both agreed that people who embrace leadership early in their careers often climb their career ladder much faster, because others can see their impact. 

The importance of networking 

There’s no denying that we’re currently in a difficult, tight job market. Both Paul and I know many people who have been looking for their next role for over a year. In our conversation, we both agreed that although applying for roles posted on LinkedIn is important, the best strategy is through traditional networking. When you can find people who are willing to advocate to others in support of your career and professional capabilities, finding that next job is much easier. 

If you’re between roles, Paul and I recommend being proactive and joining professional networking organizations in your field. Don’t just become a member, but be active, build relationships, and avoid treating others as a means to your own ends. Again, use empathy to build relationships that last beyond your next role.

Another idea is to volunteer with a charity that supports a cause you believe in. On the podcast, I mentioned in 2011, I was between roles for about four months. I reached out to a local food bank and volunteered, but I also sent over my resume. The next day the CFO of the food bank reached out and asked if I could help rewrite their finance and accounting manual. I did that and several other things for the CFO, which, in turn, served as a great answer to the interview question, “What have I been doing since I left my last job?”

Paul and I are always happy to help and advise others in any way we can. As an Interim Management professional, I am thrilled that I get to leverage my knowledge and experience to help clients achieve their goals and to move their organizations forward. 

At Riveron, I often partner with finance organizations during periods where additional leadership or capacity is needed. If you are thinking through a similar situation that could benefit from clarity and empathetic leadership, reach out to our team to connect.

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