CFO THOUGHT LEADER

You might think your biggest milestone is behind you? After three and a half decades at Verizon, CFO Jeff Noto stepped into Zayo Group’s finance leadership seat at a time others might have been winding down. Now, nearly two years into his role, Zayo has announced a landmark $1.42B asset-backed term note offering—spotlighting a unique fiber infrastructure legacy that was formed by rolling up 45+ acquisitions, going public in 2014, and then privatizing in 2020. -Expanding Fiber Footprint: 140,000 route miles powering critical industries -Fueling Growth: Asset-backed financing to reinvest and innovate -Leadership at Scale: Decades of telecom expertise brought to a nimble, high-growth environment This milestone stands as proof that it’s never too late to rewrite your playbook. Our video captures an earlier milestone moment - Jeff's mindset shortly after his appointment as CFO at Zayo Group. Jeff's CFO BOOK PICK: Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horne & Jason A. Riley – a powerful read on anticipating issues and seizing opportunities early. Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ekRibpXS 👣 I’m Jack Sweeney: 💼 A storyteller in the finance leadership realm. 📣 Amplifying the voices of today’s finance leaders. 👣 Follow me for more finance insights and behind-the-scenes leadership sto

It was Dale Carnegie who said, “A person's name is to that person the sweetest sound in any language.” In homage to Mr. Carnegie, I thought I’d share the following here on LinkedIn. Recently, I was browsing the aisles of the Strand Bookstore near Union Square in NYC when a well-worn text on a crowded shelf spoke to me. The title was Tell It to Sweeney, published in 1962. The book chronicles the rise of one of the 20th century’s greatest tabloids—The New York Daily News. Its author, John Chapman, explains how the paper’s financial success was cemented by a slogan that helped shift advertisers’ thinking. At the time, many marketers preferred The New York Times, believing it reached wealthier “deep-pocketed gentry.” They doubted a working-class readership had the means to be profitable customers. Hoping to prove otherwise, advertising man Leo McGivena coined the phrase: “Tell it to Sweeney; the Stuyvesants will understand.” For someone named Sweeney—who spends his days coaxing finance leaders to share their stories to better connect with a growing number of stakeholders (I.e. the changing role of the CFO)—this title left a lasting impression. What’s more, after spending years convincing CFOs and their communications teams that a podcast not focused on earnings or investors is a worthy investment of a CFO’s time, I decided to put a new twist on McGivena’s slogan: “Tell it to Sweeney—your investors will understand.” Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ekRibpXS Follow us: CFO THOUGHT LEADER 👣 I’m Jack Sweeney: 💼 A storyteller in the finance leadership realm. 📣 Amplifying the voices of today’s finance leaders. 👣 Follow me for more finance insights and behind-the-scenes leadership stories.

You might be underestimating AI’s real impact on finance. CFO Amy Butte of Navan reports on CFO THOUGHT LEADER's latest episode (#1072) that AI has helped increase gross margins from the mid-50s to the mid-70s, with over 50% of customer support now managed by Navan’s AI bot, Ava. Meanwhile, 90% of travel bookings can be completed in under six minutes, reducing both costs and turnaround times. Butte’s approach also extends to team structure—she unified FP&A with the controller function and added treasury and sustainability specialists to position the finance group as a strategic partner. -AI-driven support for travelers -Real-time expense tracking and policy controls -Cross-functional alignment for better decision-making Actionable Insight: By automating routine tasks and creating a cohesive finance team, Butte shows how CFOs can use AI to improve margins and drive sustainable growth. Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ekRibpXS Follow me to receive 60-Second Insights from CFOs daily. CFO THOUGHT LEADER THOUGHTLEADER #FinanceLeadership #CareerGrowth @CFOThougthleader 👣 I’m Jack Sweeney: 💼 A storyteller in the finance leadership realm. 📣 Amplifying the voices of today’s finance leaders. 👣 Follow me for more finance insights and behind-the-scenes leadership stories.

When continuous improvement came to Salesforce We have rarely come across a finance career chapter this unique. Over time, finance leaders have shared pivotal career chapters with us—yet few stories involve forging a culture of continuos improvement at a world-class company. Zylo CFO Jason Leet was a senior finance executive at Salesforce when CFO Mark Hawkins gave him one directive: instill a continuous improvement mindset in the global finance org. By empowering teams from the bottom up, Jason led a transformation that redefined how a tech trailblazer scaled through 40+ acquisitions. -One bold assignment can reshape your entire leadership path -Small, consistent changes can become a culture’s driving force -Building from the bottom up sparks lasting impact Jason's CFO BOOK PICK: “Crossing the Chasm” by Geoffrey Moore Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ekRibpXS Follow me to receive 60-Second Insights from CFOs daily. #CFOTHOUGHTLEADER #FinanceLeadership #CareerGrowth CFO THOUGHT LEADER Thougthleader 👣 I’m Jack Sweeney: 💼 A storyteller in the finance leadership realm. 📣 Amplifying the voices of today’s finance leaders. 👣 Follow me for more finance insights and behind-the-scenes leadership stories.