Season 2

In this solo episode, Wassia Kamon shares how she went from staff accountant to CFO in 15 years, including the moments that didn’t look like progress at all.

In this episode of The Diary of a CFO Podcast, host Wassia Kamon sits down with Teri Kozub, a three-time CFO with more than 33 years of experience in nonprofit finance and current CFO at Community Legal Services of Mid Florida. Teri shares how her non-linear career shaped her leadership style, why ...

Executive presence is often cited as the reason leaders don’t get promoted, but rarely explained. In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, Wassia Kamon sits down with executive coach Jill Avey to unpack what executive presence actually means, why high performers get stuck at the Director or VP level,...

Attorney and risk-management expert Natalia Greene reveals the real stories behind major fraud cases, including those featured on American Greed that she personally worked on. She also shares exactly how accountants, fractional CFOs, and boutique finance firms accidentally expose themselves to laws...

In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, executive recruiter Mark Johnson shares insider perspectives on what CEOs are really looking for in today's CFOs. Discover how the expectations of finance leadership are evolving, what separates top candidates in interviews, and the essential qualities that de...

In this episode, Vivienne breaks down the realities and myths of AI in the finance function, from predictive models to generative AI, and reveals how agentic AI is creating a new category of digital workers, “AI agents,” that drive both productivity and resilience in modern businesses. You'll also ...

What does it take to turn a traditional finance team into a true strategic business partner? In this episode, Paul Young, CFO of Liberty Bank, shares how he connected strategy, budgeting, and talent development to create a finance function built for impact.

CFOs are expected to drive transformation, lead strategy, and still deliver flawless numbers every month. In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, I sit down with Tom Hood, one of the most influential voices in finance leadership, to unpack what’s really behind the growing pressure on today’s CFOs.

In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, I sit down with Anna Sagan, Senior Principal Solutions Engineer, who brings over two decades of experience in financial software and strategic reporting. We talked about: The evolving expectations from finance teams Why Excel is still the most loved BI too...

Bona Allen has led finance at both public and private companies, navigated the savings and loan crisis, the 2008 crash, and COVID, and built strategies that kept projects and people moving through uncertainty. In this episode, he shares what it takes to lead finance through real estate booms, constr...

Not every CFO starts as a controller or FP&A lead. Axel Talout shares how banking and private equity shaped his journey, why your “different” background can be your edge, and how to intentionally build a team that fills your blind spots.

Mike High (CFO, NAIT; ex-Shell Deep Water CFO) shares leadership lessons from the Army to corporate finance: why the “platinum rule” beats one-size-fits-all leadership, what truly changes when you move from FP&A to the CFO seat, and how to carry a portfolio of crises without burning out.

Andrea Hecht went from audit to controller to the CFO seat at CSAA Insurance Group. In this episode she shares what actually changes at each step, how to link finance to strategy, and how to get Accounting and FP&A rowing in the same direction. We talk about the role allies play, why culture makes a...

Wassia Kamon has done both. In this solo episode, she reveals why neither route guarantees success on its own and what truly sets future CFOs apart.

Sheryl shares her remarkable journey, from starting as an accounting clerk in the 1980s to becoming a CFO 3 times, and now a trusted consultant for companies implementing NetSuite. She opens up about the lessons learned through chaos, the role of technology in finance, and how to build teams that a...

Christian Wattig is the program director of Wharton’s FP&A Certificate and the founder of InsideFP&A. In this episode, he shares his path from Procter & Gamble to becoming a leader in finance education, along with the pivotal lessons he learned along the way.

In this episode, Summa Simmons, Associate VP of Treasury at Victoria’s Secret & Co., shares what most people get wrong about treasury and why it's a strategic powerhouse. She explains how treasury helps companies manage cash, risk, and financial readiness during major business decisions like mergers...

Most companies think cybersecurity is about firewalls and IT policies. But the real risk often starts with culture. In this episode, Dutch Schwartz, VP of Cloud Services at SideChannel and former security leader at AWS and Raytheon, shares why companies with poor culture are three times more likely...

Christina Ross, serial CFO turned CEO of Cube, explains why spreadsheets aren’t the problem and what finance leaders should focus on instead. She shares multiple frameworks for moving from manual chaos to strategic clarity. This episode is packed with insights on real-time planning, clean data, and ...

In this exciting episode of The Diary of a CFO, host Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA talks to guest Dr. Tamer Alsayed, CPA, FCMA, CGMA, Chief Financial Officer at FII Institute. Dr. Alsayed shares over 23 years of experience in finance across various industries and countries. He discusses his journey ...

Welcome to Season 2 of The Diary of a CFO. In this kickoff solo episode, I share behind-the-scenes highlights from Season 1, why some careers stall at the executive door, and what actually opens it.