From a High School Dropout to a $3 Billion CFO: The Story of William Washington III
The Diary of a CFO with Wassia KamonMay 07, 202600:48:58

From a High School Dropout to a $3 Billion CFO: The Story of William Washington III

He dropped out of high school. He was a single father. He started his career at a cottonseed company. And now he oversees $3 billion in annual revenue across 76 offices in 45 countries as the Global CFO of Baker McKenzie, one of the largest law firms in the world.

In this episode, I sat down with William Washington III. William brings a rare combination of financial acumen and operational expertise shaped by senior roles at Hogan Lovells, Accenture, and Fannie Mae. He is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a Bloomberg New Voice on the future of finance, and one of the most thoughtful leaders I have ever had on this show.

We talked about what it actually looks like to lead finance across 45 countries. How he evaluates a finance organization on day one. The executive coaching moment that changed his entire leadership style. Why the skills that got him to director level almost kept him from becoming CFO. How he leads as an introvert without burning out. And the three books he says every finance professional should be reading at all times.

👉 If becoming a CFO is in your 5-year plan, get your free CFO Readiness Scorecard here: http://thecfo.scoreapp.com

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Connect with William Washington III (LinkedIn) ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamwashingtoncfo/
Connect with Wassia Kamon (LinkedIn) ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/wassiakamon/
Website: WassiaKamon.start.page
Email: Info@WassiaKamon.com
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Listen on:
Apple Podcasts ▶️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-diary-of-a-cfo/id1768818749
Spotify ▶️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2w2bL55ST959GgeAR6r7So?si=1c710288beb84b3c

For sponsorship and partnership inquiries: Info@WassiaKamon.com

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