In this episode of The Diary of a CFO: Live in Atlanta, I sat down in person with Christy Wright, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain at Southwire. Southwire did $9 billion in revenue last year and provides cable and electrical transmission and distribution in the United States. Christy also recently served as Interim CFO while continuing to lead supply chain.
We talked about what made her leave finance after checking every box. What surprised her most about the operations side, including having to pull out her chemistry knowledge to understand the periodic table of elements. How her finance background helps her in supply chain and what supply chain taught her that finance never could. What it was like stepping into the Interim CFO role while still running supply chain and how she had to give up the detail to survive. Why she says people leadership is the hardest thing in her career and something she is still working on every day. How she protects her time as an executive, including telling her leadership team she needs eight hours of sleep. And why she tells aspiring CFOs to take the lateral move.
This is part of The Diary of a CFO: Live in Atlanta, a limited in-person series where I sit down with CFOs and senior finance leaders right here in Atlanta.
This episode is brought to you by Fispan. By embedding banking services directly into ERP and accounting software, Fispan streamlines financial workflows, reduces costs, and enhances efficiency for businesses of all sizes. Learn more at fispan.com.
Connect with Christy Wright: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christywright-financeleader/
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🎬 Video chapters:
00:00 – Teaser: Managing Load, Sleep, and High-Stakes Decisions
00:58 – Episode Sponsor: Fispen 01:21 – Intro: Meet Christy Wright (EVP, Southwire) 02:22 – Moving to Atlanta & Building a 19-Year Career at Southwire
04:11 – Why Transition From CAO to Supply Chain Leader?
07:05 – What Surprised Her Most About the Shift to Operations
08:21 – The Science Behind Cable & Wire Manufacturing
10:07 – Sustainability & ESG as Core Company DNA
13:02 – Navigating $9B+ Operational Responsibility
14:04 – Mid-Episode Sponsor Break: Fispen
15:01 – How a Finance Background Aids Supply Chain Leadership
16:00 – CAO vs. Supply Chain Officer: Day-to-Day Differences
18:02 – Forecasting Accuracy: Corporate Finance vs. Demand Planning
20:14 – Global Sourcing, Geopolitics, and Manufacturing Integration
23:06 – How Non-Technical Executives Can Bridge the Expertise Gap
25:45 – Leading Departments Outside Your Area of Expertise
28:28 – The Hardest Part of Leadership: Leading & Developing People
30:45 – Sharpening Leadership Skills & Utilizing 360 Feedback
33:12 – Stepping Up as Interim CFO While Leading Supply Chain
35:39 – Seeing the World Differently: Finance vs. Supply Chain Mindset
38:42 – Bridging the Gap Between Finance and Operational Teams
41:40 – The Shocking Realities & Weight of the CFO Seat
43:09 – Will She Ever Return to Finance Full-Time?
44:01 – Career Advice: Why Lateral Moves Build Better Future CFOs
46:44 – Advice to Younger Self: Patience & Finding Work Fulfillment
48:20 – Staying Grounded: Recharging & Setting Sleep Boundaries
52:08 – Continuous Improvement & The Electrification Super Cycle
53:42 – Community Impact: School Programs, Veterans, & STEM
55:40 – 12 for Life: Transforming At-Risk Youth Through Work & Education
56:50 – Local Atlanta Food Recommendations: BoccaLupo
57:40 – Outro & Closing Remarks
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