What a Berkshire Hathaway CFO Taught Me About Strategic Finance Leadership скачать в хорошем качестве

What a Berkshire Hathaway CFO Taught Me About Strategic Finance Leadership

Dave Schurch served as CFO of Scott Fetzer, a Berkshire Hathaway company, and spent his career leading finance inside complex manufacturing businesses. In this episode, we break down how finance leaders move from technical execution to real business influence. Dave shares practical lessons on ERP implementation, working capital optimization, cost discipline, M&A decision-making, cybersecurity, and what it actually means to be a strategic finance business partner. This is not theory. These are lessons learned inside real businesses operating at scale. What you’ll learn in this conversation: • Why finance leaders must become part of the business team, not just report numbers • ERP implementation lessons, including why consultants should support, not lead • The importance of process mapping and understanding how transactions truly flow • How to control costs fast when revenue drops • Working capital levers most finance teams underutilize • How to reduce excess inventory and protect cash flow • Lean manufacturing cost savings and separating real savings from soft savings • M&A discipline and why staying in your lane matters • Cybersecurity basics finance leaders cannot ignore • What the finance leader of the future looks like in an AI-driven world If you are a senior accountant, controller, FP&A leader, or CFO who wants to increase your influence inside the business, this episode will challenge how you think about your role. Chapters: 00:00 Why finance must be part of the solution 03:38 Career path to CFO of a Berkshire Hathaway company 08:11 ERP implementation and process alignment 16:10 Cost control during downturns 20:15 Working capital and cash flow strategy 24:12 Inventory surge and debt reduction 36:34 Lean manufacturing cost savings 40:30 M&A sourcing and acquisition discipline 50:18 When to insource vs outsource 56:04 Building a realistic business case 1:00:56 Cybersecurity and IT leadership 1:06:15 Building a high-impact finance function 1:10:13 The future of finance leadership __________________________________________________________________________ If you want to move from technical execution to strategic finance leadership: Finance Leader of Influence Roadmap: https://alecborlin.me/book Free guide: The 3 biggest career mistakes that quietly stall accounting and finance professionals: https://alecborlin.me/FIN Connect with Alec on LinkedIn   / alec-borlin-cpa-aa141482   About this channel: This channel is built for experienced accounting and finance professionals who want to increase their influence inside the business. You will hear directly from CFOs, controllers, and finance leaders about how they solved real challenges involving forecasting accuracy, ERP implementations, M&A integration, close process improvements, and operational finance in growing companies. Topics include: Senior accountant to controller progression Controller to CFO progression Strategic finance leadership Forecasting and financial planning improvement ERP implementation lessons Finance transformation Adding measurable value from the finance function Building influence inside the finance function