This episode, Tom is joined by David Smith, CFO at RevSpring, to explore how a 360-degree career, from private equity to the CEO chair, shapes his collaborative, disciplined approach to leading finance.
In this episode, Tom is joined by David Smith, CFO at RevSpring, for a wide-ranging conversation on what a true 360-degree finance leader looks like. David shares how his rare path, from private equity investor to CEO to CFO, shapes the way he connects strategy, operations, and value creation across the entire business. He also explains why discipline, transparency, and partnership are essential in both turnarounds and high-growth environments, and how he helps teams stay engaged by empowering them to think and act like owners.
Guest Quote:
“As a CFO, you see the whole picture… where a good CFO really excels is being able to connect the dots so everyone understands how something happening in one part of the business affects the rest.”
“If you start managing the business like you have a lot of cash, you can easily go sideways when things get tough. It’s maintaining that discipline in good times and in bad times.”
“Make the tough decisions early and stay the course. The companies that don’t come out of restructuring are the ones that defer making the hard decisions.”
Timestamps:
00:50 David Smith's Unique CFO Perspective
04:48 Insights on Private Equity and Turnarounds
10:26 The Importance of Forecasting and Cash Flow Management
13:21 Balancing CFO Responsibilities and Team Motivation
20:52 Building Trust Through Small Wins
23:14 Leveraging AI in Finance
28:19 International Experience and Its Impact
33:35 Future of Finance Roles
Links & Resources: