In this episode, CJ interviews Guido Torrini, CFO of OneTrust and former CFO of Celonis, who has played a crucial role in shaping finance strategy and operations at two successful pre-IPO companies. Guido shares profound insights into managing his finance team more like an agile tech organization than a traditional planning function. He explains why he doesn’t believe in budgets, breaks down the V2MOM framework essential to his team’s success, and sheds light on how he ties company priorities back to the budgeting process. Additionally, Guido and CJ discuss the qualities that differentiate wartime and peacetime leaders. Guido also explains what he means when he says he wants his finance teams to make the news, not just report it, and shares wisdom on riding waves both professionally and as a company.

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SPONSORS:

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Leapfin is accounting automation software that automatically prepares and posts reliable journal entries. High-growth businesses like Reddit, Canva, and Seat Geek choose Leapfin to eliminate manual tasks, accelerate month-end close, and enable accounting leaders to provide faster insights to help their companies grow. To automatically standardize your revenue data with measurable business impact, check out leapfin.com today.

Mercury is the fintech ambitious companies use for banking and all their financial workflows. With a powerful bank account at the center of their operations, companies can make better financial decisions and ensure that every dollar spent aligns with company priorities. That's why over 100K startups choose Mercury to confidently run all their financial operations with the precision, control, and focus they need to operate at their best. Learn more at mercury.com.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.

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@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:38) Sponsor - NetSuite | Maxio

(05:10) Peacetime Versus Wartime Leaders

(13:11) Influencing Inputs Versus Reporting Outputs

(17:47) Leapfin | Mercury

(20:42) Guido’s Revenue Equation

(23:00) The V2MOM Framework for Capital Allocation

(27:34) Why Guido Doesn’t Believe in Budgets

(30:08) How This Agile Planning Plays Out

(35:38) Sizing Up Controllable Versus Non-controllable Spends

(36:56) Forecasting Growth and Challenging Mindsets

(40:43) Riding Waves Professionally and as a Company

(43:36) The Impact of Geographical Location on Guido’s Career

(48:01) Long-ass Lightning Round: Mistakes Guido Has Learned From

(49:58) Guido’s Advice to His Younger Self

(51:05) OneTrust’s Finance Software Stack

(53:21) Craziest Expense Story

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

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