The Pre-Read
Workiva
Just like the slides you get before a big meeting, The Pre-Read prepares CFOs and senior leaders for the decisions ahead. This is the global podcast for the modern office of the CFO, focused on how finance leaders drive performance, resilience, and long-term value in a constantly shifting environment.
Designed for executives operating at scale, the show features candid conversations with CFOs, board advisors, regulators, and business leaders shaping how companies compete, comply, and grow. Hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter connect financial performance, data integrity, regulation, and technology to the real questions CFOs are being asked by boards, investors, and stakeholders.
From AI adoption and enterprise data trust to evolving disclosure expectations and global regulatory pressure, The Pre-Read focuses on what matters now and what's coming next. Each episode cuts through noise to surface practical insight, strategic perspective, and the signals CFOs need to lead with clarity. If you're responsible for stewarding capital, managing risk, and creating value over time, you're in the right place.
Designed for executives operating at scale, the show features candid conversations with CFOs, board advisors, regulators, and business leaders shaping how companies compete, comply, and grow. Hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter connect financial performance, data integrity, regulation, and technology to the real questions CFOs are being asked by boards, investors, and stakeholders.
From AI adoption and enterprise data trust to evolving disclosure expectations and global regulatory pressure, The Pre-Read focuses on what matters now and what's coming next. Each episode cuts through noise to surface practical insight, strategic perspective, and the signals CFOs need to lead with clarity. If you're responsible for stewarding capital, managing risk, and creating value over time, you're in the right place.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 11, 2023 • 18min
Corporate Responsibility and Reducing Harm ft. Jennifer Hunter, Altria
Jennifer Hunter, senior vice president of corporate citizenship and chief sustainability officer at Altria, discusses how her team balances corporate responsibility and the harm associated with Altria’s products, advocating to increase the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. The conversation explores Altria's commitment to reducing harm, supporting FDA regulation and cessation resources, addressing underage use, and advocating for responsible retail practices.
Jan 4, 2023 • 4min
Season Two: Taking Perspective ft. Mandi McReynolds, Workiva
To kick off our second season of ESG Talk, host Mandi McReynolds introduces our theme for the year—perspective and the diversity of thought shaping the discourse around ESG. According to Mandi, a new perspective can be an obstacle or an opportunity. Which one will you choose?
Dec 28, 2022 • 11min
Highlights From Season One
We're taking a look back on some of our favorite moments from season one of ESG Talk. In this highlight reel, we bring together insights and advice from Fortune 500 executives and consultants to authors, reporters, and leading academics. In season two, we're bringing you more diverse perspectives to help simplify ESG and accelerate its impact on business and society.
Dec 21, 2022 • 7min
Dynamic Materiality and Stakeholder Engagement
In this short chat, ESG Talk host Mandi McReynolds shares part of an executive presentation she gave exploring dynamic materiality. Mandi describes practical ways companies can align stakeholder engagement with dynamic materiality as well as how ESG leaders are using technology to drive both forward in 2023. Resources: 1) The Chat: Challenges and Opportunities in ESG Reporting - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/esg-talk/id1622905439?i=1000568095872 2) Gaining Trust in Your ESG Data Is a Material Issue - https://www.workiva.com/blog/gaining-trust-your-esg-data-material-issue-0
Dec 14, 2022 • 20min
Unraveling ESG Regulation ft. Andromeda Wood and Steve Soter, Workiva
In this regulatory wrap up from ESG Talk, host Mandi McReynolds is joined by her Workiva colleagues, Andromeda Wood, Vice President of Regulatory Strategy, and Steve Soter, Senior Industry Principal. Andie and Steve share their takes on ESG regulation in the EU and US, including CSRD and recent developments by the SEC. Resources: 1) Andromeda Wood, CSRD Debrief - https://www.workiva.com/blog/csrd-debrief-whos-impacted-and-how-prepare 2) Steve Soter, podcast co-host Off the Books https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-books/id1505814699 3) COP27 and What's Next for ESG ft. Paul Dickinson, CDP - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/esg-talk/id1622905439?i=1000588129567 4) The ROI of Sustainability ft. Tensie Whelan, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/esg-talk/id1622905439?i=1000585631997
Dec 7, 2022 • 19min
Human Capital and the Dividend of Trust ft. Bhushan Sethi, PwC
Bhushan Sethi, Joint Global Leader of People and Organization at PwC and Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern's School of Business, joins Workiva's Mandi McReynolds on this week's episode of ESG Talk. Mandi and Bhushan explore building a strategy for human capital management during an economic downturn, including how transparency can breed trust and empowering employees with "voice and choice." Resources: 1) PwC Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022 - https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2022/global-workforce-hopes-and-fears-survey-2022.html 2) CNN Interview: "Voice and Choice" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAn1PJ3h7E0 3) PwC Pulse Survey: Managing business risks - https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/pulse-survey/managing-business-risks.html 4) CeFPro Survey: ESG State of Play: Banks' Compliance and Automated Reporting Trends - https://www.cefpro.com/esg-state-of-play-report/ 5) PwC Workforce Transformation - https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/business-transformation/workforce-transformation.html
Nov 30, 2022 • 18min
COP27 and What's Next for ESG ft. Paul Dickinson, CDP
This week, host Mandi McReynolds is joined by Paul Dickinson, founder and chair of CDP, the not-for-profit organization that runs the global environmental disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions. Paul and Mandi discuss announcements from COP27, the importance of data, and what lies ahead for ESG. Resources: 1) Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Proposed Rule - https://www.sustainability.gov/federalsustainabilityplan/fed-supplier-rule.html 2) CDP questionnaire to add ISSB's climate disclosure standard - https://www.corporatesecretary.com/articles/esg/33225/cdp-questionnaire-add-issb%E2%80%99s-climate-disclosure-standard 3) The Chat: Questions Emerge at COP27 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/esg-talk/id1622905439?i=1000586406377 4) Shaping the Global Climate Transition for All ft. Simon Mundy - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/esg-talk/id1622905439?i=1000578677697
Nov 23, 2022 • 4min
The Chat: Thanks for Tuning In
This week, we're taking a moment to thank our ESG Talk audience and guests for an incredible first season. As a token of our appreciation, host Mandi McReynolds invites viewers and listeners to join the ESG Pro Group community, a free networking group for professionals involved in ESG. Resources: 1) ESG Pro Group - https://www.progroups.org/about-us/about-us/esgprogroup-about-us
Nov 16, 2022 • 5min
The Chat: Questions Emerge at COP27
COP27 is underway. In this quick chat, ESG Talk host Mandi McReynolds reflects on President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's opening remarks and asks business leaders to pause and reflect on the difficult questions that will determine our impact on business and society. Stay tuned for a follow up episode featuring CDP Chairman Paul Dickinson that will explore reflections from the remainder of COP27 and what's to come in the year ahead. Resources: 1) COP27 - https://cop27.eg/#/ 2)President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi Opening Speech - https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/172566/President-El-Sisi's-Speech-at-the-Opening-Session-of-COP-27?lang=en-us
Nov 9, 2022 • 19min
The ROI of Sustainability ft. Tensie Whelan, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
In the latest episode of ESG Talk, host Mandi McReynolds is joined by Tensie Whelan, Clinical Professor of Business and Society and the director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. Tensie shares examples of companies that have achieved a significant return on investment from sustainability initiatives as well as the concept of cost avoidance and importance of setting the right ESG KPIs for your organization. Resources: 1) NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI™) - https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/about/departments-centers-initiatives/centers-of-research/center-sustainable-business/research/return-sustainability-investment-rosi 2) Harvard Business Review: ESG Reports Aren't a Replacement for Real Sustainability - https://hbr.org/2022/07/esg-reports-arent-a-replacement-for-real-sustainability 3) NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business - https://www.stern.nyu.edu/sustainability
