Simply Driven Articles and Whitepapers

KB: Joe, it’s great to see you. JA: Thanks. KB: You’ve had a non-traditional journey to the CFO seat. Let’s talk about that. JA: You’re right. I attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, which is in New London, CT. I pursued the Coast Guard Academy due to a couple of other family members that had [...]

Brad Cornelius is part of something special, and he knows it. Sun King has developed a brand and a culture that most other companies can only dream about. KB: Brad, thanks for meeting me. BC: My pleasure. KB: So, tell me about growing up. BC: I’m an only child; grew up in Lawrenceburg, IN. My [...]

Todd Pepmeier is one of Indy’s best kept CFO secrets. Just in his early 40s, he’s made a name for himself at some of the biggest companies in the world. Part corporate exec and part entrepreneur, he describes himself as an “engineer trapped in a CFO’s body”, and in his spare time builds racing engines [...]

Bluelock's CFO Jen Burton doesn’t back away from a challenge. Five years ago, she ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon on a dare. Soon, she ran another half-marathon. Then a full marathon. She set a goal of running 1,000 miles in one calendar year. She did it. Now she’s focused on triathlons. A habitual goal-setter? She grins [...]

Ricker Oil CFO, Jarod Downing has accomplished a lot in a short period of time. Although he once considered a job on Wall Street, he’s made quite a finance career for himself right here in Indianapolis. I’m back at Four Day Ray Brewing Company in Fishers on a brisk December Friday afternoon. KB: Great to [...]

SmarterHQ Vice President of Finance and Operations Matt Tyner is a force of nature. Although only 30, the countless hours he’s logged over the past six years at SmarterHQ have made him wise beyond his years. It’s a Friday afternoon at Daddy Jacks, which is just a stone’s throw from Smarter HQ’s offices at 91st [...]

Lyn Bradbury is a CFO at Ingram Micro Mobility.  She is in the prime of her career. We met on a sunny Friday amidst the smell of bagels and coffee at Panera. She has an infectious smile and energy level that set the stage for a great conversation. KB: Lyn, thank you for this. LB: [...]

Deflecto Corporation Vice President of Finance/Accounting Jay Bray is a busy guy.  He rolled into Four Day Ray Brewing in Fishers with a big smile, immediately after wrapping up a monthly operating call.  A few days prior, he was in India; one of several trips there for him in 2017.  When he’s not in India, [...]

I recently sat down with Herff Jones Chief Financial Officer John Oblazney to discuss his career and learn more about how he has become arguably one of the top CFOs in Indianapolis. Although it was late afternoon, Oblazney had already worked close to 12 hours, and was planning to squeeze in nine holes afterwards before [...]

People matter.  Talent wins. KPMG’s 2015 Global CEO Survey was dedicated to the changing role of the CFO.  Ninety-seven percent of CEO’s taking part said that attracting and retaining top finance talent was the most important contributing factor to improve their finance function.  Yet, only 33 percent gave their CFO a passing grade in talent [...]

By Kent Burns, CPA I continue to have solid dialogue with CAE’s all over the U.S. on hiring and retaining internal auditors.  Last month, I focused on acquiring talent, sharing insights and best practices from eight world-class Chief Audit Executives.  This month, we turn our focus to retention.  Given that it’s so hard to hire [...]

Here’s the career (and life) perspective your Firm isn’t giving you By Kent Burns, CPA Well, you made it.  Or, perhaps you’re not done, but you’re close.  At some point over the next few days or weeks, you’ll ask yourself if you want to do it again next year.  Perhaps you already know the answer.  [...]

By Kent Burns, CPA This topic generated an over-the-top amount of buzz…I have spoken with dozens of Chief Audit Executives from all over the U.S., with more calling as I write this.  This is clearly a top-of-mind issue.  CAE’s responding to PwC’s 2016 State of the Internal Audit Profession study said talent shortages were the [...]

My last piece was focused on the art of verbal communication – the day-to-day interactions that (like it or not) influence the level of collaboration that actually happens. Let’s look now at some critical elements necessary to create a Collaborative Audit Culture. Getting Past Ambiguity The phrase “Collaborative Audit Culture” is one that makes people [...]

The challenges facing Internal Audit are formidable, and we all know what they are: increasing outside regulation, higher internal expectations from Boards and Audit Committees, and demands from operational leaders to provide insight that adds value to the business. And if that isn’t enough, there’s a shortage of people who want to do internal audit. [...]

By Kent Burns, CPA Communication is one of the Chief Audit Executive’s most important navigational tools, and the role of the CAE as a communicator has never been more critical.  What, how and how much you communicate can mean the difference between success and failure on many levels.  What’s working?  Here are insights and perspectives [...]

"76% of full-time employed workers are actively looking or open to new job opportunities." - CareerBuilder Pulse of Recruitment Survey, June 2016   "The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer was 4.2 years in January 2016, down from 4.6 years in January 2014" - S. Bureau [...]

Demographic and regulatory changes impacting in the tax profession have been written about extensively over the past few years.  The increasing scarcity of tax professionals has landed CPA firms, tax partners and tax professionals in sticky situations – not only to meet client service obligations – but in some cases, just to stay in business.  [...]

Don’t Be Fooled; Be Informed I am a former Big Four CPA.  In my career, I’ve interacted with public accountants from the “inside” at Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) and KPMG, from the “outside” as a corporate Controller and CFO, and now in executive search.  My perspective is broad and unique. I speak with dozens of [...]

One of the most overlooked aspects of campus recruiting is cultivating the right mindset in your campus recruiting team – especially those who have been doing it for several years.  However, that’s where winning begins.  What follows are seven best practices that will differentiate both you from the competition. 1.     Keep the main thing the [...]