In partnership with

Hey there,

Ever notice how often finance and marketing seem to talk past each other, even when they want the same outcomes? This edition looks at why CFOs discount marketing, how foremost finance leaders think about long-term growth, and what it really takes to scale without losing control.

Give it a read and you will walk away with clearer ways to bridge these gaps and make smarter, faster decisions.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

• 🧠 Why Many CFOs Don’t Take CMOs Seriously

• 🤝 CME Group’s CFO Eyes Partnerships for Long-Term Growth

• 🧭 4 Lessons for CFOs: Grow Without Losing Control

📈 Trending news

• CFOs Treat Opaque AI as a Balance Sheet Liability

• CFOs Face Oversight Gaps in Fast Fintech Boom

• Rising Earnings, Longer Runway for Disney CFO

🧠 Why Many CFOs Don’t Take CMOs Seriously

Godin argues that CFOs discount marketing when it lacks clear financial links. His fix: experiments, shared metrics, and language that translates brand into cash.

Read the full article here »

Key Takeaways:

• 📊 Speak Finance: Tie campaigns to revenue, margin, and cash, using cohort LTV, payback, and contribution to prove marketing’s economic value.

• 🧪 Test With Rigor: Run controlled experiments with baselines and lift targets, replacing vanity metrics with results that withstand audit.

• 🏷️ Quantify Brand: Treat brand as an asset, tracking pricing power, retention, and willingness to pay as leading indicators of value.

• 🤝 Build Shared Language: Align on definitions for CAC, pipeline stages, and attribution, then review weekly so budgets follow measured impact.

🤝 CME Group’s CFO Eyes Partnerships for Long-Term Growth

The finance chief outlines how strategic alliances, disciplined investment, and new products can extend CME’s reach and resilience without overextending risk.

Read the full article here »

Key Takeaways:

• 🌍 Expand the Ecosystem: Partnerships target global access, new distribution, and cross-asset offerings that attract incremental participants.

• 💻 Tech as a Lever: Collaborations accelerate digitization, analytics, and connectivity, improving client experience and operational scalability.

• 💸 Disciplined Capital: Investment choices emphasize returns, balance sheet strength, and flexibility for selective M&A or joint ventures.

• 📊 Diversify Revenue: Data, clearing, and risk tools complement futures volume, smoothing cycles, and supporting durable growth.

🧭 4 Lessons for CFOs: Grow Without Losing Control

CFO.com distills four practices that let companies scale while tightening risk. Jessica Martin of Nox shows how discipline and velocity can coexist.

Read the full article here »

Key Takeaways:

• 🧱 Build Scalable Controls: Standardize policies, automate approvals, and embed audits in workflows so growth adds volume, not vulnerabilities.

• 📊 Elevate Data Visibility: Unify source systems and dashboards, giving leaders real-time variance signals and clear owner actions.

• 🤝 Align With Operators: Partner on pricing, inventory, and vendor terms, and link risk limits to targets that frontline teams can execute.

• 🧪 Pilot, Then Roll Out: Test changes in small slices, track financial impact, and expand only when controls and outcomes remain reliable.

Why It Matters

More substantial alignment between CFOs, CMOs, and operators leads to better budgeting, sharper experiments, and more consistent growth. The common thread across all three pieces is discipline: shared metrics, tighter controls, and partnerships that extend reach without increasing risk.

Use these lessons to tighten your own financial story, support better decisions, and keep your team moving in the same direction.

Wishing you continued success,

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights

P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email and I’ll send packages!