This episode features Alexander J. Freeman, CFO at Wursta, and a global finance leader with 20+ years of experience across American Express, Visa, Dell Technologies, HID Global, and Diebold Nixdorf.

Alex has led finance transformations across markets - from New York and Moscow to Dubai and Austin. In this episode titled "The Fine Balance of a CFO Between Finance & Operations," we unpack the real-world realities of scaling finance in high-growth companies.

Here’s what we explore:

1️⃣ From Risk to Strategy - How Alex’s path from controllership to global finance helped him lead with adaptability

2️⃣ Scaling with People First - Lessons from maturing a finance org in a high-growth company, and why team structure matters

3️⃣ Finance + Ops Synergy - How understanding operations deeply helps finance leaders become true business partners

4️⃣ Modern CFOTech - Why it’s crucial to align tools to your business context and evaluate ROI upfront

5️⃣ AI for Finance - How Alex and his team are experimenting with Gemini and building AI fluency across functions

6️⃣ Advice for Future Leaders - Keep learning, stay open to unexpected opportunities, and don’t wait to lead

💡 Favourite lines from the conversation: “Great things often come from unexpected places - books, conversations, or mentors. Keep the doors open and stay curious.”

A huge thank you to Alex for sharing his journey, lessons, and forward-looking views. This episode is packed with grounded, practical insights - and a global lens that’s rare and refreshing.