GOOD MORNING CFO

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HEADLINES & DEADLINES

TAX TRANSPARENCY

Companies are starting to disclose where they pay taxes, and how much.


Not the usual “effective tax rate was X%” line. More like “here’s the map, here are the dollars.”

This shifts tax from footnote to storyline, and it’s about to become an earnings call magnet.

Check out this Tax Footprint Prep Kit (checklist + templates + Q&A bank + workbook).

LEADERSHIP

CFO tenure is now a KPI, and boards are treating it like one.


The Trade Desk terminated CFO Alexander Kayyal about five months into the role, with the CAO stepping in as interim while the search continues. When the stock is sliding, the board often wants a visible “signal,” and the CFO seat is the easiest one to move.


🔥 Here's How To Not Get Fired When The Business Underperforms
(CFO Confidence Survival Kit): click me

M&A

“Growth through acquisition” keeps getting sold like a shortcut, and then reality shows up.


The Alvarez & Marsal argument is simple: most companies don’t capture the value they think they bought.

Deals are purchased on a story, and finance gets stuck turning that story into math post-close.

Check out this Toolkit to stress-test value post-close (synergy scoring + integration risk + deal autopsy): click me

STARTUPS

Pre-revenue CFO reality check: it’s less finance, more runway management.


Horizon Aircraft CFO Brian Merker summed it up with, “it feels terrible.”

Until revenue exists, the job is basically:

keep the company fundable, keep the burn explainable, and know what gets cut when the raise slips.

INVESTOR RELATIONS

AI is raising investor expectations, and earnings calls are getting harder to “manage.”


A Gartner snapshot suggests CFOs are spending more time prepping, getting more unexpected questions, and dealing with more investor-facing moments beyond the call itself.

Investors can scan filings faster, compare peers instantly, and walk in with “gotcha” questions on speed.

AI IN FINANCE

Want AI ROI this quarter, aim it at close and AP, not “transformation theater.”


The pattern showing up is boring but effective: automate repeatable workflows, measure time saved, and build controls like your auditor is already watching.

The era of “cool demo” is ending.

The era of “prove it, document it, defend it” is here.

MONETARY POLICY

Fed held rates steady, 10–2, and the subtext is regime risk.

Two governors dissented in favor of another cut, and with Powell’s term getting closer to its end, the next meetings look like policy decisions plus positioning.

The bigger CFO takeaway is not “cuts soon,” it’s “volatility plus repricing risk.”

Coming back tomorrow with some breaking CFO-level stories and news…

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