Controllers Classified

Host Erik Zhou sits down with Amber Papp, VP of Finance at Scentbird, to explore the unique challenges of accounting in the e-commerce space. From managing a massive inventory of over 700 fragrances to navigating rapid growth and making smart automation decisions, Amber shares firsthand insights on what it takes to keep financial operations running smoothly at a high-growth, subscription-based company.

Amber and Erik also dig into r...

On this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou sits down with Brad Silicani, COO of Anrok, to talk about his journey from Big Four accounting to leading operations at a fast-growing tech company. 

The discussion begins by covering Brad’s transition from audit to client side, and highlights the myriad of roles he held at Dropbox. In his time there he was Controller, tasked with landing a sound revenue recognition method, H...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, Erik Zhou sits down with Michael Williams, a Tax Partner at PwC, to unpack both his career path to Partnership and his firm’s POV on corporate tax strategies in 2025 and beyond. 

Michael begins by sharing key milestones in his time at PWC, noting how his perspective, role, and scope shifted as he worked towards becoming a Partner at the firm. He underscores the importance of real value crea...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, Erik Zhou sits down with Karen Wu, the Chief Accounting Officer at Clari, to discuss the role of accounting in a company’s exit strategy. The conversation starts with an overview of Karen’s time in Transaction Services at PWC, where she helped a myriad of companies prepare for IPO - including Alibaba, the largest IPO in US history. Drawing on those experiences, Karen covers the reasons why...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou sits down with Jeff Arensman, Controller at Bloomerang, to cover two important topics: building a finance function from scratch and the role of finance in acquisitions. 

For Jeff, the two are inextricably linked at Bloomerang. As the first finance hire at the company, his first task was supporting an acquisition that needed to close in just three weeks. He then quickly turned...

When you think about accounting at growth stage companies, the word "artistry" might not immediately come to mind, but Desene Sterling makes a compelling case for it in this episode of Controllers Classified. As the Controller at Sourcegraph, Desene describes how crafting processes, like implementing procurement workflows or streamlining month-end close, feels like painting a masterpiece—except her medium is reconciliations and fin...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou, CAO at Brex, dives into the world of accounting and automation with Jake Jones, Controller at FinQuery. Jake shares his journey from a decade at Cherry Bekaert to his current role, detailing the transition from audit to client side and his 30, 60, 90 day ramp up plan at FinQuery. He also shares some background on his company, including their approach to their recent fundrai...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou welcomes Jessica Peng, Controller at Invoca, to delve into mastering change management. Jessica got her start in a Big 4 helping companies build the right controls as a part of SOX readiness. This experience being audit side shaped her approach to controllership in many ways, including her willingness to push back on her auditor partners now when they have asks that place un...

In this special bonus episode of Controllers Classified, host Eric Zhou, Chief Accounting Officer at Brex, is joined by Kevin Moore, Brex's Controller, to discuss the recent resignation of Ernst & Young as the auditor for Super Micro Computer. The conversation delves into the nuances surrounding auditor transitions and explores potential reasons behind such decisions, touching on factors like corporate governance, risk management, ...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, we explore the role of accounting in scaling businesses as well as public company accounting processes with Eric Van Cleve, Controller at 8x8. The episode begins with a recap of Eric’s career in accounting, detailing his discovery of accounting in college and how he worked his way up the ladder once he landed client side out of college. He notes that he found the most success when he focus...

We’re thrilled to be joined by Jack McCullough, President of the CFO Leadership Council, for this episode of Controllers Classified. The discussion begins with a recap of Jack’s inspiring journey from being a rookie CFO in need of peer support to creating a thriving network & community of 2000+ CFOs across 33 chapters in North America.

The episode takes a deep dive into how accounting and finance professionals can think about growth...

In the season two premiere of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou welcomes Matt Didden, Controller at NexHealth. The conversation begins with a recount of how Matt landed in accounting after graduating in the 2007-2008 financial crisis and realizing that the world would always need accountants. It then highlights his transition from consulting/audit to client side, and the broadening of his scope from pure financial reporting to...

In the season 1 finale of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou is joined by Sarah Hinkfuss from Bain Capital Ventures for an overview of the VC investment landscape and a deep dive into her investment due diligence approach for growth stage companies. 

The episode begins with Sarah highlighting milestones from her career, including her time conducting water pricing research in the Middle East, her transition into tech, and her piv...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou is joined by Eugene Spevakov, Treasurer and Head of Corporate FP&A at 6sense. The conversation begins by tracing Eugene’s path, highlighting his start in civil engineering and his transition into treasury and corporate finance.  

The episode then dives deep into the primary responsibilities of a treasury function: cash and risk management (aka, you need to be able to move mon...

On this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou welcomes Patrick Lynch, Senior Vice President and Controller of the Boston Celtics, who shares his journey from ball boy to financial leader for the team. Patrick highlights the milestones of his career, including his transition from an internship to working closely with the CFO, and the significant growth of the Celtics organization. He also imparts wisdom on how to seize c...

In this episode of Controllers Classified, host Eric Zhou is joined by Katie Slattery, VP of Accounting and Corporate Controller at Fivetran. The conversation begins with Katie’s start in Ireland at KPMG Dublin as an auditor, and traces her path from auditor to accountant. Fun fact: Katie has been the first controller/accounting hire at several high growth companies! 

The conversation then pivots to Katie’s current priorities at Fiv...

On this episode host Erik Zhou welcomes Barrett Daniels, the co-leader of US IPO services at Deloitte. Drawing from his two decades of expertise in guiding companies through the IPO journey, Barrett takes us on a deep exploration of the process – from the pivotal board decision to the exhilarating moment of ringing the bell at the stock exchange. And, he notes that in many ways, the real work actually begins once the IPO is over. 

B...

In this episode, host Eric Zhou welcomes Sean Soper, the Head of Financial Operations and Accounting at Alchemy, to shed light on the disruptive technologies shaping the trajectory of accounting and finance. Alchemy provides the leading blockchain development platform and as such, much of the conversation narrows in on the possible applications of blockchain in accounting. 

Sean begins the discussion highlighting his experience work...

In this engaging episode, we're joined by Tom Kelly, the Director of Product Marketing at NetSuite. The conversation starts with an overview of Tom’s career and his blending of experiences across finance, technology, and marketing at companies big and small. The theme throughout his experiences has been leading teams through technological leaps in search of greater process efficiency.

The conversation then shifts to Tom’s priorities...