Inside the CFO Office – Episode 22 with Brenda Williams Johnson

Podcast Page – https://finfloh.com/podcast

How do you modernize order-to-cash, automate high-volume AR workflows, and move from delayed, manual processes to real-time operations?In this episode of Inside the CFO Office, I speak with Brenda Williams Johnson, Vice President of Invoice-to-Cash at Marketing.com, a marketing technology firm executing multi-touch campaigns from design to tracking. Brenda brings deep expertise in tech transformation and O2C architecture across Koch Industries, Georgia Pacific, Miller Environmental Group, and several private-equity-backed companies.Brenda shares her journey from supporting Georgia Pacific to becoming a solutions architect for AR transformation — and how automation, process discipline, and real-time systems have reshaped O2C over the last two decades.

Here’s what we unpacked in this episode:

👉 AR, billing, cash app, and collections once needed large teams due to manual work.

👉 Before teams were always behind—kickbacks, rejections, and mailbox delays slowed customer responses.

👉 Shifting from mailed invoices to digital workflows improved O2C speed and accuracy.

👉 Transformation happens through incremental wins, small automations, and steady process improvements.

👉 Early automations cut repetitive tasks and freed teams for higher-value work.

👉 Legacy processes—paper invoicing, envelope stuffing, printers—blocked remote and efficient operations.

👉 Platforms like Billtrust sped invoice delivery and improved communication with timestamp visibility.

👉 Brenda’s team built a self-sustaining O2C system independent of ERP constraints.

👉 Integrating data into one environment improved accuracy and reduced human error risk.

👉 Automation ensured numbers were trusted by eliminating manual miscalculations and inconsistencies.

👉 Automation enabled smooth COVID operations by removing dependence on physical processes.

👉 AI enables real-time O2C—scanning mailboxes, interpreting responses, and speeding cash application.

Chapters

00:00 – Teaser
03:10 – Introduction
04:24 – Brenda’s 20-year journey across Koch, Georgia Pacific & other firms
05:32 – Overall Transformation of A/R as a Solutions Architect
10:25 – Businesses being behind the curve of automation
14:11 – Transformation projects
14:34 - Small change - Automating invoice delivery and building a self-serving O2C
17:31 – Big Change - Connecting the systems for data centralization
24:43 – Projects and Learnings at Georgia Pacific
26:32 – Take on applications of AI in O2C
28:30 - Advice to finance professionals
30:34 – Closing reflections

You can also watch the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon.

#insidethecfopodcast #cfodiaries #order2cash #arautomation #techtransformation #podcast

Inside the CFO Podcast Episode 21 with Swarn Kamal

Podcast Page - https://finfloh.com/podcast

How do you scale finance across countries, build trust-driven global teams, and transform cashflow performance using process, technology, and leadership mindset?In this episode of Inside the CFO Office, I speak with Swarn Kamal, Vice President of Finance at Akraya Inc., where he leads finance teams across the US, Canada, the Philippines, and India. With nearly two decades across E&Y, Deloitte, Thomson Reuters, and US Tech Solutions, Swarn brings deep operational and strategic insight into building modern finance organizations at scale.Swarn shares his journey from audit and controllership to driving value creation, finance transformation, global team leadership, and cashflow excellence — including reducing DSO from 78 days → 42 days in under six months.

Here’s what we unpacked in this episode:

👉 Scaling finance across geographies and building culture-driven teams

👉 Technology transformation

👉 Combining cash + process + technology to drive transformation

👉 Weekly team sync as a leadership ritual for alignment and ownership

👉 Why trust is the core of leading global teams

👉 His framework: The 3 I’s of ERP — Integration, Intelligence & Insight

👉 Why ERP systems lack predictive intelligence and how AI fills the gap

👉 Leadership principles — manage mindsets, not geographies

👉 Advice for future finance leaders to think beyond accounting and stay curiousOne insight that stands out:

🗣️ “Once you start leading a team, it’s not about managing geography — it’s about managing mindsets.”If you’re scaling global finance teams, optimizing cashflows, or exploring how automation and AI reshape the CFO office, this episode is packed with practical learning.

Chapters

00:00 – Podcast Teaser

03:34 – Introduction

05:04 – Swarn’s two decades of journey into finance leadership

08:58 – Scaling Akraya post-COVID and driving margin improvement

13:11 – Technology transformation

16:11 – Weekly sync cadence & mindset-based leadership

22:46 – The 3 I’s of ERP: Integration, Intelligence & Insight

25:10 – AI as a strategic enabler for finance

29:10 – Advice for future CFOs & staying curious

31:28 – Closing reflectionsYou can also watch the podcast on Apple, Spotify and Amazon

#insidethecfopodcast #cfodiaries #podcast #erp #ai

How do you automate credit decisions, manage change across a growing organization, and build stronger partnerships between finance and sales?In this episode of Inside the CFO Office, I spoke with Deana Reynolds, Director of Credit at Edges Electrical Group, one of Northern California’s largest independent electrical distributors.Deana’s journey is remarkable — from flying jets in the U.S. Air Force to leading credit at a fast-growing company that successfully merged two businesses without a single layoff. With nearly two decades of experience in credit, she shares how she’s embraced technology, automation, and AI to transform credit operations.Here’s what we unpacked in this episode:👉 How Edges Electrical Group automated credit applications and transformed manual processes into fully digital workflows👉 Why change management and buy-in are the hardest (and most rewarding) parts of digital transformation👉 The human side of credit decisions — where data and tech meet judgment👉 How AI can flag low-risk and high-priority customers to speed up onboarding and improve cashflows👉 Why collaboration between credit and sales drives both revenue growth and risk controlOne insight from Deana that really stood out:🗣️ “Never stop learning. Embrace change, embrace technology, and always keep an open mind — that’s how finance leaders grow.”If you’re leading AR, credit & collections, or exploring how automation and AI are transforming finance operations, this episode is full of actionable insights from a practitioner who’s seen it all — from paper applications to AI-driven workflows.#podcast @#insidethecfooffice #cfotech