Case Studies Finance

Martijn Tel breaks down financial executives into three categories. First, there are what he calls blue-collar executives, who wade, elbow-to-elbow with their accounting team, into the thick of balancing the books and compiling reports. These executives are often a necessity for scrappy startups. Then, there are the white-collar CFOs—typically found at larger companies—who focus on […]

As origin stories go, launching a company at your own coffee table, to little fanfare beyond the well wishes of family and a small cohort of loyal clients, almost certainly sets you apart from other financial planners. But for Ryan Belanger and Claro Advisors, unassuming roots and skyward growth are by no means mutually exclusive. […]

A mechanical engineer by training, who enhanced his credentials with an MBA, also from the University of New Mexico, Lou Hoffman has ample opportunity to use his diverse background as director of finance and administrative services for Albuquerque. “In engineering you learn that you can’t solve what you can’t define,” the mild-mannered, 70-year-old public administration […]

Nowadays, almost every office worker’s resume states that the candidate is well-versed in Microsoft programs like Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel. Of course, this wasn’t always true. When the first version of Windows was unveiled in 1985, few people knew how much technology would soon make their lives easier, and even fewer knew how to […]

Upon crossing an impressive bridge over a tidal river, folks driving into the most northeastern state are greeted by a “Welcome to Maine” sign that includes two more messages that really are complementary: “The Way Life Should Be” and “Open For Business.” Mainers like to strike the right balance between working hard and enjoying the […]

Tom Masthay doesn’t necessarily agree that the financial industry deserves the public’s suspicion, but can understand from where it comes. After all, high finance—heck, even low finance—isn’t a subject readily comprehended by the masses, and the folks in charge sometimes seem to want it that way. But as director of real assets for the Texas […]

Rock bands aren’t assembled on music alone. Even when the members feud—think Mick and Keith, think any band involving brothers—there’s a chemistry that still must come into play; a singer, a couple of guitarists who can play off each other’s abilities, a bassist who may be most content standing in the background and a drummer […]

The public is conditioned to see the world of finance as one of cut-throat power plays and constant hustle. While it is fast paced, at least one CFO says that patience and intuition can’t be overlooked. Michael Healy has been in the finance game for 30 years and has led over a dozen acquisitions, all […]

Matthew Sherwood, Ph.D., is a man of faith with a keen talent for finance. Since 2015 he’s found a way to combine the spiritual and secular in his role as senior manager for Public Market Investments at The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board (MMBB), a Christian financial nonprofit ministry dedicated to managing the retirement benefits […]

Martin Matson, Milwaukee’s Chief Financial Officer, first knew he had a knack for numbers when he found himself stationed—quite by accident—behind the cash register at an annual church fair. He had volunteered for a few summers, but at age 12, this was his first foray into handling other people’s money. “I discovered that I was […]