Holland still doesn’t know whether that was a compliment or not. But for him, the exchange “really highlights the challenge faced by a lot of CFOs and financial executives — which is, how do you make yourself relevant within an organization?”

Traditionally, the finance function has been relegated to keeping score, according to Holland. “I’m very operational minded, very entrepreneurial spirited, and so I want to be involved in helping to drive the future of the business” rather than just overseeing finance, he says. “You bring a lot more value by being outside of the financial domain.”

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