CFOs as Co-Pilots to CEOs

Amartya Singh: Welcome to Episode 14 of Inside the CFO Office. Today, we're diving into the evolving role of CFOs as strategic co-pilots to CEOs. Joining me is Jeff Pollack, a seasoned finance executive with experience at IOHK and now an advisor to the Hoskinson Family Office. Welcome, Jeff!

Jeff Pollack: Thanks, Amartya. Great to be here. Quick update—while I was the CFO at IOHK, I've since transitioned to advise the Hoskinson Family Office, which I also helped set up.

Amartya: That's awesome! Your career spans investment banking, capital markets, controllership, and now strategic finance in Web3. Can you walk us through your journey?

Jeff: Sure! I started out as an auditor, then moved into the analyst role, which gave me the opportunity to work in liquidity risk at Salomon Brothers. That was a turning point—it shaped how I think about finance. Over time, I moved into FP&A, then controllership roles, and ultimately became a CFO. I've worked across traditional finance and the blockchain space. And the common theme has always been using data and insights to drive better business decisions.

Amartya: So your background in tech and data really set you up for success as a modern CFO?

Jeff: Definitely. My computer science training helped me translate numbers into meaningful business stories. That ability to distill complex data into a narrative that executives can act on—it's been one of the most important skills in my journey.

Amartya: That's powerful. You've often talked about the CFO as a co-pilot. What does that role look like in practice?

Jeff: It means being more than just the "numbers guy." As a CFO, you're helping shape strategy, asking questions like

Amartya: That shift must require major transformation inside the finance function, right?

Jeff: Absolutely. You need the right people, systems, and processes. At IOHK, we built everything from scratch

Amartya: Speaking of tools—what are the gaps you see in the CFOTech stack today?

Jeff: Many finance systems are still siloed. You've got GLs in one place, budgeting tools somewhere else, and analytics in spreadsheets. That fragmentation kills insights. You need connected data flows if you want to make real-time decisions or apply AI. And most companies haven't gotten there yet.

Amartya: Let's talk about AI. Hype or reality?

Jeff: It's both. There's a lot of noise, but also real value. For example, using AI to generate baseline forecasts from historicals? Totally doable today. Automating reconciliations or surfacing anomalies? Also possible. But finance isn't plug-and-play yet. You need clean data and solid infrastructure first.

Amartya: Any advice for finance leaders looking to explore AI?

Jeff: Start small. Experiment in areas with clean data—like expense analysis or revenue forecasting. And bring your team along for the journey. AI won't replace finance pros, but finance pros who use AI will outperform those who don't.

Amartya: Great insight. Let's wrap up with your advice for the next generation of CFOs.

Jeff: Three things:

Master communication—speak the language of the business, not just finance.

Embrace tech—but stay grounded in fundamentals.

Build great teams—people drive transformation, not platforms.

Amartya: Jeff, this was an incredible conversation. Thank you for sharing your journey and insights!

Jeff: Thanks, Amartya. Always happy to contribute to the CFO community.

Amartya: And thank you to all our listeners. See you next time on Inside the CFO Office.