Navigating The Finance, Sales & Strategy Conundrum

Amartya Singh: Hello, everyone! I'm your host, Amartya Singh, co-founder and CEO of FinFloh—a product built by and for modern finance teams. We are back with the second episode of our podcast series, Inside the CFO Office, an exclusive channel for finance professionals to explore the journeys of finance leaders and trailblazers in the CFO office, delve into the biggest challenges they've faced and solved, and hear their perspectives on the future of finance.

In today's episode, we are thrilled to have Dustin Walsted as our guest to discuss the topic of "Navigating the Finance, Sales, and Strategy Conundrum." Dustin has over 15 years of diverse experience spanning industries such as education, banking, railroads, real estate, and marketing services. He currently serves as the VP of Finance, Technology, Strategy, and HR at Smart City Apartment Locating and Smart City Digital. Dustin holds an MBA from the Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Christian University.

What stands out most about Dustin is his incredible ability to grasp the significance and applicability of technology and strategy in finance and beyond. Welcome, Dustin! It’s an honor to have you here on the podcast.

Dustin Walsted: Thank you, Amartya. I appreciate the opportunity.

Amartya Singh: Let’s kick off the discussion. Your career journey is fascinating. You've worked across sectors from education to railroads to the steel industry, and you've handled various roles, from student affairs to finance leadership. While that must have been exciting, I imagine it also came with its fair share of challenges. Could you tell us more about your journey and how you navigated the transitions to where you are today as a finance leader?

Dustin Walsted: Ironically, I never thought I’d end up as a finance leader. I’ve even joked that I failed undergraduate accounting, and yet here I am leading finance teams. Looking back, I can see how each role I’ve held taught me valuable lessons that shaped the leader I am today.

After high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I pursued an associate’s degree at a community college. Joining Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, was transformative. As a chapter officer and president, I developed leadership skills and learned to rally people around shared goals. Whether organizing street cleanups or managing campaigns, I gained firsthand experience in collaboration and problem-solving.

Later, I took on roles teaching high school students and mediating disputes between college students. If you’ve ever had to teach or mediate for students, you’ll know it humbles and sharpens your ability to break down concepts and foster understanding—skills I still use when working with cross-departmental teams.

When I transitioned into the railroad industry, I was in a cross-departmental operational role, working on safety systems. While pursuing my MBA, I noticed a finance role that aligned with my project management experience. I prepared rigorously, interviewed, and—despite bombing the Excel model in the first round—impressed them with the questions I asked. They saw potential in my cross-functional experience and willingness to learn, which became a theme throughout my finance career.

Over time, I moved from operationally focused roles to strategic finance positions, eventually overseeing billions of dollars in projects. At my current organization, I’ve helped scale the business fourfold, thanks to a mix of technology, strategy, and a curious mindset.

Amartya Singh: That’s an incredible story. It’s inspiring to see how you turned setbacks into opportunities and how your curiosity has fueled your growth. One point you mentioned—about learning across functions—really resonates with me. Having worked across sectors, what drove you to venture beyond the limits of finance into areas like sales, strategy, and technology?

Dustin Walsted: Two key reasons

On a personal level, I get bored quickly. I’m not someone who thrives on routine, so diving into different areas keeps me engaged. At the same time, I’ve learned the importance of building complementary teams. My strengths lie in deep dives and big-picture thinking, but I’m not always the most consistent with follow-through. That’s where my team shines. We’ve built a culture where strengths are recognized, weaknesses are addressed, and collaboration is key.

Another factor is my natural curiosity. I’m always asking, “How can we improve this?” For example, I recently worked with our customer experience team to map their workflows and identify efficiencies. By tying their metrics to financial outcomes, we found areas to improve execution—a win-win for everyone.

Amartya Singh: I love that—a curiosity-driven approach and the ability to connect dots across functions. You’ve also emphasized the importance of complementary skill sets within a team. How does working across finance and non-finance teams differ, and what challenges have you encountered?

Dustin Walsted: The biggest commonality is that everyone wants to do good work—they just define success differently. Finance focuses on margins and returns; marketing wants reach and engagement; ops cares about execution and uptime. The challenge lies in aligning those goals to a common strategy and keeping communication open. I've had to learn how to tailor messaging, simplify metrics, and make data more relatable across functions. Building trust has been key.

Amartya Singh: That’s a fantastic insight. As we start to wrap up, what advice would you give to aspiring finance leaders trying to navigate their own journeys?

Dustin Walsted: Two things

Amartya Singh: Beautifully said, Dustin. Thank you for sharing your insights and your journey with us today. It’s been a pleasure.

Dustin Walsted: Likewise, thank you for having me.