Jack McCullough

The CFO Leadership Council

Founded in 2006, The CFO Leadership Council has become the premier member organization for senior financial executives, with a global membership of approximately 2000 members across six continents which creates 300 programs per year.
 
As the Founder and President, I lead a team of over 200 volunteer CFOs across North America. This complex role involves facilitating the development of innovative content for business leaders spanning every continent through over 250 live events each year, along with webinars and an annual two-day leadership conference. 
 
My duties further encompass building membership and a dedicated team, recruiting a pool of world-class speakers, and developing the council's brand and visibility within the CFO community.  
 
The CFOLC is truly unique. It is not an organization to create better accountants, but rather better leaders and strategic thinkers. This entailed the creation of a mentor program, along with distinctive and compelling course offerings that encourage thinking from a broader, more holistic perspective. 

In this regard, I was the first to ever design a program for developing a personal brand for CFOs, I launched Secrets of Rockstar CFOs, taught CFOs how to use humor in communications, developed the CFO Accelerator with the MIT Sloan faculty, among other ground-breaking programs. Finally, I have personally mentored dozens of up-and-coming financial professionals.

The company was successfully sold to the Chief Executive Group in 2021, delivering world-class content and networking opportunities to our ever-growing membership.

President

Secrets of Rockstar CFOs

The role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has evolved from back-office support to strategic leader. It takes more than financial skills to master the responsibilities of this position successfully. Above all else, financial leaders need to know how to effectively plan for and execute in the face of the challenges and uncertainty inherent in their chosen industry. This begs the question, “What does it take to really excel in the role of chief financial officer?”

Whether you are a seasoned CFO or just starting out in the field, you will find something useful in this podcast. Welcome to Secrets of Rockstar CFOs, a practical and actionable resource for Chief Financial Officers seeking to advance their careers. This is your friendly and helpful guide to master the challenges and opportunities of financial leadership.

Podcast Host

MIT Sloan CFO Summit

MIT Sloan CFO Summit is the world's foremost CFO event, bringing together a global audience of more than 500 financial executives and other thought leaders.
 
I’m both the Founder and Co-Chair of this conference, which has been recognized as the world’s most influential forum for senior financial executives. 
 
As a Summit leader and visionary, I have the ultimate responsibility for developing the overall conference theme and agenda, recruiting speakers and working with volunteers and sponsors to create a peerless conference experience.

Founder and Chair

Charles River CFO, Inc.

Charles River CFO offers part-time and interim CFO, accounting, and tax services primarily to start-up life sciences, high technology, and non-profit companies. It is a trusted accounting and finance team, handling everything from bookkeeping to CFO responsibilities while the clients focus on their core business.
 
As Strategic Advisor to the CEO, the board of directors, and across the entire C-Suite I help to formulate and execute long-term growth plans.  
 
This also entails the provision of value-driven insights into market conditions and current competitors along with strategic introductions to prospects and business partners.

Advisory Board Member

Forbes

Forbes is the world’s leading voice for entrepreneurial success and free enterprise.
 
I regularly provide my insight to the forbes.com CFO Network, discussing the challenges and opportunities facing modern financial leaders. I am one of the founding contributors to this blog.
 
My notable publications:

- The Power of a CFO Network, January 2022
- Humor In Executive Communications, August 2020
- CFOs and the Digital Imperative, December 2020
- The CFO’s Role in a Global Crisis, 2020
- What Do CEOs Want From Their CFOs, 2020
- Are you ready for Generation Z?, 2020
- The First 90 Days:  How CFOs Make An Impact, 2019
- Being Great Is No Longer Good Enough: Why CFOs Must Develop Their Brands, 2019

Senior Contributor

KPMG US

KPMG US is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations.
 
As Account Relations Director, I was primarily responsible for growing the firm's venture practice and building its brand within the New England venture ecosystem. 
 
In addition, I helped to launch the east coast hub of KPMG's Global Technology Innovation Center and developed relationships with entrepreneurs, investors and CFOs within this sector. 
 
Ultimately, I managed to triple the size of the innovation industry practice in my tenure with the firm.

Account Relations Director

Growth Stage CFO

Growth Stage CFO was an outsourced professional services firm providing CFO and other services to early-stage companies.
 
Served as a trusted advisor to CEOs at a wide cross-section of industries, including technology, life science, and internet businesses. I helped prepare business plans, capital raising strategies, and brought financial discipline to these entrepreneurial organizations.

Principal

Top Layer Networks (acquired by Coreo Networks)

Top Layer Networks was a market-leading provider of Network Intrusion Prevention Systems which developed network security infrastructure solutions.
 
During my time as CFO, I provided financial leadership for this venture-backed startup, ultimately raising over $130 million from a syndicate of venture capitalists.

Gensym

Gensym Corporation supplied adaptive software products to simulate and manage e-infrastructure. 
 
Here, I assumed controllership responsibilities for this high-growth technology company.

Controller

KPMG

As Company Auditor, I performed audit services for companies in high-tech and other industries. 

Additionally, I successfully represented the firm in its student recruiting efforts.

Senior Auditor

Author, Keynote Speaker, President of CFO Leadership Council

As the 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐅𝐎 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 (CFOLC), I have built a global network of over 2,500 senior financial executives, creating a platform for professional growth, peer collaboration, and leadership development. Under my leadership, CFOLC has become 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐅𝐎𝐬 navigating today’s evolving business landscape.⁣
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Throughout my career, I’ve been a 𝐂𝐅𝐎, 𝐂𝐄𝐎, 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫, helping shape the modern CFO role from financial steward to 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫. I’ve guided companies through h𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, earning a reputation as a trusted advisor to executives, investors, and finance teams across industries.⁣
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I’m a 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 in financial and executive leadership, having authored 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘊𝘍𝘖𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘌𝘖: 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦. I also contribute regularly to Forbes, where my insights on CFO leadership have reached hundreds of thousands of financial professionals. My expertise has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business Network, and Your World with Neil Cavuto, and I’ve been invited to speak at major conferences, including the M𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐅𝐎 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐅𝐎 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.⁣
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As a 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞, I am committed to 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐅𝐎𝐬, championing diversity and inclusion, and equipping finance professionals with the tools they need to lead in an era of rapid change. Through initiatives like CFOLC’s Ascend program and women’s leadership initiatives, I strive to ensure financial leadership is accessible and inclusive across industries.⁣
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Whether through 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬, 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, my goal is to inspire CFOs to embrace their role as business leaders and innovators. The most rewarding part of my work? Hearing a finance leader say, “I’m a better CFO because of Jack McCullough and The CFO Leadership Council.”⁣
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𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭. 👇

Yesterday I attended the MIT Sloan CFO Summit, Est. 2003—an event I co-founded with Jeremy Seidman back in 2003.  What’s more remarkable is how the Summit has stayed relevant for nearly 25 years (yikes!) as the CFO role has transformed again and again.

The photo below is a favorite moment of the day: eight MIT Sloan School of Management graduate degree candidates who represent the next generation of financial leadership. Their curiosity, range of skills, and ambition remind me why I started this community in the first place.

It’s an honor to support them as they prepare for their careers—and inspiring to think about the impact they’ll have on the profession.

As the Founder and President of The CFO Leadership Council (CFOLC), I have created a global organization to empower senior financial executives through innovative professional development programs and unparalleled peer networking. Under my leadership, the Council has been recognized as the premier organization for strategic and financial leadership. 
 
As a thought leader, CEO, CFO, board member, public speaker and author, I fully understand the challenges that corporate leaders face. Having been a successful executive across an eclectic mix of businesses, I have a wealth of experience to bring to the table. Today, I strive to share my knowledge, practical and academic experience with a wider audience by giving keynotes, coaching sessions, and interviews. 
 
I am a champion of diversity, equality, and inclusion, having implemented women's leadership initiatives and the Ascend program which awards memberships to the CFOLC to historically under-represented groups. As the visionary behind the MIT Sloan CFO Summit - the world’s most influential conference for financial leaders – I foster and support systemic change in the financial field across a swath of industries and international markets.
 
Drawing upon my network of elite finance chiefs, I published my first book, Secrets of Rockstar CFOs, in 2019 and my second, The Psychopathic CEO, an Executive Survival Guide, in 2021. Other notable achievements include my ongoing contributions to the Forbes CFO Network, where I share insights on issues facing CFOs and their teams. 

As a recognized thought leader in the world of financial and strategic leadership, I am often contacted by media organizations, who appreciate my insights, candor and wit, such as the Wall Street Journal, The Business Journals, CFO Magazine, CFO Dive, Quarterly, and others. I have also been a special guest on TV channels such as Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, and Fox Business Network.
 
Being an avid speaker, I have given speeches and moderated a number of prestigious conferences, podcasts, and webinars, such as: Agile Operations Summit, The Future of Finance Summit, Strategic CFO Forum, Prophix Virtual Summit, CFO Weekly, CFO Circle, MIT Sloan CFO Summit, and SuiteWorld.
 
It is my core mission to work with early career professionals – the next generation of CFOs – and give them the tools that they need to flourish. I seek to create the financial leaders of the future and thus help the overall economy. Ultimately, my greatest satisfaction is to hear someone claim: “I'm a better leader thanks to Jack McCullough or The CFO Leadership Council.”

Visionary Leader | Best-Selling Author | Transformative Keynote Speaker

The role of the CFO is transforming significantly! Here are the key areas where modern CFOs are making an impact: 

📈 Driving Company Strategy: Leveraging financial insights and market intelligence to guide growth.
💻 Leading Digital Transformation: Investing in technology and digital tools to enhance efficiency and decision-making.
🤝Managing Investor Relations: Co-representing the company with the CEO, maintaining trust and managing expectations. 
⚖️Orchestrating Risk Management: Balancing risks and opportunities while planning for the future. 
📊Championing Efficient Performance: Optimizing processes and driving a culture of accountability through KPIs. 
🤗Building High-Performing Teams: Fostering collaboration and diversity within finance teams. 
🌍Advancing Sustainability Initiatives: Aligning financial strategies with sustainability and governance goals.
🔄Structuring Organizational Transformation: Ensuring the financial architecture supports restructuring or scaling efforts. 
💡CFOs are not just financial stewards; they are strategic leaders shaping the future of their organizations! 
#CFO #BusinessStrategy #Leadership #DigitalTransformation
#Sustainability #TeamBuilding

CFO as Deputy CEO

Khalid Noor

This has quickly become a siganture event for those in the CFO ecosystem.  I hope to see you on November 13!

Your tech stack called. It wants an upgrade.
FATE 2025 (Nov 13-14, NYC): 1,500+ finance leaders, 100+ exhibitors, five education theaters, 15-minute Stack Hacks showing solutions that actually work - AI automation, real-time dashboards, spend controls. If your CFO isn't there exploring solutions, competitors already are.
 
Register today | Save $100 with code FATEINSIDER100: https://lnkd.in/evC884n8
 
Once they see what's possible, they need strategy. THE CFO NETWORK offers confidential, expertly facilitated peer groups with high-performing CFOs from similar company sizes. Industry-specific. Curated. Proven ROI. Share what's working, what's not, and how to implement it without costly mistakes.
 
Find us at FATE | Stop by Booth 1215 at FATE and talk with JoEllen Belcher, CMP about turning tech discovery into tech strategy: https://thecfonetwork.org/
 
#FATE2025 #FinanceTech #CFOLeadership

Kristin Todd Wayne Cooper RD Whitney Jack McCullough

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Jack McCullough

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Jack McCullough's Linkedin Analytics

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