Jack McCullough

Author, Keynote Speaker, President of CFO Leadership Council

As the founder and president of the CFO Leadership Council (CFOLC), I’ve built a national network of over 2,500 senior financial executives. CFOLC provides a platform for professional growth, peer collaboration, and leadership development — creating a true community for finance leaders navigating today’s evolving business environment.

Throughout my career, I’ve served as CFO, CEO, board advisor, and trusted partner to executives and investors. I’ve guided companies through high-growth expansions, complex transformations, and difficult downturns, helping redefine the modern CFO role from financial steward to strategic business leader.

I’m also an author and thought leader on executive leadership. My books include:

Secrets of Rockstar CFOs — lessons from interviews with more than 40 top CFOs.

The Psychopathic CEO (Amazon bestseller) — a survival guide for working with toxic leaders.

MBA for Lunch — a concise, practical distillation of MBA lessons.

The Rodman Paradox (Greenleaf, 2026) — exploring the hidden value of overlooked talent.

In addition to writing, I’m a Senior Contributor to Forbes, and my insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, and other outlets. I’ve spoken at leading conferences, including the MIT Sloan CFO Summit and the CFO Leadership Conference.

I’m passionate about developing the next generation of financial leaders, advancing diversity and inclusion in the profession, and helping CFOs embrace their role as innovators and business builders. The most rewarding part of my work is when a finance leader tells me: “I’m a better CFO because of Jack McCullough and the CFO Leadership Council.”

President

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.

Business travel isn’t glamorous.

It’s 4:30 AM wakeups. Traffic. Delayed flights. Eating alone.

But one unexpected gift?

It forces me to make time for my health.

Hotel gyms are open 24 hours — and there is nothing like a 10:00 PM workout to destroy the day’s stress and clear the mind.

As a parent of two adults with special needs, I don’t always have the flexibility at home to work out on my own schedule. But now that I’m 61, I’ve stopped treating exercise as “nice to have.” It’s critical.

And here’s what surprised me: in some ways, my explosiveness and power are better today than they were in my 30s. I didn’t see that coming — but it’s a reminder that it’s never too late to improve.

Regular workouts give me better energy, focus, and confidence — and they make me better for my family and my career.

So if you’re a reluctant business traveler like me:
 Find a way. Make it happen.

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

For many finance leaders, the CFO role is associated with structure, predictability, and control.

But in creator-led businesses, the job is something different entirely.

I recently interviewed Diya Sagar, CFO of AWA Studios, about what it takes to bring financial discipline to a creator-first environment — without undermining the very entrepreneurial spirit that makes these studios special.

What stood out: Diya doesn’t treat finance as a constraint on creativity. She treats it as the operating system that allows creative teams to scale.

A few takeaways I think every CFO (even outside media/entertainment) can learn from:
✅ Build financial discipline around creativity — not on top of it
 ✅ Design guardrails that protect speed (instead of slowing it down)
 ✅ Treat uncertainty as normal — and plan accordingly
 ✅ Scale intentionally, while staying true to what makes the business different

If you’re a finance leader supporting founders, builders, engineers, designers, or creators… Diya’s approach is a masterclass.

Here’s the article: https://lnkd.in/eqkBnhFF

CFOs are facing something that doesn’t get talked about enough:
networking overload.

There are more CFO events, peer groups, “communities,” and invitation-only experiences than ever — and yet many finance leaders are increasingly selective about where they invest their time.

That’s why I appreciated being included in this CFO.com article by Adam Zaki, alongside two leaders I respect a lot — Nick Araco (CFO Alliance) and Christopher Argent (Generation CFO / GenCFO).  

Here is a link to the article:  https://lnkd.in/eev6uwUq

A few key points resonated:
✅ Communities matter more than ever
 As the CFO role expands beyond finance into strategy, tech, talent, and risk, CFOs need a trusted brain trust — not just more content.
✅ CFOs are becoming much more discerning
 The question isn’t “Should I network?”
 It’s: “Is this worth my time?”
✅ Vendor-led communities can be excellent — but trust is fragile
 
As I said in the article: “Some vendor-led communities are great, but some are, frankly, thinly disguised selling.”

CFOs can spot the difference quickly. The best communities protect peer dialogue and put authenticity first.

Member autonomy drives relevance. When CFOs have real control over the agenda, the conversations go deeper — and the relationships get stronger.
If you’re a CFO (or aspire to be one), I think you’ll find the article highly relatable.

#CFO #FinanceLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #Networking #CFOCommunity

This was a fantastic program.  The Columbus chapter of the CFO Leadership Council is already making a huge impact with the local CFO community!

View company: Columbus Chapter CFO Leadership Council

✨Columbus area CFOs thank you for joining us this week for our CFO Leadership Council program on Generative AI. ✨

Josh Kliner Logan Payne, CPCU, ARM Glenn Plunkett, and Nicole Callam, thank you for your informative and engaging presentation ▶️ Generative AI: What CFOs Need to Know Today ◀️ for the members and guests of the Columbus Chapter CFO Leadership Council. 
  
Our attendees appreciated the information you shared and for taking the time to answer the many questions. The feedback from our attendees has been terrific – thank you.
  
 📢 Columbus area CFOs, did you miss this one? Be sure to register today for our March program: Columbus CFO Leadership Council Presents: The CEO-CFO Partnership: Navigating the Most Important Relationship in the C-Suite.

🔗 https://lnkd.in/g8N4AhRn 

#OhioCFOs #ColumbusCFOs #cfolc

Jack McCullough Andy Bojko  Brian C. Fike, CPA, Esq.  Chip Molten Debbie Long  Matt Prizinsky Nick Bellanca, CEBS, SHRM-SCP Rebecca Enderle, CPA, MBA Sean Grant Scott Resek Teri Willoughby-Deters Zac Martin, CPA
Owen Wyss Misty Marcum Chris Comer, CRIS, CLCS Chance Shannan, MPA
Brian M. Ulliman, CPA Jennifer Osburn, CPA, CPSP Jennifer Mullaney, CPA Brian Burris Eric Reisch Vincent Alger, CPA Carrie L. Dotson, CPA , CCIFP Darren Cherry, CEPA® Sarah Malone Chad M. Carpenter Bradley Boyd, CPA, MBA Anthony Reitzel, CPA Marc Bowman, CPA Joe Harkelroad John Amnah Debra L.

This will be a great addition to our annual leadership conference!

Rising healthcare costs require more than reactive approvals. They demand informed CFO leadership.

This two-hour, CFO-only Healthcare Benefits Symposium breaks down how healthcare plans really work, where risk hides, and how coverage decisions impact cost, workforce outcomes, and long-term financial performance - through practical scenarios and peer discussion.

Wednesday, June 3 | Spring CFO Leadership Conference | $95 | 2 CPEs
🔗https://lnkd.in/ehJ5A8iF

Fearless?  And all this time I thought they were saying "hairless."  

Excited to be returning to Phoenix for the first time since 2023.  If any CFOs are in the area, it would be great to meet up!

View company: Phoenix CFO Leadership Council

We are honored that our fearless founder and leader of the CFO Leadership Council, Jack McCullough will be coming into town on Feb 19, 2026 to give one of his fabulous presentations 🏀 "𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒙: 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑴𝑽𝑷 𝑰𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓".  🔥 R̲E̲G̲I̲S̲T̲E̲R̲ ̲N̲O̲W̲ as seats are going fast: https://lnkd.in/gaMfB_Wb

#CFO #CFOKnow #CFOGrow #CFOLC #CFOLeader #CFO360 #CFOSuccess #PhoenixCFO #PhoenixFinance #FinanceCollective #BrainTrust

Courtney Miller-Fitch Debbie Dunn-Boysen Troy Anderson Darryl Baker Kevin Brooks Susan Echard Ryan Evans Chris Franz Karen Bottesch Dan Gerelick Denise Jewell Samir Kanuga Kyle Kiser Giulia Migliaccio, MBA Fred Patterson III, CBPA Ben R. Phillips, CPA Rick Rager Ryan Steele Eric Wood Joshua Woodard Brandon Borsheim John Corbett, MBA Robert Dubberly Larry Jones Angela Tise Mike Lindsley Eric Meyers, MBA Brian Snow Brett Powell

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