From Bootstrapped to VC Backed with Christopher Chan, Head of Finance, Knak

Learn how Tyler Vasselin moved into the CFO role at fast-growing Calgary tech company Showpass, where he has been instrumental in scaling the company's finance operations from its early stages to a more structured department capable of supporting rapid business growth. Tyler's insights into navigating career transitions, the strategic building of finance functions in startups, and the effective use of technology in finance painted a comprehensive picture of the challenges and strategies...

We kick off Season 2 with a very special guest - Float's own Head of Finance, Brendan White. In this epsiode Brendan shares his career journey, how finance teams have changed over the last 10 years, and what he learned working for hypergrowth company Ada.

Taking a company public is one of the biggest moments in a company’s existence. The CFO is a key leader in making it happen. The preparations are extensive and the process can be intense. Ryan Levenberg was the CFO of Q4 when the company went public in October 2021. It was his first time going through a public offering. In this episode, you’ll learn how Ryan and Q4 worked through the preparations, how the finance team was involved and some of the helpful investments in systems, staff and...

Being acquired is a pivotal milestone in a company’s existence. The process can take months or even years. When an initial agreement is made, the CFO and the finance team play an integral role in closing the deal. Due diligence can be demanding, intense and give a sense of what it will look like for companies to work together. Louise Hucal, CFO of Inkbox was a key team member during the acquisition of Inkbox by BIC in January 2022. Learn how Louise worked through thousands of due diligence...

As Canada’s tech industry continues to grow so does the need for experienced finance professionals to help lead these emerging businesses. As a result, seasoned finance professionals are making the leap from traditional industries like agriculture, manufacturing or natural resources. Marjorie Junio-Read made that leap, leaving Canadian Natural Resources Limited in 2019 after almost 12 years. In 2019 Marjorie became the CFO of Helcim, a tech company that is trying to create a better payments...

The CFO of a growing franchise business wears many hats, including a few that other CFOs might never try on. Laura Wittholz, the CFO of The Ten Spot, has worn many of them over 15 years at the spa beauty bar company. The company was one of the fastest growing in Canada, ready to expand into the U.S. right before the pandemic hit in 2020. Laura had to quickly pivot her role from scaling and strategy to assisting the franchisees make it through the most challenging two years of the company’s...

Not all pathways to the CFO chair are identical and there is no step-by-step guide to get there. And in the case of Paritosh Gupta, his first role as a CFO was thrust upon him when he admittedly didn’t even want the job. His experience was probably more uncommon than most CFOs but this gave him a unique perspective and helped him learn important lessons along the way. When he moved from a CFO position in the mining industry to a CFO position in a tech company, there was an entirely different...

Building a new finance team is a balancing act between hiring for the future and hiring for today, especially if you’re at a fast growing company. Knowing which roles to fill first and where to find talent isn’t easy if you haven’t done it before. In this episode of Retained Learnings, Rhianna Brancato, VP of Finance at Properly joins host Rob Khazzam to share advice on team structure, where to find your next hire, how technology can help supplement your team and some of the do-overs she...

When the economy starts shifting towards a recession, the VC ecosystem can also shift, moving the goal posts for early stage startups trying to secure funding. In this episode of Retained Learnings, Matt Golden, the founder and managing partner of Golden Ventures joins host Rob Khazzam to share advice for staying capitalized and how to successfully pursue financing during a market downturn. Learn more about Golden Ventures by visiting golden.ventures . This podcast episode was produced by...

Matt Petrow, CFO at Coconut Software recently led his team through a $28 million Series B financing round in 2021. He joins host Rob Khazzam to share how his team planned and successfully executed raising the new capital. Matt offers some advice for other finance leaders that may be considering a Series B raise in the future. Learn more about Coconut Software by visiting www.coconutsoftware.com. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Whether you’re implementing a zero-based budgeting model for the first time or raising a Series B, there’s a good chance someone has been in your shoes before. Listening to their stories just might help you turn these milestones into career-defining opportunities. What if you could hear from Canadian finance leaders about how they overcame one of these challenges in their own unique way? Listen in as Rob Khazzam, the founder and CEO of Float speaks with Canada’s most respected and...