Inside the C-Suite: How Senior Finance Leaders Think

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Professor Akash Rattan about the realities of senior finance leadership and practical advice for aspiring leaders.

On this episode of IONA Asks, host Ferdinand Rother is joined by Professor Akash Rattan , who teaches managerial accounting at UBC Sauder and has held senior finance leadership roles, including time in the C-suite. The conversation focuses on Professor Rattan’s career journey, the realities of senior finance leadership, and what roles like CFO actually look like in practice. Topics include how finance leaders spend their time, how decision-making changes at the top, working with CEOs and boards, and the balance between strategy, controls, forecasting, and people leadership. The episode closes with practical advice for students and early-career professionals on building strong business judgment, developing the right habits early, and preparing for leadership roles beyond the spreadsheet. An episode of IONA Asks. Hosted by Ferdinand Rother. Recorded at UBC Studio.

People in this episode

Host: Ferdinand Rother

Guest: Akash Rattan

Topics covered

• senior finance leadership
• CFO roles
• decision-making
• business judgment
• career advice

Keywords

• finance leaders
• C-suite
• managerial accounting
• strategy
• forecasting
• people leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UBC Sauder

Places: UBC Studio

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