Ep. 243: Alissa Vickery - Stepping Into CFO: Balancing Multiple Finance Roles

Welcome to Count Me In! In this episode, our host Adam Larson
welcomes back Alissa Vickery, Chief Accounting Officer, SVP
Accounting and Control at FLEETCOR, who shares her journey as an
interterm CFO at FLEETCOR. Discover how Alissa balanced multiple
finance responsibilities, handled the weight of the CFO role, and
developed her leadership strategies. Get ready for an engaging
discussion that will inspire and inform.


Full Episode Transcript:
< Intro >


 


Adam:           
Welcome to Count Me In. In today's episode, we are excited to
have Alissa Vickery back on the show. Alissa is the Chief
Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President, Accounting and Control
at FLEETCOR Alissa, who served as the interim CFO at FLEETCOR
shares her experience stepping into the role, navigating the
transition, and balancing multiple responsibilities. She
discusses the importance of building a strong team, seeking
advice from mentors and auditors, and effectively communicating
with peers and leaders. 


 


She candidly shares her success stories and learning
opportunities, during her time as the interim CFO. Lastly, Alissa
reflects on how this experience has shaped her career trajectory,
and emphasizes the importance of being a business partner within
the finance leadership role. Keep listening to hear Alissa's
insights and advice. Let's get started.


 


< Music >


 


Adam:           
Well, Alissa, we're very excited to have you back on the Count Me
In podcast. And today we're going to be talking, a lot, about
your role, how you served as an interim CFO at FLEETCOR. And, so,
to start off, maybe, you can briefly describe your experience as
an interim role and what were your main responsibilities?


 


Alissa:           
Sure, so I guess I'll back it up a minute, when you get asked to
sit in that kind of seat, even on an interim basis, it is quite
overwhelming and humbling, all at the same time. And, so, after
serving in various roles in the finance sector here at FLEETCOR
over the last 12 years, stepping into the role and the
responsibilities, and I'll just call it the weight of the
position was, quite frankly, a moment where for me,
professionally, I had to really look in the mirror and say,
"Okay, I can do this. I'm ready. I can accomplish what my leaders
are hopeful that I can accomplish."


 


But in terms of what prepared me for that, I think it's the
experience of being on the journey of the FLEETCOR trajectory
over that 12-year cycle, and holding various roles throughout the
organization. But always in a global capacity, and always in the
interest of, I'll call it the overall finance good. 


 


Whether it's helping with a deal and making sure that we're
thinking through the risks and rewards appropriately, working on
valuation, thinking about internal audit. It's really those
experiences that prepared me to be able to step into the role in
that moment, at that time, whether anticipated, unexpected,
whatever. And, so, it was quite the opportunity, at that time.


 


Adam:           
Yes, I can imagine the weight of stepping, into something like a
CFO. Because if you're not used to that, if you've never been in
that role, there's a certain level of responsibility that is on
your shoulders, all of a sudden. Like one day you're not, and
then the next day you are. So it's a big transition. How did you
navigate that transition to that new role?


 


Alissa:           
I would say I spent as much time as I could with my outgoing CFO,
that was step one. Talked a lot with HR around how to navigate
the executive ranks, if you will. I was already in the room, but
having the CFO hat was a very different hat. And then I would say
getting advice from both of those parties, as well as my external
auditors. Who were already, I'll call it trusted business
partners, as we navigated forward, and just trying to be, quite
frankly, as prepared as I could be. 


 


But then also have the chats with my CEO, to understand exactly
where he wanted me to focus. Because I knew that it would be
challenging to be all things to all people. I already know that
in my personal life/professional life. You can't do all things
excellent, at the same time. If you're being a great employee,
sometimes, you're not as great of a mom or a wife. And, so,
always striking the right balance.


 


And, so, understanding what he was hoping that I would help
control, and help manage, and get him comfortable with, as we
moved forward. And, then, I think getting the advice from my
outgoing CFO, who was quite gracious with the time he had left in
the organization, around making sure that I was leaning on
others. I was not in this by myself. I have a team. We have a
strong team, and they help to build and support a great finance
organization. "Don't forget to lean on them, ask for help, and
seek the advice of others when needed."


 


At the end of the day, I had already built the trust throughout
the organization through my tenure, and through the various
projects I've worked on over the years. And, so, not discounting
the value, and I'll call it just the level of experience that
facilitated in the new seat.


 


Adam:            I
can only imagine, but it sounds like you had a great team. And
having a great team around you really helps lift you up, and
prepares you for that. Are there certain leadership strategies
that you had to implement to try to navigate this waters? Because
one day you're same level as other people, and the next day
you're suddenly a C-level person, right?


 


Alissa:           
Yes, it's just the short answer. It was super fascinating because
suddenly I had a new peer group. And, so, working directly with
each of those peers, and I have to say they were so gracious, and
saying, "How can I help you be successful?"


 


"Let me know what you need." So I think that's part of it. 


 


But, then, too, in terms of the skill sets, it was really having
the fortitude to find the right help. Back to my statement, I
can't be all things to all people, at the same time. I already
was the chief accounting officer, still am the chief accounting
officer. But I had to elevate to CFO and wear both hats. 


 


And, so, making sure that I brought in some help to supplement
where I knew I needed to step out, and being thoughtful about
what that skill set looked like. Knowing that I wasn't going to
be able to give every piece of the process, the time that I would
have had I only been wearing the single hat. 


 


And, so, I would say learning to let it go, it's very difficult.
Learning to trust your people in a way, I was already trusting
them. But I had to trust them in a whole new level, and they're
all fantastic, but it's just a change in mindset. I think type A
personalities tend to keep it close, and close to the vest, and
understand all the moving pieces, and then you can release. 


 


And, so, I had to get out of my comfort zone, greatly. And I had
to figure out new ways, quite frankly, to manage my calendar,
manage my availability for those team members. Provide the right
level of support t...