People think of me as the numbers guy. They’re not wrong. I think math is cool. Excel spreadsheets are my jam (I may actually introduce myself that way at a party). It’s true that I’ve spent my career helping organizations set and meet their business goals, while also meeting budget requirements and profitability targets. And most of my titles have included ‘controller’, ‘accounting’ or ‘chief financial officer’, so ok, fine – I spend some time in Excel. Hey, VLOOKUP is your friend.But I think a large part of my role is not actually inside the spreadsheet, but as part of the conversation. At B Squared Media, we ask our clients to ‘Think Conversation, Not Campaign’. Our point is that they shouldn’t think in terms of individual events, but the whole relationship. We hold ourselves to the same mindset – it’s not just about our services today, but the future of our business, how to anticipate tomorrow’s needs. How do we find ways to engage with our clients, motivate our team, pursue our mission in a way that is thoughtful and proactive? What excites me most is not the numbers themselves -- honest! -- but where we want to go as an organization, what are the opportunities and trends we can participate in, and how? For me, the numbers are one of the tools that help us understand those concepts better. My initial role as Chief Financial Officer at B Squared Media has expanded to a second hat -- Chief Service Officer. It’s particularly exciting to widen my lens and oversee our financial strategy and profitability goals while also ensuring that our service delivery is efficient, innovative and maximizes value. As CSO, I’m responsible for managing service initiatives related to the people, products and processes of B Squared Media. I’ll also be accountable for optimizing service technology and operations for the greatest benefits in profit margin, customer retention, and revenue growth. While pivot tables and net cash flow are my day gig, off hours I’m more likely to ponder the Giants pass rush problem, or the effect of new Irish Oak barrels on the Midleton Dair Ghaelach. (I’m not sure you must like whiskey if you support the Giants, but I wouldn’t risk it.)