About
About Rakib
I have 20 years of diverse Finance experiences that has
extensively consisted of cross-functional interactions with
business functions throughout an organization that has enabled
a broad understanding of complex business processes. Through
deep analytical work at these organizations, I have been able
to implement projects and recommendations that have led to
substantial cost savings, margin optimization and revenue
generation. I have worked closely with relevant Marketing &
Product functions of these organizations to help deliver
incremental margins on our product lines and assortments.
In my recent experiences I have taken on comprehensive
Financial leadership roles where I have been continuing to
build my core Finance expertise while adding new skill sets
and experiences within hypergrowth environments. My goal is
continue to be a Finance leader in roles that requires
technical expertise, a strategic mindset, and one who can
collaborate seamlessly throughout the organization.
I am always researching innovations in these fields whether it
be related to software systems or implementing key performance
indicators (KPIs) that may not have been traditionally
analyzed at an organization. I am also comfortable working
with large data sets to reach actionable recommendations and
insights.
Specialties: Financial planning, analysis and modeling,
Operational (Demand/Inventory/Logistics) Planning, Financial
Statement Forecasting, Strategic Planning, Statistical
Analysis, Cost control/reduction, Accounting (GAAP), Project
Management,and Business Intelligence.
About Alkira
Alkira reinvents networking for the cloud era with global
unified network infrastructure delivered as-a-service. The
Alkira Cloud Networking platform is a solution that offers
enterprises a dramatically simplified experience for deploying
global, high-speed hybrid and multi-cloud networks connecting
users, sites, and clouds with integrated network and security
services, end-to-end day-2 operational visibility, advanced
controls, and governance. There is no need to procure
hardware, deploy complicated...
do-it-yourself software solutions, or learn cloud networking
architectures. Just draw your network on an intuitive
digital design canvas, provision it in one click, and start
using it in minutes. Alkira Network Cloud is trusted by the
global Fortune-100 enterprises, leading system integrators,
and managed service providers.
more
Show Notes
Show Notes
Rakib Azad shares his career journey from studying medicine to
becoming a CFO in the tech industry. He discusses his
transition from medical studies to finance and how he
discovered his passion for numbers and business. Rakib also
talks about his experiences at MongoDB, Chain Analysis, and
Alkira, highlighting the similarities and differences in the
infrastructure software space. He explores pricing models in
the industry and the challenges of building a winning finance
team while scaling a company. In this episode, Rakib Azad, CFO
of Alkira, discusses the importance of building a diverse and
well-rounded team, hiring for diversity and fit, investing in
talent for an IPO, implementing systems and processes,
navigating the IPO process from an FP&A perspective, the role
of a modern CFO, the first 90 days at a new company, defining
a successful career, advice for his younger self, and what
keeps him going as a CFO.
Takeaways
...
-
Building a diverse and well-rounded team is crucial for
success in finance organizations.
-
Hiring for diversity and fit is important to create a
healthy and productive work environment.
-
Investing in talent for an IPO should be done
strategically and well in advance of the IPO.
-
Implementing systems and processes is essential for
scaling a company and optimizing financial operations.
-
Navigating the IPO process from an FP&A perspective
requires deep understanding of the business and close
collaboration with stakeholders.
-
The role of a modern CFO goes beyond numbers and involves
being a strategic business partner.
-
The first 90 days at a new company should be focused on
listening, learning, and building relationships.
-
A successful career is defined by making a meaningful
impact and building great companies.
-
Advice for a younger self includes being patient and
diving deep into learning opportunities.
-
What keeps a CFO going is the challenge of solving new
problems and contributing to the growth of a company.
more
Quotes
Quotes
“I just love operations and how the numbers tie back to
it.”
“Being in the tech world is unbelievable because it's things
that you wouldn't have imagined 15, 20 years ago, some of the
tech that's coming out. And now, I'm helping these companies
become seminal companies and it's a great feeling.”
“I pay a lot of attention to the go-to-market org and how that
needs to evolve.”
“It's a hard buy at first because sometimes it is
transformational… So the logo land is tough. So that's been a
theme I'm seeing. But then the economics are tremendous. So
it's a high cost to acquire. But the LTV gets delivered in
spades once you have the right solution.”
“I love to have a well-rounded team because I think you get
the best work from some of the parts who are really
different.”
“You want processes and automations that actually make
people's lives easier while also building the backend
guardrails and then compliance that are required.”
“If you are an FP&A team that is very proactive in the
business, you're gonna be everywhere in the IPO process.”
“Obviously you want that you're the guy who knows numbers and
you have the foundation of us understanding how P&L and
everything works. But now you...
are that strategic business partner with that acumen.”
“I'm gonna be a guy who's gonna have empathy and also hold
you accountable. So that's what I pride myself on. I think
the modern CFO needs to have those two aspects in them.”
“It's up to the modern CFO to deliver the company's strategy
in a way that's digestible for each of the leaders.”
“The more you put your effort in and learn more, the better
your future self is going to be.”
more
Lightening Round
Lightening Round
Sweet or Savory
Savory 
Books or Podcasts
Books 
Thinker or Doer
Thinker 
Scotch or Whiskey
Whiskey 
Introvert or Extrovert
Introvert 
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How does someone can impress you?
someone who thinks about challenges wholistically
If you could be CFO of any company for a day, which company
would you choose?
New York Mets
One hidden talent
Singing
Ideal place to retire
Spain
If you could teleport yourself right now, where would you
go?
Dhaka, Bangladesh
#1 items on your bucket list
Open an eatery in honor of Mom
Who is your role model?
Dad
What can make you 10x more productive?
Junior Analyst
