From Combat Zones to Corporate Finance: Stephen McLain on Leading in High-Stakes Environments

The Diary of a CFO by Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

Episode notes

Stephen McLain led 250 soldiers as an Army Commander. He built internal controls in Iraq to fight fraud and misuse of funds. And, he defended military budgets in front of NATO.

Now, he helps corporate finance and accounting teams fix problems with their internal processes, financial modeling, and strategy development.

In this episode, he shares what finance professionals can learn from leading in high-stakes environments. We talk about strategic thinking, transitioning from military to corporate finance, and the leadership gaps most companies overlook.

Keywords
CFOLeadershipCareer GrowthAccountingFinanceFP&ABusiness StrategyBusiness PartnerPersonal DevelopmentExecutivehigh performingteamhigh-performing teamimplementationpersonal financetechnologyarmynatobudgetingconsultingfinancial managementcareer transitionmilitary transitionAI in finance