Good morning.
"I've never met a stranger. Not on a plane or in a rideshare."
That’s what Sindy Wilson, the new CFO at Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform, tells me. Wilson is described as a "'people-centric CFO,'" or as her husband calls it an "empathetic finance leader," she says. About two months into her role, she’s getting a grasp of Kickstarter’s numbers, vision, strategy, and value creation, but getting to know the people is also at the top of her list, Wilson says.
“I want to know all of my team members,” Wilson emphasizes. “I’ll meet with everyone on my team. I want to know all of our leaders in the organization. I want to know our creators and our backers. I also want to know our investors and meet with our key vendors.”
Kickstarter, a company that currently has a remote workforce, was founded in 2009. Since then, backers have pledged more than $7.5 billion to over 600,000 creative projects on the platform in categories such as art, design, fashion, film, and more.
Wilson joined the tech company from Lyft where she was the VP of finance transformation and analytics. She was responsible for advancing the company’s financial processes, systems, and analytics capabilities. Before Lyft, she held leadership roles at brands like Oldcastle Infrastructure, EY, Cox Automotive, and IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Becoming a finance chief was on her radar since her time as an MBA student at Emory University. “I remember saying, I'm going to be a CFO or a chief transformation officer, or both,” says the exec who has a finance and accounting background.
But Wilson’s sense of collaboration and knowing how the business operates is part of being a modern CFO, she says. “I love transformation and strategy work,” she says.
“A lot of times finance folks are missing the transformation part,” she explains. You know the data and numbers, “but how do you actually implement business change?” she says. “Traditional CFOs are sometimes performative,” Wilson explains. For example, they understand the financials, KPIs, and business objectives, she says. “I think the modern CFO really gets connected to how the work gets done," Wilson explains, "and it gets done through your people.”
For example in strategy discussions, “I’ll always say, let’s pause for a second and talk about how do we create something sustainable?” she says. “How will the people be impacted in these endeavors that we're actually going to be standing up?” Regarding a people perspective, McKinsey experts have pointed to how finance leaders can help promote talent development within their organizations.
In her first 90 days, Wilson plans to continue “doing some deep learning and deep listening," she says. “One of the things that I look at when creating wins is building trust," she explains. "If I’m coming into your organization, and you’re the head of technology, we have to have a trust-based relationship. I have to have a mechanism for talking with you and understanding what your challenges are.”
Collaborative partnership
Another aspect of Wilson’s role is being the strategic partner to Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, who was appointed to the role in September 2022. On Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast in March, Taylor talked with Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt about the lack of Black leadership in the C-suites of most technology companies, as well as what he wants for Kickstarter’s future, such as more inclusion and huge growth.
“Everette always has a clear vision of where we’re going and what’s important,” Wilson says. “But how he brings you to the table to be a part of that process is, to me, what makes him special. And we do truly have a collaborative partnership.”
In her career, Wilson says she has never worked for a finance leader who is Black, and has worked with some women, but mostly men. However, she’s had a lot of advocates. “The approach to building trusting relationships has worked well for me in a way that builds an authentic connection where people will ultimately advocate for you,” Wilson explains. And she adds, “You must be an advocate for yourself as well.” Be clear about where you want to go in your career, Wilson says. She’s also looking forward to growing mentorship in order to build an inclusive finance talent pipeline.
When Wilson’s not wearing her CFO hat, she enjoys time with her family, sometimes wearing costumes. “This weekend I'm going to Dragon Con with my nine-year-old and seven-year-old sons,” she told me last week. “I don’t even know what they’ve gotten me to wear. They have been working on a costume for me.”
It's certain Wilson will emerge with a plenty of new connections.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
