The Dynamic Duo: Building a Successful CEO-CFO Partnership

In this episode, hosts Tom Gavaghan and Holly McNulty are joined by Kyriba's CEO, Melissa Di Donato, and CFO, Adam Drew. Melissa and Adam discuss their career journeys, the dynamic relationship between the CEO and CFO, and the importance of data-driven decision-making. They also discuss the role of adaptability in leadership, the significance of diversity within their team, and the critical nature of effective communication in driving success. Melissa Di Donato, CEO Melissa Di Donato is Chair and CEO of Kyriba, a global liquidity performance software platform which empowers the world’s largest enterprises to manage their liquidity with real time insights and data. She joined Kyriba in September 2023 to lead the company into a new era of growth. Melissa is also a Member of the Supervisory Board of Porsche and a Non-Executive Director at both J.P. Morgan Europe. Her UK Government roles include working as Non-Executive Director on the Advisory Board of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), as well as a senior figure on the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce at the Department for Business and Trade. The first woman CEO to take a multi-billion Euro company public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Melissa has also held senior executive roles at big tech businesses across Europe and the US, including SAP, Salesforce, IBM and Oracle. As one of only a small number of female tech leaders globally, Melissa is a passionate advocate for achieving gender equity in the workplace. She was the inaugural chair of the 30% Club’s Technology Working Group, a global campaign to boost female representation at board and C-Suite level across the world’s largest companies. Melissa is the co-founder of Inner Wings, a charitable foundation dedicated to empowering children, and has authored several children’s books. Adam Drew, CFO Adam Drew serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Kyriba. As CFO, he plays a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s finance function to achieve both financial and non-financial goals, driving performance through collaboration. Known for his people-focused approach, Adam brings more than 15 years of experience working in finance for well-known organizations including Deloitte, Serco Group plc, and SUSE. Most recently, Adam served as Group Director of Financial Planning, Analysis, and Reporting for SUSE, the open-source software company, where he was responsible for all aspects of financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and the company’s externally reported metrics. Adam holds a degree in Accounting and Economics from Cardiff University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Return to The Liquid Podcast