{"podcast":{"title":"The Diary of a CFO","slug":"the-diary-of-a-cfo-7023798","podcast_index_feed_id":7023798,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/the-diary-of-a-cfo/feed.xml","website_url":"https://thediaryofacfo.com/","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/the-diary-of-a-cfo/20250904_120906_0bf247ed95afa72db8972f4888894be0.png","author":"Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA","episode_count":65,"summary":"If you're currently a CFO or on the path to become one, this podcast is for you. The Diary of a CFO takes you behind the scenes of modern finance leadership through honest conversations about how real finance leaders build their careers, make tough decisions, and carry the weight of the CFO role. Hosted by award-winning CFO Wassia Kamon, each episode covers what it actually takes to lead finance teams, work with CEOs and boards, navigate capital decisions, and grow without burning out. To suggest topics, email ask@thediaryofacfo.com . To become a guest or sponsor, visit thediaryofacfo.com .","last_synced_at":"2026-06-26T00:17:25.199784+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-diary-of-a-cfo-7023798"},"episode":{"title":"The Unlikely Journey of a $3 Billion CFO, William Washington III","slug":"the-unlikely-journey-of-a-3-billion-cfo-william-washington-iii","published_at":"2026-05-07T12:14:30+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-diary-of-a-cfo-7023798/the-unlikely-journey-of-a-3-billion-cfo-william-washington-iii","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-diary-of-a-cfo-7023798","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/the-diary-of-a-cfo/2802176","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/318978/2802176/the-diary-of-a-cfo/2026_05_07_11_16_00_44ae5172-9cf4-4433-884f-781d80cfdd4c.mp3","summary":"He dropped out of high school. He was a single father. He started his career at a cottonseed company. Now he oversees $3 billion in annual revenue across 76 offices in 45 countries as the Global CFO of Baker McKenzie, one of the largest law firms in the world. In this episode, I sit down with William Washington III. William brings a rare combination of financial acumen and operational expertise shaped by senior roles at Hogan Lovells, Accenture, and Fannie Mae. He is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and a Bloomberg New Voice on the future of finance. We get into what it actually looks like to lead finance across 45 countries and how he adapted his communication style for teams that speak different languages and operate in different cultures. How he evaluates a finance organization when he walks in on day one. The executive coaching session where a 360 review showed him something about his leadership he did not want to see. Why the drive that made him a great director was the same thing holding him back from becoming CFO. How he leads as a self-described introvert, including how he sets boundaries to recharge. Why he went back to school for a Master's in Law Firm Management just to understand his industry. And his philosophy on the three books every finance professional should always be reading. Whether you are a finance leader trying to grow into the CFO seat, already in it and figuring out how to lead at scale, or building resilience through a chapter that feels impossible, this conversation will meet you where you are.","meta_description":"He dropped out of high school. He was a single father. He started his career at a cottonseed company. Now he oversees $3 billion in annual revenue across…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2850,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-diary-of-a-cfo-7023798/episodes/the-unlikely-journey-of-a-3-billion-cfo-william-washington-iii/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-diary-of-a-cfo-7023798/the-unlikely-journey-of-a-3-billion-cfo-william-washington-iii.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}