Michaella Gallina from Wave on The Path to CFO: Leveraging IR Skills for Leadership Roles

Winning IR

About the episode

Your time as an IRO helps instill skills that can set you up for a successful transition into executive leadership. In this episode of Winning IR, Mark Fasken sits down with Michaella Gallina, Chief Financial Officer at Wave, to discuss how her time in investor relations, investment banking, and on the buy-side helped to develop the necessary skills and position her to take on the role of CFO. Michaella shares how her time in IR and the ability to position companies to drive value helped her to become a strategic partner within the leadership team and set her up for success. Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Michaella’s career journey from investment banking and the buy-side to IR and then ultimately to CFO
• The importance of cross-functional IROs and becoming a strategic contributor
• How to identify companies that value IR
• The IRO as a strategic thought partner
• Mentorship and career development
• Ongoing learning and professional growth

About our guest

Michaella Gallina is the Chief Financial Officer at Wave and the Vice President of Investor Relations, ESG, and productivity at H&R Block. Before taking on the CFO role, she built an impressive track record in investor relations, managing through acquisitions, activist investors, and restructuring. She was previously a consumer and technology analyst on the buy side and worked in investment banking.

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Chương

1. Michaella (00:00:00)

2. Introduction and Michaella's Career Journey (00:01:08)

3. Her Time in Investment Banking and Key Learnings (00:01:53)

4. Transition to the Buy-Side and IR Role (00:03:05)

5. Joining H&R Block and Strategic Insights (00:05:05)

6. Current Role as CFO of Wave (00:07:05)

7. The Importance of Cross-Functional IROs and Becoming a Strategic Contributor (00:08:11)

8. How to Identify Companies That Value IR (00:10:37)

9. How IROs Can Drive the Most Value for Their Companies (00:14:29)

10. The IRO as a Strategic Thought Partner (00:17:28)

11. Mentorship and Career Development (00:19:57)

12. Ongoing Learning and Professional Growth (00:24:26)

13. Conclusion and Final Thoughts (00:26:51)