#37 - Redefining the CFO Role: From Operator to Strategic Advisor | M.G. Thibaut
Episode description
In the high-stakes world of startups, few roles have evolved more dramatically than that of the CFO. Today’s finance leader is expected to move beyond spreadsheets — shaping strategy, influencing product development, and building cross-functional trust. M.G. Thibaut has done all of that and more.
In this episode, Eddie Lopez is joined by M.G. Thibaut — former CFO of Strava, DroneDeploy, and Copper, and now the founder of Coterie CFO and Executive-in-Residence at Scale Venture Partners. With roots in investment banking and big tech, M.G. has spent over 16 years helping venture-backed startups grow, scale, and stay agile through every stage.
Now, she’s focused on building something new. M.G. shares the founding story of Coterie CFO, a community redefining the relationship between finance leaders and the fintech tools they rely on. She also opens up about her advisory work at Scale, the traits of high-performing finance teams, and why she believes today’s CFO must be as comfortable with ambiguity as they are with analytics.
Topics Include:
- How M.G. pivoted from investment banking to startups
- What makes a modern CFO indispensable to a startup’s success
- The founding vision behind Coterie CFO
- Building trust and transparency with CEOs and teams
- The evolving role of the CFO in a tech-driven world
- And other topics…
M.G. Thibaut is a startup CFO turned venture partner and community builder. She is the founder of Coterie CFO and an Executive-in-Residence at Scale Venture Partners, advising startups and mentoring emerging finance leaders.