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How CFOs Lead Through Risk and Constraint: Adam Kozak on Running Toward the Burning Building

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Running toward risk isn’t a natural instinct. Most of us are wired to avoid the burning building – not step inside it. But if you study the careers of the most impactful CFOs and finance leaders, a pattern emerges: they consistently choose the complex problem, the ambiguous environment, the role without a clean playbook.

That’s the through-line in Adam Kozak’s story.

A CFO, former COO, and transformation leader, Adam has built his career by stepping into situations where the path forward wasn’t obvious. From Deloitte to Loblaw’s $60B+ enterprise, into the uncertainty of the emerging cannabis industry, and now leading transformation within a private equity-backed organization, his trajectory isn’t linear—it’s deliberate. Fueled by curiosity and a willingness to engage with complexity, not avoid it.

This isn’t a conversation about climbing the corporate ladder. It’s about building the muscle to solve hard problems, make clear decisions in ambiguous moments, and lead when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

Key Takeaways

  1. Start with the business, not the function. Great finance leaders (and operators) begin on the shop floor—understanding operations first—then work backward into reporting, controls, and structure.
  2. Most business problems aren’t new. 90% of challenges have been solved somewhere. The real skill is adapting proven solutions to your unique context.
  3. Avoid analysis paralysis. Leaders are paid to make decisions. Move forward with the best available information and course-correct quickly.
  4. Build the team for utopia—then interrogate reality. Start with your ideal org structure, then layer in constraints (budget, geography, tech maturity, market talent).
  5. Communication is the highest ROI move. It’s low-cost, high-impact, and drives alignment, engagement, and trust across functions
Listen to the full episode now featuring Adam Kozak and explore many more episodes with CFOs, CHROs and other leaders on The Next Moves.

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