The Challenger Mindset: How Finance Partners Can Influence Without Alienating
A Talk by Julius Mansa , Julia Koxlov , Natalie Laackman , Michael Zambetti and Alex Newport
About this Talk
As the role of finance continues to evolve, successful business partnering isn’t just about alignment — it’s about challenge. In high-performing organizations, finance leaders act as critical friends: confident enough to ask tough questions, yet skilled enough to preserve trust and collaboration.
In this candid panel, four senior finance leaders share how they’ve built influence in the business without formal authority, navigated tension with commercial teams, and empowered their teams to engage in strategic debate — not just financial oversight.
From pushing back on poor investments to guiding course correction during market volatility, this session will uncover the real conversations, cultural shifts, and leadership traits that define effective partnering today.
