Some of the youngest Fortune 500 CFOs share an interesting common thread: They’re homegrown talent
Jessica Fischer, CFO, Charter Communications
Good morning. Becoming CFO at one of the world’s largest companies is no small feat, especially early in one’s career. It's why Fortune decided to highlight seven finance chiefs making huge strides before reaching their 40th birthdays—all of whom worked their way through the ranks to ascend to the C-suite's No. 2 spot.
For example, Jessica Fischer, 39, of Charter Communications, which moved up three spots to No. 76 on the Fortune 500 list with $54.6 billion in revenue, was named CFO in October 2021. She most recently served as EVP of finance after joining the company as corporate treasurer in 2017. Before joining Charter, Fischer was a partner in the national tax department at EY.
Also on Fortune's shortlist is Susan Li, 37, of Meta. The tech company landed at No. 30 on the Fortune 500, earning $134.9 billion and moving up one spot from last year. Li joined the company, then called Facebook, in 2008 and took over as CFO in 2022.
Earlier this year, Li shared her thoughts with Fortune on the growing responsibilities of finance chiefs: "The evolving role of the CFO requires a delicate balance between traditional responsibilities, such as risk management and financial operations, while also building an efficiency and measurement-oriented culture throughout the organization."
Another finance chief who's spent at least 10 years at their firm is Shawn Flores, 35, of Par Pacific Holdings. The Houston-based American oil and gas exploration and production company landed at No. 454 in the Fortune 500, up 38 spots from last year, with the company earning $8.2 billion.
Flores has served as SVP and CFO since January 2023 after joining the company in July 2014 and serving in a variety of financial leadership roles. Before joining Par Pacific, he worked in finance roles with BG Group in Texas and the United Kingdom. And Flores has a new strategic partner in the C-suite: In May, William Pate, chief executive for eight years, stepped down but remained on as a director. He was succeeded by Will Monteleone, who has been with Par Pacific for more than a decade.
What's next for Flores and these other up-and-coming finance chiefs? You can view a snapshot of them, including a former tennis pro and two at companies with family ties, here.
Sheryl Estrada
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This story was originally featured on Fortune.com