Dan Barzily is the CFO of Tipalti, where he has played a key role in supporting the company’s strategic growth since joining in 2021. His background spans engineering, consulting, and senior roles in strategy and business development.
Before becoming CFO, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at Tipalti, building a deep understanding of the company’s product, customers, and operational drivers. Earlier in his career, he held roles at American Express, focusing on corporate strategy and business development.
His experience across strategy and finance continues to shape how he approaches leadership and the evolving responsibilities of the CFO role.
How did you become a CFO?
My journey to becoming a CFO has been fairly unconventional. I started out as an engineer, moved into consulting, and then spent time in corporate strategy and later business development at American Express before going deeper into tech business strategy.
At Tipalti, the move into the CFO role was a natural evolution from my time as Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer. Over the years, that gave me a deep understanding of our product, customers, and operational and financial drivers of the business.
While it’s not the most traditional path, the combination of strategy and finance has been a real advantage. As the CFO role and the finance function as a whole have become increasingly strategic to business, drawing on those earlier experiences has helped me lead my finance team with greater confidence and perspective.
What skills or traits does a good CFO need?
Strong finance skills are a given, but great finance leadership goes far beyond that. A modern finance leader needs to be able to lead and develop a team of experts, particularly as the profession continues to evolve through AI and broader macroeconomic change.
Equally important is strategic thinking. Finance has to be closely aligned with product, operations and the wider business, anticipating the impact of decisions in a timely manner. Forecasting is important, but truly understanding future business moves comes from knowing your customer, your business value proposition, and the wider competitive landscape.
The challenging and exciting part is translating those understandings into day to day actions that drive the company towards its goals.
What excites you most about your current role?
The role of the CFO is evolving, and it’s an exciting time to be part of that shift. The focus for finance overall has moved away from simply reporting on the numbers towards rolling forecasts, real time cash flow analysis, and informing strategic business scenario planning.
I also really enjoy working with a talented finance team in a fast moving sector. We are also power users of our own product, experiencing first hand the value it delivers.
What’s the biggest challenge facing your sector at the moment?
Finance teams are under increasing pressure to move beyond managing the ledger and become far more agile in how they forecast, model, and steer the business in real time.
That requires not just technical excellence, but a deep understanding of the business and the ability to use data strategically to inform decisions. Today’s finance leaders are expected to act as true business partners to the executive team.
What single thing would make your job easier?
Tools and technology make a huge difference for finance leaders today. AI, in particular, has the potential to significantly increase productivity, freeing teams from routine tasks and allowing them to focus on higher value, strategic work. And I am happy to say that Tipalti is at the forefront of this shift.
Our role as finance professionals is to blend the precision of technology with human judgement and experience, that’s where the real impact comes from.
What is the best bit of business advice you’ve ever received?
It’s simple, but powerful: really know your business and your market. Understanding your customers, your product, and the company’s purpose gives you clarity and confidence as a leader.
In finance especially, it’s important not to see the function as just number crunching. Finance is a strategic tool, and it underpins every major business decision.
Which book do you think every finance leader should read at least once?
Staying informed is critical, so I regularly turn to publications like The Economist, The Financial Times, and others to keep a pulse on global markets and emerging trends.
Outside of that, autobiographies offer a different kind of insight. They provide perspective on resilience and personal journeys, which can be just as valuable for leadership as technical knowledge.
What do you do outside of work to protect yourself from burnout?
In a role that’s fast paced and highly strategic, protecting against burnout is essential. Spending time with my wife and children is incredibly important to me, it keeps everything in perspective.
I also enjoy running, which helps me reset, clear my head, and recharge.
What’s been your proudest achievement in your current role?
One of my proudest achievements has been working with and leading a finance team that truly operates as a strategic partner to the business. Finance today isn’t just about stewarding the numbers, it’s about understanding where the company is heading and helping guide it there.
Creating an environment where people can collaborate, thrive, and use data to drive smarter decisions has been incredibly rewarding. Success as a CFO is never individual, it’s about working as a team to deliver confidence and make an impact.
Dan Barzily is the CFO of Tipalti, where he has played a key role in supporting the company’s strategic growth since joining in 2021. His background spans engineering, consulting, and senior roles in strategy and business development.
Before becoming CFO, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at Tipalti, building a deep understanding of the company’s product, customers, and operational drivers. Earlier in his career, he held roles at American Express, focusing on corporate strategy and business development.
His experience across strategy and finance continues to shape how he approaches leadership and the evolving responsibilities of the CFO role.
