The I Want Her Shoes podcast positions clothing as a deliberate decision, not an after-thought. In this episode Anna interviews Sarah Dunn, CFO at Benyan Ridge Capital Management, about finance careers, volunteer work, and personal style.
Connecticut roots and first roles
A high-school aptitude test pointed Dunn toward accounting. She majored in the subject, joined PwC in New York, and audited global retail clients such as Colgate-Palmolive and Weight Watchers.
“Financial statements tell the story of a business” she comments.
In 2012 she relocated for warmer weather and family proximity, taking an SEC-reporting role at Ryder. “I feel like New York is a good place to be really young or really rich” she comments.
Crisis leadership
While controller at a web-services firm she stepped in for a departing CFO during a federal operational lawsuit, liaising with the board and later becoming SVP.
“That was the first time I really had to step up, run the company, hold myself accountable to the board” she shares. Dunn also serves on the boards of Girls Inc Miami and SoBe Cats Spay-Neuter, coordinating fund-raisers and adoption events.
“That stuff makes me happier than anything that could happen at any job” she comments.
Volunteer networks also helped her build local connections after moving.
Style as Professional Signal
Relocation influenced wardrobe choices: New York monochrome shifted to Miami colour, while heels remained a constant. Increasing seniority allowed more personal expression.
“As I’ve progressed, it’s gone from what I think I need to wear to more what I want to wear” she says.
Demystifying the CFO Seat
Dunn emphasises that chief-finance work extends well past spreadsheets:
- HR oversight
- Operations and treasury management
- Strategic planning
- Legal coordination
“A CFO wears a lot of hats… It’s an HR role, an operations role, a treasury role, a strategy role” she says. She also notes the shortage of women in senior finance despite female-majority accounting programmes.
Key Takeaways
The conversation shows that financial insight is narrative work – numbers track decisions over time. Another insight is that community service broadens professional perspective and local networks.
