Freedom to Succeed: Empowerment as an Operating System | Jorge Pliego, CFO, Improving

Описание: In this episode, Jack is joined by Jorge Pliego, the CFO of Improving. They discuss Improving’s IT consulting model and how the firm helps clients make AI productive by strengthening data, applications, and platforms. Jorge explains why finance must stay close to sales, marketing, and operations—translating risk into business terms and building decision-ready visibility. The conversation also covers PE-backed growth, M&A pacing, and operating metrics like utilization and faster closes. Jorge shares career lessons from launching Sara Lee in Mexico, tripling Diageo’s Mexico business through cross-functional execution, and the leadership discipline of staying calm under pressure—plus how he learned to connect “mind and heart” as a finance leader.
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Video Timestamps & Titles
0:00 — Episode Kickoff + CFO Priorities Snapshot
1:03 — Jack’s Minute: When Strategy, People, And Tech Collide
1:56 — Sponsor Message: Planful AI
2:57 — Guest Introduction: Jorge Pliego, CFO Of Improving
3:52 — Early Career: Responsibility And Exposure To Decision-Makers
5:35 — P&G Treasury: Financing A $400M Expansion Locally
7:51 — ERP And Inflation: Adapting Standard Costs In Mexico
9:02 — Diageo Mexico: Brands, Market Context, And Growth Ambition
11:14 — Risk As A Business Conversation, Not A Finance Debate
13:36 — Getting Finance Into The Commercial Arena
14:59 — PE-Backed Speed: Discipline, Cash, And Staying Calm
17:47 — Biggest Transition: From P&G Structure To Sara Lee Startup
20:48 — Improving’s “Flywheel”: Data, Apps, Platforms, And AI Readiness
26:24 — Capital Structure: Founder-Led Growth + Private Equity Partner
28:51 — Utilization, Talent, And Closing Faster For Better Visibility
31:29 — M&A Pace: Seven Or Eight Acquisitions Since 2022
33:58 — Where AI Hits First: Faster Insights And Bigger Backlogs
36:26 — Finance Strategic Moment: Tripling Diageo Mexico Through Execution
38:12 — First-Time CFO Surprise: Your Impact On People
39:41 — The Personal Side: Connecting “Mind And Heart”
41:19 — The Next 12 Months: Refinancing, M&A Capacity, Team, And AI Alignment