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The Financial Executives Networking Group (The FENG)

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Build meaningful relationships with 25,000+ CFOs, Controllers, and Treasurers (and other top financial executives) across all industries.

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Access expert tactical insights through peer networking, editorials, and thought leadership content from financial leaders sharing real-world experience.

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Attend one of 400+ annual events hosted by 80+ U.S. and International Chapters, plus 40+ Special Interest Groups; access Job Leads, Career/Job Clubs, peer referrals, and insider opportunities.

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Share your knowledge and experience by guiding and mentoring other members. Take on a chapter, club, or committee leadership role. Donate to our 501(c)(3) to support our operations.

Upcoming Events

Connect with peers, learn from industry leaders, and stay engaged. View the full event calendar.

Read, Listen, and Watch

The Financial Executives Journal (FEJ), The Financial Executives Edge (FEE) Podcast, and our YouTube Channel (@TheFENGorg) provide a continuous stream of practical, peer-driven thought leadership for today’s financial executive.

About Us
Double-Edged-Shield

SPOTLIGHT: AI and Cybersecurity

The Financial Executives Journal

Cybersecurity is evolving faster than ever, powered by artificial intelligence. AI is transforming how organizations detect threats, predict vulnerabilities, and respond in real time—turning cybersecurity from a reactive necessity into a strategic business advantage.

I invite forward-thinking leaders, AI innovators, and cybersecurity experts to share insights on how AI is reshaping the security landscape, driving enterprise resilience, and unlocking new growth opportunities.

Read the Spotlight Articles
Ep-11-The-Illusion-of-Control-Wide-720x480

PODCAST: The Illusion of Control: Cybersecurity, AI and the Risks Beneath the Surface

The Financial Executives Edge

The conversation around cybersecurity and AI is often dominated by visible threats: ransomware, phishing attacks, data breaches, and the race to deploy more advanced tools. But some of the most significant risks organizations face today are not the ones making headlines. They are the hidden structural weaknesses quietly building beneath the surface of modern enterprises.

In this episode, we explore cybersecurity through a lens that is often overlooked: the growing disconnects between where organizations believe risk exists and where exposure is actually building.

Listen to the Podcast
World-Class CFO

Top 5 Lessons to Become a World Class CFO & Beyond

Unlock Leadership, Influence & Career Acceleration

Are you operating like a top-tier CFO or just keeping up? What separates world-class CFOs from the rest? What skills will elevate you to the next level of leadership and influence? And what’s holding you back that you don’t even realize?

Many financial executives hit a plateau because they rely on the same skills that got them here. But as the saying goes: “What got you here won’t get you there.” In this exclusive FENG session, Julie Jackle, Founder & CEO of Growth Axis, will share the 5 key lessons she’s learned from 17 years of coaching elite CFOs and CEOs. 

Watch on YouTube

Career Management Editorials

Meeting the RIGHT folks

Being successful at getting meetings with potential decision makers who don’t have a job right now, but who might make one for you after they meet you, is why networking is the most successful approach to finding a job. Frankly, this is how most business is really done at our level. If you have only gotten interviews through ads or recruiters you are probably wondering how do those lucky dudes do it? How do they manage to get in front of the right people and sweet talk them into offering them a job? Keep in mind that you are not a pea in a pod. You are a unique accumulation of talents acquired over a number of years. If you focus your energy at places where these talents can be applied effectively, potential decision makers should want to see you and should have the creative insight to offer you the job of your dreams. The first part of the challenge is to get in front of the right buyers. If you contrast this part of your search to the daily barrage of job listings in the evening newsletter and all the other sources, it clearly takes a different approach to be successful. Step one is do your research about industries and firms where your skills can best be applied. Ignore for the moment whether or not jobs are open at any of these firms. If folks compatible with your kind of thinking manage the company and if your background will make sense to these firms, you are most of the way there. With your membership directory for The FENG at your fingertips through our Member Directory Search feature, and your target company list in hand, finding someone who knows someone shouldn’t be impossible. Step two in getting an appointment is developing a softer approach. You are going to be in front of someone who will understand your background, and based on what you know about the company, your background will make sense to them. Trust me, they will be willing to see you because you fit. Let me put this approach into a slightly better focus for you. Compare the idea of buying a house with the idea of renting it for a few days. Buying a house requires a lot of detailed research. It is a really big commitment. And, it has a lot of financial downside. What if you don’t like the house? Will you be able to sell it? If you rush, you will regret this decision, BIG TIME. On the other hand, if you are just renting this house by the week, heck, if you don’t like it after a few days you can just walk away. Even if you leave a few days rent on the table, no big deal. The key here is to getting an appointment is to make the potential decision a lot less stressful. If you are seeking an appointment about a full time job, that is an all or nothing purchase decision comparable to buying a house. If you are there, however, only to present your credentials to a potential decision maker for his or her help in applying your skills, that is a much softer decision. If all you have been doing is trying to get appointments by presenting yourself as a buy decision, you can see why you are still not connecting. It is just too stressful to talk to someone who is only coming by to talk about full time jobs. We all have heard various pretenses that have been used. It may seem dishonest to say that you want to come by for a few minutes to share some thoughts on their industry or firm, but it is this kind of approach that softens and removes much of the stress in setting up an appointment. The person knows you are actually coming by looking for a job, but he is always prepared to accept your explanation. It is a game of pretend in which we all engage and you should allow yourself to become comfortable with it. What I am suggesting is find ways to soften your approach when asking for an appointment. Presenting someone with a buy decision of the magnitude of hiring someone at our level is stressful. If you are just a little less than a full purchase decision, you will find your buyers more open to seeing you. Here is another opportunity to share our knowledge with each other. If you have been successful in getting discussion appointments, what do you use as the explanation? Please write to Leads@TheFENG.org and Leslie will publish your thoughts in the newsletter. As always, if you don’t want your name used, we will certainly try to respect that. Regards, Matt
Aug 9, 2026

That strange device with the numbers

Although I must admit that I no longer use #2 pencils, I am still greatly addicted to using that ancient device called a phone. (Although I do lean more and more towards Zoom these days.) If you’re not sure what that is, it has a keyboard that looks a lot like a 10 key pad, but the number 1 is in the upper left hand corner of the 12 key array instead of the lower left hand corner (where it should be), like on an adding machine. (If anyone knows why it’s reversed, please write to me. I’m dying to know.) Some of you may be so old (like me) to also know phones that had rotary dials. (This is where the phrase “dial him up” comes from.) In today’s world the phone most people use is portable and it is called a cell phone. When it is a “smart phone,” (which almost all of them are these days) this amazing device not only makes phone calls, but it has email and “apps” that appear to me to be the primary use people make of their device. They even have cameras that are pretty amazing, but I digress. What I find is happening is that people today believe they are communicating more, but are actually communicating less. And, in many very important ways. While I am a big fan of email, and I send and receive close to 100 per day, it is no substitute for picking up the phone and having an EXCHANGE with another human being. What is missing from the new forms of communication is the instantaneous HUMAN exchange where two people share their thoughts interactively and with easily detected feelings. Perhaps texting, in a sense, can perform some of the back and forth exchanging of information common in a telephone call, but there is no real voice where you can pick up tonality. (Here is another place where Zoom or Teams is even better than a phone call, although it does have to be scheduled.) Speech, I am often heard to say, is the slowest form of communication. (For the record, smoke signals are slower, but no one uses them anymore.) Please don’t get me wrong, every form of communication has its purpose and place in our fast moving society. What I would argue is that we are all falling into the trap of using the WRONG form of communication most of the time. If you are trapped in a meeting and a phone call comes through, I can understand why you might resort to a text to let the other person know you can’t immediately respond. What I have noticed, however, is that some people will only write to you when you call. Call me silly, but I like the human interaction in a real phone call because I always learn more than if I just exchange an email or text. The pregnant pause, the sound of tension or happiness in a voice is to my mind worth the extra time that a live phone call requires. One of the many things that amazes me these days is the number of people who don’t return phone calls, at all. While I’m certainly not secretive about why I am calling, it only takes a few minutes to show the courtesy of a returned call. And, who knows, you might actually connect with “Santa Claus” and make a lot of money by probing the person who went to great efforts to connect with you by picking up the phone. We live in an amazing time. I wouldn’t trade it for a million dollars. (Okay, maybe I would for two million dollars.) But, like the hand written thank you note, some things are worth hanging on to. Do call me some time. I would enjoy hearing from you. (Or, if you plan ahead, we can schedule a Zoom.) Regards, Matt
Aug 6, 2026

Time stands still

I can never understand why people hesitate in contacting old friends. It has been one of the blessings in my life that over the 30+ years that I have been Chairing this august body, I have been able to reconnect with almost all of the people I worked with since the 1970’s. (Yes, I am that old!) I have even reconnected with some new friends that I have only known 10-20 years. My experience has been that anyone you have ever known is DELIGHTED to hear from you. This goes for old “enemies” as well. While you may have argued at length with some of these idiots (Did I say idiots? I meant uninformed individuals.), the “discussion” was actually about work. Perhaps you just took some of their comments about you being the dumbest person on the face of the earth just a little too personally. (And you’re ugly too!) I think at times we forget just how many of our waking hours are spent at work. We actually spend more time at work than we do at home with our families. (We don’t want to get into “quality time” issues.) So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that we tend to develop real bonds with folks we have known at work. When I see someone I haven’t had the pleasure of being with for many years, it is hard for me to keep my mind clear as to the actual points in time when we worked together. The voice is often the same. I must admit they do seem to have aged a bit, but then perhaps I’m no longer in my 30’s either. (I don’t know, but I feel like I did when I was that young, at least mentally.) The point of all of this is that as the conversation begins anew, the years that have gone by melt away. Perhaps we only talked every few years. Perhaps we haven’t talked in many years. It honestly doesn’t matter. We’re talking now. Friends help friends, even long lost friends. I think it is pretty clear that your enemies aren’t going to help you. Why don’t you let your friends? What I am going to ask you is have you honestly tried to track down ALL of your long lost friends? If they are financial folks, have you enjoyed the benefit of being a member of the largest networking group of senior financial folks in the entire world and tried looking them up using our Member Directory Search feature? Look up all the firms where you have worked. Look up competitors. Perhaps you met some of these folks at industry meetings. If you don’t recognize some of the names, call anyway. They may know where some of your favorite long lost friends can be located. One of the little known facts in this world is that it is easier to renew an old friendship than to make a new one. And, remember, time stands still. Regards, Matt
Aug 5, 2026

Member Testimonials

After being unexpectedly let go from a senior financial leadership role at age 40, Steve found himself navigating a job search he had never prepared for. Without a roadmap, he struggled — until he joined The FENG. Through peer-level support, disciplined networking, and proven career strategies, Steve rebuilt his confidence and approach. Within six months, he landed the best role of his career. Today, he continues to support The FENG so other financial executives can find clarity, connection, and their next great opportunity.

Steve Cary, Inside Out Partners

Marty joined The FENG in 2015 after a prolonged period of financial instability and layoffs at his company finally resulted in his own job loss. Introduced to the organization by a co-worker, he used FENG’s guidance to navigate periods of transition, taking on temporary assignments he may have otherwise overlooked. Through the newsletters and practical job-search discipline he learned, Marty stayed engaged even after landing a role that lasted seven years.
Years later, when his next employer began facing financial trouble, Marty began preparing early — using FENG’s resume approach. That preparation paid off: a recruiter found him, driven by the depth of his full career history, not just recent roles. He secured a new leadership position and started within weeks. Marty credits The FENG for helping him stay ready, visible, and strategically positioned throughout his career.

Marty Kierzek, Director of Finance, Axelent, Inc.

After spending more than two decades building a stable executive career with a global energy company, Steve’s role was eliminated following a major corporate merger at age 46. Suddenly in transition, he joined The FENG and fully committed to the process — attending chapter meetings, refining his resume, and applying disciplined networking strategies from the nightly newsletters.
After nearly a year of searching, Steve discovered a role through a FENG newsletter listing that was not posted anywhere else. He secured the position and went on to spend 16 years with the company, achieving greater professional and financial success than he thought possible. Even in retirement, Steve continues to support The FENG, crediting the organization with changing the trajectory of his career.

Karen Justice, Managing Partner

Membership Benefits:

  • Trusted Job Leads
  • Presentations, Panel Discussions
  • Career/Job Clubs
  • Mentoring and Résumé Reviews
  • Elevate thought leadership through The Financial Executives Journal
  • Elite-Level Executive Networking

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Built by Financial Executives, for Financial Executives

two financial executives telling war stories to each other

The Power of Networking. The Power of Friendships.

Born from one executive’s simple idea, The Financial Executives Networking Group began in 1991 as a small circle of twelve finance leaders who believed in one uncommon principle: generosity first. In the early years, Matt Bud joined the group and soon took on a leadership role, helping nurture the philosophy that would guide its growth into a worldwide community of more than 25,000 senior-level professionals — all still connected by the same spirit that launched it.
At The FENG, our mission is simple and human: to support one another through every chapter of a financial career — working, searching, transitioning, consulting, and even into retirement. We are a community built on lifelong networking, knowledge-sharing, and the understanding that no executive should navigate their career alone.
And at the heart of it all is reciprocity. We have a shared expectation that every member gives as much as they receive. This ethos has guided our community from day one and continues to shape who we are today: a network of leaders lifting one another up, one connection at a time.

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