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Published on:

12th May 2024

999: A Bias For Action | Jason Godley, CFO, Xactly

On a remote Wyoming cattle ranch, young Jason Godley faced a dire situation: the baler attached to his tractor suddenly caught fire. Alone, with no immediate help and devoid of modern conveniences like cell phones, 12-year-old Jason had to think quickly and act decisively. His decision to drive to a neighbor’s house to use their hose not only extinguished the fire but also preserved the surrounding fields. This incident on the ranch, Godley tells us, instilled a lifelong “bias for action” and an ability for “independent thinking,” themes that would profoundly shape his professional ethos and success.

Jason’s journey from the plains of Wyoming to the corporate boardrooms of global finance began at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he dealt with complex international finance and technical accounting in Denver and Paris. The skills cultivated during his youth—swift decision-making and self-reliance—proved invaluable as he navigated diverse business environments and cultures.

These traits became even more crucial as Jason ascended to the role of CFO at Xactly. Here, his bias for action and independent thinking enabled him to drive strategic initiatives, particularly in improving sales and marketing efficiency. By dissecting and refining operational levers, Jason applied his ranch-learned pragmatism to enhance corporate performance and alignment, demonstrating how foundational experiences can echo through a career, influencing leadership style and business outcomes.

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About the Podcast

CFO THOUGHT LEADER
CFO THOUGHT LEADER is a podcast featuring firsthand accounts of finance leaders who are driving change within their organizations.
We share the career journey of our spotlighted CFO guest: What do they struggle with? How do they persevere? What makes them successful CFOs? CFO THOUGHT LEADER is all about inspiring finance professionals to take a leadership leap. We know that by hearing about the successes — (and yes, also the failures) — of others, today’s CFOs can more confidently chart their own leadership paths across the enterprise and take inspired action.

About your host

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Jack Sweeney