Valerian Kagan

About Valerian Kagan

Strategic and mission-driven finance leader with a track record of transforming complex financial challenges into clear, actionable strategies that drive organizational performance and impact. My background spans FP & A, accounting, and business development, giving me a holistic view of how financial systems, strategy, and execution work together to deliver results. I take pride in building trusted partnerships, modernizing financial processes, and fostering collaboration across all stakeholder groups. I love diving into data to tell a clear story and revealing the “why” behind the numbers, uncovering trends, and helping teams make confident decisions that support long-term sustainability and growth.Let’s connect if you’re interested in building stronger financial systems, fostering data-driven decision-making, or simply talking about how finance can be a catalyst for change.

Experience

1. Senior Director, Financial Planning and Analysis

   WETA

   Oct 2022 — Present · US

   I lead the FP & A function for WETA and NewsHour Productions. I partner closely with senior leadership to shape financial strategy and drive performance across the organization. I oversee budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and board reporting for the 2nd largest public media TV and Radio station in the country. I manage and mentor a high performing team and set clear expectations for accountability, and impact.I direct the annual operating and capital budgeting process and align financial plans with long term strategic priorities. I redesigned financial reporting and built new dashboards so leaders and trustees receive timely, decision ready insights and improved clarity around risks, trends, and tradeoffs.I invest heavily in people. I coach staff, raise analytical standards, and build confidence. I serve as a trusted partner to the CFO on major financial and strategic initiatives and step in as a steady leader during periods of change. I tightened cost controls through disciplined analysis and clear ownership, which improved financial sustainability without sacrificing mission impact.

Education

• University of Pittsburgh

  BA, Communication

• LSU Shreveport

  MBA, Specialization: Data Analytics

Skills

• General Ledger
• Fundraising
• Account Reconciliation
• Peoplesoft
• Editing
• Financial Analysis
• Project Management
• Research
• Budgeting
• Microsoft Excel
• Management
• Grants
• Financial Reporting
• Analysis
• Nonprofits
• Accounting
• Microsoft Office
• Budgets