Layla Ward

About Layla Ward

Entrepreneurial Finance executive with passion for technology, extensive hands-on experience in business operations, management and leadership, able to drive personnel in achieving and exceeding performance milestones. A growth & scale mindset professional with established record of success in a significantly complex environment, business partnering from the board and executive management through all levels of organization.• Self-starter — established financial planning function for public and private companies (twice moved function from out of state to CA HQ), ranging from hardware manufacturing to software technology development organizations to SaaS Telehealth Marketplace, SaaS FinTech; and Clean Technology BioTech,(from $1M to $26.0B in annual revenue)• First CFO — * Checkerspot (backed by ArrowMark Partners, Viking Global Investors; Cox Enterprises, Builders VC);* software development & IT services company (Altimetrik, backed by TPG India); and * PE-backed B2B Enterprise - Fintech SaaS/ AI Payments Automation/Vendor pay/Virtual Cards/B2B Payment (Plate IQ)• Capital Formation & Strategy — drove fundraising, investor relations, and potential M&A or exit pathways. Executed series-C extension financing (PresenceLearning). • Strategic Stewardship — led long-range FP & A to support rapid scaling and global expansion. Established new international legal entities and served on the Board of: Altimetrik Mexico, Altimetrik UK, Altimetrik Costa Rica, Altimetrik Poland• Business Planning and Analysis Expertise — developed company’s long-term strategic plans, financial models, risk assessment and scenario planning• Leadership — built and mentored a world-class finance organization. Process improvement and finance transformation: hired, mentored and developed successful domestic and international finance teams (managed teams from 3 to 65) to support changing operational needs. • Tactical Execution Driver — recalibrated business plan and account portfolio, restructured enterprise, improved profitability and ROI, created and improved operational KPI/OKR metrics. Reduced cash burn and extended cash runway. Launched first global Employee Stock Option Plan and SOX compliance• Operational Excellence — modernized financial systems and streamlined global operations. Upgraded/replaced ERP and created integrated ecosystem of various software tools (SalesforceResource ManagementNetSuite SuccesFactors OpenAir timesheets). Implemented AI tools for operational advantage• MBA, dual emphasis in Finance and Marketing. Earned while working full time

Experience

1. Chief Financial Officer

   Checkerspot

   Jan 2023 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   First CFO. Senior executive leading Finance, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Procurement, HR, IT, Strategy, Operations, Legal & Compliance functions.Checkerspot is a pioneering biotechnology company that develops high value triglyceride fats and oils not easily or sustainably sourced from nature, at commercially relevant scale and cost, providing market-ready ingredients critical to meeting our nutritional needs at every phase of life and materials for a healthier planet.

Education

• University of California, Berkeley

  Statistics and Calculus

• University of San Francisco School of Management

  MBA, Finance and Marketing

• Eurasian Institute of Marketing

  BS, Finance

• Kazakh National Medical University

  MD, Pediatrics

Skills

• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Business Strategy
• Cash Flow Forecasting
• Change Management
• Communication
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Strategic Financial Planning
• Forecasting
• M&a Due Diligence
• Budgets
• Finance
• Financial Planning
• Analysis
• Strategic Finance
• Process Improvement
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Compliance
• Accounting
• P&L
• Business Process Improvement
• Internal Audit
• Financial Modeling
• Analytical Skills