SPMB Executive Search Recruits CFO for Secure Code Warrior
January 8, 2024 – SPMB Executive Search, which helps find transformative executives throughout Silicon Valley, recently placed Jim Stuebner as the new CFO of Secure Code Warrior. The assignment was led by partner Steven Popper. “We’re pleased to congratulate our client Secure Code Warrior and our placement Jim Stuebner who joins the leadership team as chief financial officer,” SPMB said. “Cheers to an exceptional addition to the team.”
Mr. Stuebner’s career spans 20+ years as a finance executive in SaaS, software and other growth-oriented technology companies. As CFO, he is responsible for Secure Code Warrior’s finance, accounting, legal, security and IT functions. Before joining the company, Mr. Stuebner served as SVP of finance at Intapp, VP of finance at Venafi, VP of risk management at Trimble, and division CFO at both VMware and HP. He relies on his experience scaling private and public companies, including contributing to an IPO at Intapp, to help drive growth at Secure Code Warrior.
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Secure Code is a software development company that gives developers the skills to write secure code. It uses agile learning methods for developers to learn, apply, and retain software security principles. Over 600 enterprises currently use Secure Code.
Specializing in technology and innovation, SPMB Executive Search recruits upper management and board members to growth-oriented companies in tech, consumer, and sustainability industries. SPMB has also placed dozens of senior executives at the portfolio companies of leading private equity firm partners including Blackstone, KKR, and TPG.
Mr. Popper joined SPMB in 2007 from Howard Fischer Associates and has since become an integral part of the leadership team. The same year he joined SPMB, Mr. Popper founded its CFO practice which recruits accomplished, company-shaping financial executives to public, VC-backed, and PE-funded companies in software, fintech, biotech, consumer technology, and sustainability. Since inception, the CFO practice has completed over 200 searches across all segments. Mr. Popper’s clients include the portfolio companies of IVP, Accel Partners, Sequoia Capital, Warburg Pincus, a16z, Spectrum Equity, KPCB, and many more.
Related: Key Capabilities for the Modern CFO
Mr. Popper also recently assisted Komodo Health, a leading healthcare technology company, in placing Vikas Mehta as its new chief financial officer. Mr. Mehta brings more than two decades of extensive experience leading financial strategy in enterprise software, retail, and financial services industries. As a finance veteran, he has led digital transformation at Fortune 50 companies including Nike, Walmart, Microsoft, and Paypal. Most recently, he served as the CFO of Anaplan, where he was responsible for finance, audit, legal, procurement, investor relations, accounting, and strategy.
The Market for CFOs
The market for senior finance executives remains candidate-centric and brisk, according to Andy Miller, CEO of BrainWorks. “While public discussion of macroeconomic conditions continues to hint at inflation and recession, finance professionals remain fully employed and heavily engaged,” he said. “Among the finance executives, CFOs and business unit financial officers remain in high demand, both to provide oversight for portfolio companies in the PE space and to engage newly created business units by expanding public companies. Tax talent has been in demand for many years and is increasingly scarce. Global and complex tax guidance and leadership, including managers, directors, and analysts remain essential in the proliferation of business strategies. Also engaged at high volume over the last 12 months are controllers, analysts, and FP&A professionals.”
The Evolving Role of the CFO
Given the speed at which market conditions, business strategies, and operational structures have changed in recent years, businesses are more aware than ever of the crucial role the chief financial officer plays in shaping and driving a company’s strategic direction. A just-released report by BoardEx of “The Role of the CFO 2022” examines more than 1,400 CFOs who lead major publicly traded companies across 16 countries around the world. Let’s take a closer look.
At the sector level, geopolitical uncertainty, legislative uncertainty, and uncertainty regarding interest rates, inflation, and the potential for recession create sector-level challenges. While forecasting is fraught with uncertainty, BrainWorks believes that inflation has peaked and that recession is largely a lagging story at this point. “Given the degree of uncertainty in the world, any assessment of what financial services will face in the future is at best educated guessing,” said Mr. Miller. “That said, the challenge of securing top talent, the sufficiency of talent in the marketplace, the rate of change between currencies, tax implications of selected business strategies and the proper filing of documents in support of such strategies, accurate forecasting, analytics, and planning will all remain needful in the sector.”
Related: Financial Services is Booming, CFO Role Continues to Evolve
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
