The Finance Professional for Tomorrow
MARKET VIEW
Produced by:
The Finance Professional for Tomorrow
MARKET VIEW
Produced by:
About Ilana Esterrich
Ilana Esterrich is the Chief Financial Officer at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a role she has held since February 2023. With over 30 years of experience, she specializes in financial excellence and operational efficiency in complex environments. Starting her career in management consulting, Ilana has worked with major organizations including General Mills and Thomson Reuters during significant acquisitions. She develops financial strategies that align with advocacy initiatives while leveraging advanced analytics for long-term planning that balances mission-critical objectives with fiscal sustainability.
How has the role of finance professionals evolved in recent years, and what are the key changes you're observing?
We're evolving from numbers-based, retroactive analytics to becoming truly strategic players in the corporate environment. Finance is moving beyond producing point-in-time financial statements towards leveraging that information to think forward about what will happen and what might happen.
We're shifting from being the negative department that says 'we don't have the budget' to partners who say 'we will work with you to figure out how to do this'. Finance professionals have a unique advantage—we see everything happening across an organization because of our proximity to financial information. We're now partnering with marketing, sales, operations and HR in unprecedented ways.
The technical skills that got us to where we are are no longer sufficient. We now need human skills—managing people, managing conflict and driving change management. These aren't easily taught in technical schools or MBA programs but are capabilities the most successful finance professionals are developing throughout their careers.
What specific approaches or tools have helped you transition finance from a reporting function to a strategic partner?
In corporate environments, you'd often see CFOs at all-staff meetings simply recite numbers: 'We did better. We did worse. This grew by X percent'. Anyone could read a slide and get that information—it was clearly an accountant reading numbers without connection to the business.
Then you'd see marketing or sales leaders talk about new products and customers—and that's where people got excited. The key is merging these approaches to create a more compelling financial narrative.
When looking at improving operational effectiveness, there's often gut feeling like, 'If we invest in this department, we'd be winning'. Finance adds value by saying, 'That feels like a good solution. However, you're increasing sales in an area with a very low margin. Why not apply that investment to something with a higher margin? You might move fewer units, but you'll add more to the bottom line'.
It's not about being the 'no' department. Instead, it's saying, 'That sounds great, but here are tweaks to make it more efficient and profitable'. That's the storytelling aspect I bring to my teams.
The critical tools enabling this transition are the convergence between accounting systems and analytical tools like Power BI or Tableau. Being able to connect actuals with forecasts, multi-scenario analytics and what-if comparisons—these are the capabilities supporting finance going forward.
How are you helping your finance team develop the human skills needed for this more strategic role?
People don't want to just come in, do math and go home anymore. With easy access to knowledge, there's increasing intellectual curiosity among finance professionals who want their work to have greater impact.
I've created an Office of the CFO Professional Development Plan that provides depth within each functional area while helping team members understand: 'If I wanted to learn about FP&A or treasury, these are the resources I could use'. We've structured it by function so if you want to understand what skills would get you to the next promotion, you can see what training is recommended.
We include podcasts, books, certifications, conferences and seminars. While I provide tools and access, team members must take ownership of their development. I'll open doors, but they must take initiative to incorporate learning into their everyday work.
I have people shadow me and attend meetings. The people closest to the problem should be at the table for the solution. I delegate and leave things delegated, acting as coach when they encounter difficulties.
Sometimes people in numerical jobs get bogged down in black and white thinking. Being comfortable with gray areas and the ability to pivot is another skill I'm building into the team. The most successful finance professionals can navigate ambiguity and help others do the same.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for technology innovation within finance?
It's all the low-hanging fruit—the day-to-day pain points. Automating accounts receivable, accounts payable, closing the books faster and creating dashboards that form the basis for decision-making.
Automation shifts skills towards decision-making: 'I see what the dashboard shows. Now I can decide where to take my car'. I don't have to figure out how much fuel is in the tank; the gauge tells me. I know my speed and direction, making me a much more efficient driver able to steer the organization effectively.
Getting comfortable with technology beyond Excel and looking for ways to tighten processes is essential. Just because you've implemented the best AP solution doesn't mean you're done. You need to continuously ensure everything is still working together and that what you thought was value-added a year ago still is.
We must stay on top of technology and ensure it serves us, rather than us serving it. The goal is to use automation to free up time for forward-thinking activities, balancing technological capabilities with human judgment to provide insights that drive organizational success.
about
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a leading nonprofit organization providing reproductive health care services, sex education and information to millions across the United States. Founded in 1916, it operates approximately 600 health centers offering services including contraception, STI testing, cancer screenings and general health services. The organization advocates for reproductive rights and health care access while advancing global health through its international arm, serving as a critical resource for individuals regardless of income, insurance status or background.