By Christopher Argent, Founder & MD, GENCFO
Ilana Esterrich
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
What’s the secret to a long and illustrious career in finance? Don’t allow yourself to be boxed in:
“Originally I thought I wanted to follow in my family's footsteps and go into business, become like my dad and be an accountant. I soon realised after the first few accounting classes that wasn’t what I wanted to do!”
Ilana Esterrich, CFO at Planned Parenthood, shares how a holistic understanding of what makes a good business run effectively has made her the finance business partner she is today, and how she’s bridging the gap between human intervention and finance transformation.
The road to CFO
Dropping out of a degree in accounting and switching to one in multinational management and political science was the first sign that Ilana was on a less conventional path to a career in finance:
“I always knew I wanted to go into business, I just wanted to go about it in a broader way. After graduating, I spent the first decade of my career in management consulting, then got my master’s in corporate strategy and strategic marketing. I actually sometimes consider myself a frustrated marketer! But my career continued down the corporate finance path and I have no regrets.”
The non-profit sector is where Ilana has found her true calling, with three CFO roles over the last fifteen years, culminating in her current position spearheading finance transformation as CFO at Planned Parenthood Federation of America - the leading provider and advocate of high quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care in America:
“Given the political environment, it’s an interesting time for us as an organisation here in the US. Our health care centres serve all patients with compassion, care and respect. I really enjoy the finance transformation work we’re doing to support the wider Planned Parenthood mission.”
Adapting for the future of finance
Where exactly does finance transformation factor into delivering on the commitments of a non-profit powerhouse?
“Right now our finance transformation focus is on strengthening the organisation’s financial foundations so we ca better sustain all the operational and strategic components we need. You don’t want to be building a business on shifting sands.”
At Planned Parenthood, that looks like significant investment in automation integration, reducing manual non-value add work, and making sure any new financial systems are working in tandem with one another:
“Finance isn’t just about completing audits and preparing financial statements. We really do have the power to support the organisation with data-informed, strategic decision-making, but we need to reposition finance as a strategic business partner to do that. All this technology is useless if the organisation isn't ready to receive the value add we can provide.”
Trying to balance finance transformation while delivering on core fiduciary responsibilities is no mean feat. Reflecting on the last few years, Ilana sees her biggest challenge is keeping up with the pace of digital change, especially after the contrast of life during the Covid-19 pandemic:
“The pandemic really showed me that my personal life is just as important as my professional life. At the time, I really reconnected with my humanness, but now the pace of digital change post-lockdowns has rapidly picked back up again - sometimes it can feel like we have eyes bigger than our stomachs when it comes to the appetite for more digitisation.”
For Ilana, the solution has been to upskill her staff to balance tech skills with soft skills to find the sweet spot of success for her team:
“I’m a tech evangelist, there’s no doubt about it! The finance profession itself has historically focused on doing mind-numbingly repetitive manual work. It’s not that we don’t still need people, we just need people to deploy their brain power in different ways.”
“Human beings need communication. We need to know how to build teams, collaborate, deal with differences and generational divides. Finance transformation is as much about building up those soft skills alongside tech savviness for me.”
Leading with purpose
A strong belief in the mission at Planned Parenthood keeps Ilana inspired in her role, but not without the team behind her making it all happen:
“I might have the top finance position in the organisation, but when it comes to finance transformation, my team does the majority of the heavy lifting! Without them, I couldn’t do my job, but I like to joke they could easily do their jobs without me. It’s very humbling to be their leader, and while I’m in this position, I want to strive to be the best advocate and mentor for them that I can be.
And as if continuing to build on her thirty year career in finance wasn’t enough, Ilana is also in the midst of raising two young adults. Setting them up for a bright future is also at the heart of her commitment to her CFO role:
“What really gets me up in the morning is the desire to launch my two children into the world to be happy, successful, productive citizens of this world. It means everything to me to set that example for them and I work really hard to do that for them day in, day out.”
Power Profile
Who is your hero?
"Without a doubt, my parents are my heroes. I’m fortunate to still have both of them present in my life, and grateful my children have had the opportunity to build a deep and meaningful relationship with them as grandparents. They set the example for how I conduct myself both at home with my children and at work with my team. "
What music inspires you?
"I’m a true Gen X-er, okay! I love the music of the eighties and early nineties, that’s my go-to. But I’m partial to electronica too depending on how I’m feeling. I’ve also recently discovered an Australian band called The Teskey Brothers who blend folk, blues and rock - they’re in my rotation a lot at the moment!"
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Author
“Chris Argent isn’t here to play by finance’s old rulebook - he’s here to rewrite it.” From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and finance leadership work, think, and influence. Chris Argent, founder of GENCFO, is a finance leader redefining the role beyond business partnering. A self-described “reluctant accountant,” he’s built a global community for progressive accounting and finance leaders who value connection over competition and action over tradition. Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change. His work champions leaders who turn new ideas into real-world change, blending people-centred strategies with new ways of working and technology. In conversations, he challenges, provokes, and inspires - proving that the future of finance belongs to those ready to lead it together.
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