Global CFO Excellence Awards 2021

10 Acquisition International - Global CFO Excellence Awards 2021 route, by issuing shares registered for public offering. Both are very interesting to manage for a CFO. René Kantehm began his professional career in 2002 in the Corporate Finance Department of IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG, a bank with a focus on German “Mittelstand”. In 2008, he joined the Investment Banking Division of WestLB (“Westdeutsche Landesbank”) as a director of Capital Markets. From 2010 onwards, René built up a venture-backed software company as CFO and general manager which was sold to UK-based CommAgility in 2015. René said, “I am thankful for my experiences and the lessons I have learned in the past 20 years. Today, I’m a CFO with entrepreneurial, venture capital and investor relations expertise background. And my corporate finance and investment banking experience helps me today to be a more comprehensive CFO.” He added, “Vital skill as a modern CFO today is understanding the business across all lines, including the market and industry dynamics and not just the financial aspects. This is the key to manage a sustainable company with a healthy value creation in a dynamic, digital and agile environment.” Speaking about his leadership style, René said, “I think I am a hands- on team player and can operate effectively with good interpersonal and communication skills. I’m predictable, loyal, trustworthy, and have a sense of humour. “I prefer a combination of a strategic and a transformational leadership style. With a hyper-growth company strategy with the industry growth opportunities, all teams will develop and improve their skills. And the OKR management framework fits perfect to these leadership styles.” Next, we asked René what advice he would give to those who are seeking success as a CFO within the software industry and he said, “My advice is to have a clear focus on your objectives in a realistic time-period. Build up a strong network with CFOs in your industry and find a good format for a productive interchange. Implement feasible roadmaps with tangible goals and measurable KPIs throughout the company. “In general, don’t underestimate the importance of the corporate culture. Especially if you are in the transition phase. Find the right key people and be a good leader. Don’t focus only on the day-to-day tasks, but regularly zoom out and take a wider perspective.” Indeed, René and his team are passionate and talented in what they do, and VMRay is a growing company with a bright future ahead of it. René loves what he is doing right now: being part of a successful company with a great team in a growth stage in the software industry. His finance team develop and optimise financial structures and processes that meet the requirements of an international, growing SaaS company and that are considered as best-in-class. Of course, a CFO without a great team cannot be effective. René would like to thank his finance, legal and IT teams for being so productive and focusing on the goals that matter the most. In the last two years, they have met higher standards within the organisation and as a result, took VMRay to a whole other level of success. Company: VMRay Contact: René Kantehm Email: [email protected] Website: www.vmray.com