Finance and Investing is pleased to announce The Top 25 CFOs of Colorado for 2023. Known for its beautiful mountains, winter sports, and more, Colorado offers a great environment for those pursuing a relaxed and outdoorsy lifestyle to balance a sometimes-stressful career in finance. Denver is headquarters for VF Corporation, the lifestyle giant that is a parent company to beloved brands like Jansport, Vans, Supreme, The North Face, Timberland, and Dickies, and more, as well as fast-food chains like Chipotle and Quiznos.
Among this year’s awardees is Andrew Matsuyama Chief Financial Officer of Sundyne, who was welcomed for his potential to help the pump manufacturer grow its business internationally; Laura McGinley Chief Financial Officer of Wahoo's Fish Taco, who joined the iconic fast-casual chain in 2020; and Tim Cashman, CFO of Estes Park Health, who helped the organization navigate the financial difficulties brought onto the healthcare industry by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 CFOs of Colorado for 2023.
1. Nancy Buese
Chief Financial Officer, Baker Hughes
Nancy Buese is the Chief Financial Officer of Baker Hughes. She joined the company in November 2022 and brings more than 30 years of finance leadership to the role.
Buese previously served as Executive Vice President and CFO for global mining company Newmont Corporation. Prior to Newmont, she spent more than a decade as EVP and CFO of MarkWest Energy Partners, a leader in gathering, processing, and transportation of hydrocarbons, as well as EVP and CFO of MPLX (a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum) following MPLX’s acquisition of MarkWest. Buese began her career in public accounting, working for more than a decade and rising to be a partner at Ernst & Young until 2003.
Buese has served on the board of Williams Companies since 2018. She previously served on the board and chaired the audit committee for UMB Financial Corporation. Buese has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from the University of Kansas and is a Certified Public Accountant.
2. Lorna Bomgaars
Chief Financial Officer, Optum
Lorna Bomgaars serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Optum New Mexico and Kansas City. Her passion for wellness and preventive care drives her love of healthcare. As a member of the executive leadership team, Bomgaars is responsible for developing and implementing financial strategies, operating and capital budgets, and financial reporting and internal controls that support the overall mission of the organization—affordable, high-quality care.
Bomgaars brings more than 25 years of financial, accounting, corporate development, and leadership experience to her team. Prior to joining Optum, she held progressive leadership roles at Crossroads Consulting Partners, Rio Tinto, UnitedGlobalCom, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. She holds undergraduate degrees in business administration and accounting, and management information systems from Dordt University in Iowa.
3. Brandon Rumbelow
Chief Financial Officer, BP
Brandon Rumbelow is the Chief Financial Officer of BP, one of the oil and gas “supermajors" and one of the world's largest companies measured by revenues and profits. He first joined the company in 2015 as head of midstream. BP is a vertically integrated company operating in all areas of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and extraction, refining, distribution and marketing, power generation, and trading. It operates or markets its products in more than 80 countries, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services, and petrochemicals products for everyday items.
Previously, Rumbelow was a director of corporate development at SandRidge Energy, and before that, a sector development manager at Rolls-Royce. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
4. John Ceelen
Chief Financial Officer, Banner Health
John Ceelan is the CFO of Banner Health, a non-profit health system operating 30 hospitals and across six states. He has 32 years of professional experience, going back to 1991. He started his career at Ascension, in Wisconsin, as a senior corporate director in the early 90s, and rose through the ranks to become a system vice president of strategy and business development. He was later an SVP of finance at Froedtert Health, his most recent position before taking on his current role at Banner Health in 2022.
Enthusiastic and energetic healthcare executive with an established track record of delivering value, Ceelan has extensive experience in finance, strategy development and implementation, management, and leadership with significant success in leading organizations through change. He also has experience working with large independent medical groups and academic medicine. He is highly effective in building and leading interdisciplinary teams in a matrixed environment. Ceelan is an accomplished leader with a passion for process improvements that create operational efficiency and improve financial performance. Ceelan holds a BA and MBA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
5. Matt Galvanoni
Chief Financial Officer, Pilgrim's
Matthew Galvanoni joined Pilgrim’s, an American multinational food company, and one of the U.S.’s top chicken producers, as its CFO in March 2021.
Galvanoni previously served as the vice president of finance at Ingredion Incorporated, beginning in 2016, managing all financial-related responsibilities for the North American arm of the Fortune 500 global manufacturing company. He joined Ingredion in 2012, serving in the role of global corporate controller and chief accounting officer. Galvanoni started his career at PwC in 1994 and also held several financial leadership positions at Exelon Corporation.
Galvanoni graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS in accounting and later received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
6. Korhan Kivanc
Chief Financial Officer, EisnerAmper
Korhan Kivanc is a Partner at EisnerAmple, and serves as its Chief Financial Officer. He has more than 25 years of executive financial management experience, primarily in industry-disrupting professional services firms, including Grant Thornton, Heidrick and Struggles, and The Chartis Group. Korhan's areas of expertise include finance, treasury, planning, accounting, tax and compliance, operations, and mergers and acquisitions. He has a deep understanding of key performance metrics and how they create significant enterprise value and he applies his knowledge to accelerate the firm’s growth model.
In his prior role as CFO and COO of True Platform, Kivanc helped lead the overall transformation of the firm by reengineering the finance, IT, legal, and real estate functions. He also brought into the firm outside capital to fuel growth from sources such as mezzanine debt providers, commercial lenders, and private equity investors. Kivanc holds an undergraduate degree in public relations from Northern Michigan University, and an MBA in international business from Eastern Michigan University.
7. Chip Smoot
Chief Financial Officer, Schreiber Foods
Chip Smoot is Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Schreiber Foods, a company specializing in dairy products and beverages.
Smoot earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin, his MBA from Marquette University in Milwaukee, and is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant.
In the community, Smoot is actively involved on the board of directors with Downtown Green Bay Inc., Big Brothers Big Sisters of Brown County and Junior Achievement of Brown County. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons and a daughter. Away from work, he enjoys running, biking, and skiing.
8. Rusty Spinney
Chief Financial Officer, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
As Chief Financial Officer, Rusty Spinney has worldwide responsibility for all finance functions at Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies. He oversees accounting, tax, treasury, finance, and planning and analysis. Spinney also serves as a corporate liaison with Terumo Corporation, aligning budgeting, forecasting, month-end and quarter-end reporting processes, strategic plan financials, and all other financial matters, including meeting requirements for Japan's equivalent of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Spinney’s expertise spans corporate finance, governance and policy, capital markets, international business, and Sarbanes-Oxley Act implementation, as well as mergers, acquisitions and business integration. Prior to his current role, Spinney held the position of vice president of finance and corporate controller, in which he was responsible for global financial reporting, technical accounting and financial controls across all world regions. Prior to joining Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, he held leadership and financial management positions at Quiznos and Molson Coors, and he served as the European controller for Bass Brewing operations, based in England. He also provided business and advisory services for PwC. Spinney earned his bachelor's degree in business finance from Colorado State University.
9. Jimmy Dempsey
Chief Financial Officer, Frontier Airlines
Jimmy Dempsey joined Frontier Airlines in mid-2014 as its Chief Financial Officer. He has been an instrumental part of Frontier's senior leadership team over the past five-and-a-half years, and has played a pivotal role in the transformation to a successful ultra-low-cost carrier. This U.S. airline is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff.
Prior to joining Frontier, Dempsey worked from 2003 to 2014 at Ryanair in roles including head of investor relations and treasurer. Earlier in his career, he held various management roles with PwC. Dempsey holds an undergraduate degree from the University College Dublin and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
10. Jessica Depetro
Chief Financial Officer, Bagel Brands
Jessica Depetro began her professional career 23 years ago, in 2000. Today, she is the Chief Financial Officer of Bagel Brands, the Colorado-based parent company for breakfast brands Einstein Bros., Bruegger's, Noah's, and Manhattan Bagels. Led by Chief Executive Officer, José Dueñas, Bagel Brands serves more than 1,100 domestic locations and 16,000 employees. Its brands aim to bring a fresh start to guests every morning through strong customer service and its innovative menu.
Depetro first got her start as a manager at Ernst & Young. From there, she went on to FTI Consulting, before eventually rising to VP of mountain finance at Vail Resorts, her most recent position prior to joining Bagel Brands. Depetro graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA, and from Indiana University Bloomington with an undergraduate degree in finance.
11. Jennifer Scholz
Chief Financial Officer, Hensel Phelps Construction
Jennifer Scholz is the Chief Financial Officer of Hensel Phelps Construction, one of the largest general contractors and construction managers in the United States.
Scholz is a graduate of the University of Denver with an undergraduate degree in accounting and a master of accountancy. She is a licensed CPA and started working with Hensel Phelps as its external auditor before joining the Hensel Phelps team in 2011.
Giving back to the community is an important aspect of Scholz’s values. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for United Way of Weld County. As a proud alumnus of the University of Denver, she continues to mentor students in the accounting program, helping students to find internships, full time positions, and answer questions about career opportunities.
12. Matthew Harbaugh
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NuVasive
Matthew K. Harbaugh is NuVasive’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, business and strategy, and operations management. As CFO of the San Diego-based medical equipment supplier NuVasive,, Harbaugh oversees all financial aspects of the company, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax and treasury. He reports directly to the CEO, and serves as a member of the NuVasive global executive team.
Most recently, Harbaugh served as president of the specialty generics business at Mallinckrodt, an American-Irish pharmaceuticals manufacturer. Prior to that, he was Mallinckrodt’s CFO for more than five years. During his tenure as CFO, he oversaw the company’s accounting, treasury and tax functions, as well as information technology, procurement, and facilities. Harbaugh previously held a variety of financial management positions at Covidien Pharmaceuticals, which was spun-off from Covidienas Mallinckrodt in July of 2013. Harbaugh joined Covidien in 2007 and served in several finance and leadership roles, including as CFO and interim president of Covidien Pharmaceuticals. Harbaugh’s prior experience includes nearly 10 years at Monsanto Company, where he held various roles in investor relations and finance as well as two expatriate positions.
Harbaugh holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from Saint Louis University and an executive master of business administration degree from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He was named “Best CFO” in Institutional Investor’s 2017 All-America Executive Team.
13. Rich Walker
Chief Financial Officer, Skillsoft
Rich Walker joined Skillsoft as chief corporate strategy and development officer and President, SumTotal in 2021. In 2022, he switched roles to CFO. He brings extensive strategic, financial, operational and merger and acquisition experience.
Walker is an advisor to Churchill Capital and a member of the board of directors at ServiceSource, where he previously served as CFO. He also founded The Bison Group, a private partnership that collaborates with private equity firms investing in the information services industry. Prior to that, he held executive leadership positions of increasing responsibility at IHS (now IHS Markit), including executive vice president, CFO and Chief Strategy Officer, among others. In those roles, he built the corporate strategy and development function and led the completion of more than 60 strategic acquisitions. Walker holds an MBA from the University of Denver and a BS in business from the University of Colorado, magna cum laude.
14. Elizabeth M. Capra
Chief Financial Officer, Omni Interactions
Beth is Chief Financial Officer of Omni Interactions, where she is responsible for Finance, People Support, and Legal as well as providing the leadership team with financial and strategic guidance. With over 22 years’ experience in work at home and brick and mortar outsourced customer service, she has a proven track record of driving growth, operational improvement, acquisitions, and business insight and analytics for public and private companies.
Prior to joining Omni, Beth held finance leadership roles in Sykes, Alpine Access and Corporate Express. Beth holds a BS from the University of Colorado and lives in Denver, Colorado with her wife and 3 children.
15. Laura McGinley
Chief Financial Officer, Wahoo's Fish Taco
Laura McGinley loves numbers. Before taking the helm at Wahoo’s in 2020, she led the finance and accounting function for The Kitchen Restaurant Group’s explosive growth period from 2013 to 2020. Laura currently serves as Controller on the executive committee of the Colorado Restaurant Association Board of Directors. Little-known fact: she originally dropped out of college to work professionally as a waterski stunt showman in the early 2000s, but returned to graduate with honors from the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, only after her body gave out from stuntwork. These days you’ll find her on snow skis in Colorado’s beautiful backcountry, crocheting, or slinging tacos at one of Wahoo’s seven front-range locations.
16. Tim Cashman
Chief Financial Officer, Estes Park Medical Center
Tim Cashman is the Chief Financial Officer for Estes Park Medical Center, a position he has been in since 2017. Cashman’s financial leadership has helped Estes Park Health through some challenging events. During the COVID-19 crisis, Cashman led the successful effort to apply for and receive funding from the Paycheck Protection Plan Loan, the Health and Human Services Stimulus Loan, the Medicare Advanced Payment Program Loan in addition to other funding from the State of Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant, among other grants. Estes Park Health would not have survived the COVID-19 crisis without this financial leadership.
Among his other significant contributions, Cashman led the development and construction of the Estes Park Health Urgent Care Center. Tim also co-sponsored the migration of Estes Park Health’s electronic health and financial information to the new Epic and Lawson platforms, and helped develop a strategic plan and facility master plan for Estes Park Health’s future.
Cashman is a graduate of the University of North Texas and has an MBA in business finance from the University of Phoenix.
17. Pedro Ejzykowicz
Chief Financial Officer, Onward Energy
Pedro Ejzykowicz began his professional career 23 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Financial Officer of Onward Energy, an independent power platform that owns and operates more than 4,000 megawatts of utility-scale wind, solar and natural gas generation projects across the U.S. Its vision is to reliably power a sustainable future. Its mission is that as North America’s premier independent power generator, Onward Energy will deliver renewable and reliable power to customers, opportunities to associates, sustainable returns to the families who invest in the company, and a better world to the next generation. Onward Energy is based in New York, Denver, and Charlotte.
Ejzykowicz first got his start in 2000 as corporate finance and corporate recovery at KPMG Brasil. From there, he went on to Intralox, before eventually rising to CFO at Southwest Generation Operating Company, his most recent position prior to joining Onward Energy.
Ejzykowicz graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with an MBA in international business, Ibmec with an MBA in corporate finance, and from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro with an undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering.
18. Bobby Barber
CFO and VP of Finance, The Institute for Shipboard Education
Bobby Barber is the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance for The Institute for Shipboard Education which administers the Semester at Sea study abroad program. He is the lead executive for the Finance, Information Technology, and Financial Aid departments at Semester at Sea. He previously served in the role of Financial Controller for almost 8 years. He has spent 15 years working in the higher education and non-profit industries. He has experience in non-profits, financial reporting/forecasting, financial controls, audit, investments, endowment, I.T. governance, and effective strategic planning. He has led multiple software and ERP implementations across many functional areas at Semester at Sea. He takes a strong interest in future-proofing the accounting and finance functions through usage of modern technologies and integrations.
Barber obtained his MBA from Colorado State University and his undergraduate degree in business administration from Concord University in West Virginia. Additionally, he obtained a graduate certificate in information management and plans to continue his education in non-profit leadership.
19. Liz Barhydt
Chief Financial Officer, Optimism
Liz Barhydt is a CMA, CPA (inactive), the Head of Finance for a modern family office and serves as the CFO of Optimism, a fast-growing inbox first digital publisher with over 20 brands in its portfolio. Liz is passionate about driving strategic change and making true business impact through the power of financial storytelling and communicating numbers in a way that resonates.
Previously Liz served as CFO of a high growth digital marketing agency and also provided fractional CFO services to VC backed startups moving from their seed to series A rounds. Beginning her career in public accounting at EY, transitioning to private and eventually landing with startups, Liz has vast experience with both small and large organizations, public and private and has scaled startups to successful 8- and 9-figure exits in numerous industries. Liz holds her master’s degree in accounting and a BS in finance, both from Wake Forest University
20. Steve Jones
Chief Financial Officer, CDI
Steve Jones is the Chief Financial Officer of CDI, an environmental contractor with operations across the western United States. With over two hundred employees, CDI offers reclamation and environmental contracting services to a broad customer base, including mining, oil, and gas; various branches of the federal government; land development; pipeline construction; departments of transportation.
Jones first joined CDI in 2019. Previously, Jones was a director of operations at Construction Supply Group, and before that, a CFO at ESCO Construction Company. Earlier in his career, he worked with Harrison Western Group as a director of finance. Jones earned an MBA in finance from the University of Phoenix, and an undergraduate degree in statistics from Montana State University at Bozeman.
21. Joe Massaquoi
Chief Financial Officer, H2 Clipper
Joe Massaquoi is a seasoned global finance leader with over 25 years of experience as a CFO, corporate strategy executive, and investment banker with companies in capital-intensive and highly regulated industries. Joe’s career reflects a demonstrated record of leading key corporate initiatives, including optimizing financial organizations and processes to meet public company regulatory requirements, securing the capital necessary to support accelerated growth, and leading M&A transactions from strategic inception through to successful integration. He has enabled over $37 billion in external capital infusion into private and public corporations, guided the establishment of seven joint ventures, and executed over 40 domestic and cross-border M&A deals. Internationally, he has lived, worked, and completed project assignments in China, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK.
At H2 Clipper, Inc. (“H2C”), an innovative green hydrogen transport company, Joe leverages his background in aviation and energy, and provides strategic and financial leadership in his capacity as CFO. H2C has developed a portfolio of breakthrough cleantech patents and commercially launched its proprietary H2C Safety Pipe™ technology, securing initial customer orders starting late last year.
Joe earned an undergraduate degree in physics from Morehouse College, with Phi Beta Kappa honors and as the top-ranked graduate in his major. He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. He serves on the board of Red Rocks Credit Union, a Colorado-based financial institution with 16,000 members and ~$360 million in assets.
22. Jeffrey Foss
CFO, Blue Agave Importers
Jeffrey Foss is the CFO of Blue Agave Importers, which is the producer and importer of Suavecito Tequila. Blue Agave Importers is a family-owned business started by William Foss in 2011. Its proprietary formula for its tequila profiles makes its tequila one of the smoothest in the world. The company has just begun its national journey with Total Wine and More, a national liquor store chain, and is excited about the growth opportunities in the future.
Foss has been in the finance and accounting arena for 25 years in multiple roles and even as a senior consultant for an ERP implementer. He has his MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Business, his MS in accountancy from the DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and his BA in business and economics from Knox College in Galesburg, IL.
23. Rick Gaisser
Chief Financial Officer, Gorilla Logic
Rick Gaisser is the Chief Financial Officer of Gorilla Logic, a software development company. He joins Gorilla Logic team to provide financial and executive leadership as the company continues on its growth trajectory. As CFO, Gaisser is responsible for the financial management and business operations of the expanding company.
Gaisser’s 20 years in the tech industry has focused largely on IT services. His experience involves creating finance teams that are capable of maturing with a scaling company, managing new system implementations to increase efficiency, and building long-term relationships with clients and partners. He believes the finance function is critical to a high-growth business in that it provides timely and accurate data and analysis, guidance, and appropriate sanity checks. He also knows it can be instrumental in ensuring the right systems and processes are in place to facilitate that growth and adequate controls where needed.
Gaisser comes to Gorilla Logic after working in an offshore model and is extremely excited to partake in nearshore development and the success it brings to clients. He was drawn to the Gorilla’s culture of respect, empowerment, and true passion. His success in scaling finance, HR, and other departments is an excellent addition to the Gorilla Logic team. He has a BS in finance and accounting from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and an MBA from San Jose State University.
24. Andrew Matsuyama
Chief Financial Officer, Sundyne
Andrew Matsuyama is the Chief Financial Officer of Sundyne, a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical pumps and compressors. He brings nearly 15 years of experience as CFO of Norican Group and its predecessor, Wheelabrator Group, a private equity owned engineered equipment manufacturer. In this capacity, he led a global finance organization and helped drive strategic initiatives across mergers and acquisitions, capital structure optimization, and business process improvement. Matsuyama has also previously served as a manager at Arthur Andersen and he was a Senior Manager at Protiviti Consulting.
Headquartered in Arvada, Colorado with operations and presence in Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Japan and China, Sundyne is a leading manufacturer of precision-engineered highly reliable, safe, and efficient centrifugal pumps and compressors for use in hydrocarbon processing, chemical processing, power generation, industrial, and high-pressure water applications.
25. Adam Knox
Chief Financial Officer, Alterra Mountain Company
Adam Knox is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alterra Mountain Company. He most recently served as the company’s senior vice president of strategy and corporate development.
Prior to joining the Denver-based organization, Knox spent 12 years at KSL Capital Partners, where he played a critical leadership role in the formation of Alterra Mountain Company through the acquisitions of Intrawest, Mammoth Resorts, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, and Deer Valley. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors. He subsequently led the successful acquisitions of Solitude Mountain Resort, Crystal Mountain, and Sugarbush Resort.
Knox’s duties as CFO include oversight of all areas of the company’s financial activities including capital markets, financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, shared services, tax, treasury, internal audit, and strategy and corporate development. He continues to be a member of the company’s executive leadership team, supporting Alterra Mountain Company’s strategies, creating long-term value, and driving performance and growth. Knox graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Leeds School of Business with a degree in finance.
