Top CFOs is pleased to announce The Top 25 CFOs of San Antonio for 2024. San Antonio's economic landscape centers around diversification into fields such as healthcare and bioscience, aerospace aviation, information technology, and cybersecurity, and the new energy economy, which has led to an increased demand for finance professionals with specialized experience in these areas. This year’s awardees are among a large group of world-class talent drawn to San Antonio’s business sector. These individuals are exceptional at their jobs, driving growth and profitability as prominent financial leaders in the community.
Among this year’s awardees, we recognize Amanda Whalen, CFO of Klaviyo, who, in her career, was responsible for finance across eight international markets with a revenue of over $90 billion. We are also honoring the CFO of Pabst Brewing Company, Thomas Tulfer, who brings over 20 years of diverse international experience to his current role. Lastly, Rhonda Hellums, CFO of Silence Therapeutics PLC, has over 25 years of experience in various financial roles, including guiding the financial strategy of a company with $1 billion in revenues.
The CFOs on this year’s list come from a variety of backgrounds, all showcasing their abilities to help lead their companies to new levels of success. Please join us in recognizing the accomplishments of The Top 25 CFOs of San Antonio for 2024.
1. Cory Kuchinsky
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, CPS Energy
Cory Kuchinsky is the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of CPS Energy, a company that provides its customers in San Antonio and surrounding areas with affordable and reliable power. Kuchinsky oversees accounting and financial reporting, corporate financial planning, and cost management, as well as treasury, strategic pricing and cost recovery, enterprise risk management and development, and financial information systems management.
Kuchinsky joined CPS Energy in 2006 and has served in multiple leadership roles. Most recently, Kuchinsky served as vice president of strategic pricing & enterprise risk management and solutions. Before taking that role, he was the senior director of grid transformation management and led the deployment of CPS Energy’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Kuchinsky is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Prior to joining CPS Energy, he worked for the Ernst & Young LLC office. Kuchinsky holds a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in accounting from Trinity University.
2. Amanda Whalen
Chief Financial Officer, Klaviyo
Amanda Whalen is the Chief Financial Officer at Klaviyo. Klaviyo is a unified customer platform that gives online brands direct ownership of their consumer data and interactions. With Klaviyo, brands are able to combine unlimited customer data with more than 250 native integrations to automate personalized email and SMS communications.
Previously, Whalen was EVP and CFO of Walmart International. She owned the financial stability and direction of the company, helping the organization build strong local businesses. In this role, Whalen was responsible for finance across eight international markets with a revenue of over $90 billion. Before that, she served as CFO and chief administrative officer for DaVita Rx, part of DaVita Inc., where she was responsible for financial planning and analysis, accounting, and enterprise planning. She also held several strategic and finance positions in the food industry at C&S Wholesale Grocers, Saputo Dairy Foods, and Dean Foods. Whalen began her career at Bain & Company, where she worked for over a decade collaborating with C-level executives developing business and operational strategies.
Whalen earned her bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Princeton University and her MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, where she was named a Sibel Scholar.
3. Juan Gutierrez
Chief Financial Officer, Astreya
Juan Gutierrez is Chief Financial Officer of Astreya, bringing over 25 years of finance, accounting, and public accounting experience to the role. Astreya is an IT solutions provider for some of the world's top organizations. The company started in 2001 in Silicon Valley and reaches thirty-three countries with over 2200 IT professionals. Its Software and Service Innovation teams bring technology and tools to its clients.
Gutierrez is responsible for the company’s global finance and IT organizations including financial planning & analysis, reporting, accounting, tax, internal audit, and global compliance.
Prior to his position at Astreya, Gutierrez served as CFO/corporate controller at BigCommerce, Xenex, Rackspace Technologies, and in the assurance practice at KPMG. A Certified Public Accountant, Gutierrez holds a degree in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
4. Vikram Bajaj
Chief Financial Officer, Vyaire Medical
Vikram Bajaj is the Chief Financial Officer of Vyaire Medical, having joined the company in 2023. Vyaire Medical is a company that manufactures and markets over 27,000 products for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of respiratory conditions.
Previously, Bajaj was a CFO at Kepro as well as a senior vice president of strategy and business development at Acelity. Earlier in his career, Bajaj worked with Arthur Andersen & Co. as a senior associate of assurance and business advisory. Bajaj earned an MBA in strategy, finance, and entrepreneurship from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
5. David Pope
Chief Financial Officer, Labatt Food Service
David Pope has extensive work experience spanning multiple companies. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Labatt Food Service, a privately owned company that distributes food and related products to food-away-from-home establishments in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico from distribution centers in various cities.
Prior to his CFO position at Labatt Food Service, Pope was the president of the San Antonio Region at Texas Capital Bank from 2013 to 2022. Before that, he held the position of Group EVP in Commercial Banking at Broadway Bank from 2008 to 2013. Pope's career started at JP Morgan Chase/Bank One, where he worked as the SVP in Commercial Banking from 1999 to 2007. Pope attended Texas Tech University from 1985 to 1989, where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance.
6. Matt Ramsey
Chief Financial Officer, CalTex
Matt Ramsey serves as the Chief Financial Officer for CalTex. Since joining the company in 2002, he has served on the finance team as a senior accountant, as assistant controller, and as controller. CalTex is a provider of environmental protection and aftermarket products sold through thousands of automotive and RV dealerships nationwide since 1983. The company’s manufacturing, administration, warranty, and sales teams are located near San Antonio, Texas. CalTex also manufactures and sells detailed products and reinsurance.
Prior to joining CalTex, Ramsey was part of the finance organization with the Magazines Division of The Hearst Corporation in Charlotte, NC. A Certified Public Accountant, Ramsey obtained his BBA degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
7. Myles Osswald
Chief Financial Officer, Pro-Vigil Surveillance Services
Myles Osswald is the CFO at Pro-Vigil. Founded in 2006, Pro-Vigil provides AI-enabled remote video monitoring solutions to organizations across North America. The company provides both on-premises and mobile intelligent video monitoring systems, as well as 24x7 remote monitoring services. The company also provides video monitoring as a service in which customers pay a monthly fee for monitoring services, with no capital investments required. Pro-Vigil is backed by The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm.
Prior to his current role, Osswald was the finance manager/senior financial analyst at Xenex Disinfection Services. Before that, he was an associate at Silverman, a consulting finance manager at Stella & Chewy's, an investment analyst at MLG Capital, and a treasury intern at Oshkosh Corporation. Osswald has also held internships as an investment broker at NAI MLG Commercial and as a co-owner of 21st Century Real Estate Solutions & Investments LLC.
Osswald has a degree in business and finance from the University of Wisconsin, his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in business administration and management, and a degree in business from Marquette University in finance and real estate.
8. Emily McKay
Chief Financial Officer, Airrosti
Emily McKay is the Chief Financial Officer of Airrosti, an MSK solution provider delivering savings to patients and plan sponsors by reducing total episode costs by 43%. Collaborating closely with employers and health plans, the company enhances access to MSK therapy. The company also offers wellness information, virtual outreach, and digital engagement without an upfront cost.
McKay has 18 years of experience. She began her career in 2006 and has been at Airrosti since 2010. As CFO, McKay oversees the financial systems and processes, financial statement audit, accounts payable/receivable, investor/corporate operations, payroll, and corporate taxes. Before joining Airrosti, McKay was an audit senior at Ernst & Young and a student manager at AT&T. Earlier in her career, she worked with Trinity University as a teacher's assistant. McKay graduated from Trinity University with a master’s in accounting and an undergraduate degree in business and accounting.
9. Rod Streets
Chief Financial Officer, Alterman
Rod Streets began his professional career 27 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Financial Officer of Alterman. Since 1923, Alterman has provided electrical construction on many of San Antonio and Austin's landmarks and contemporary structures. Alterman has introduced new technologies to owners, construction managers, general contractors, architects, and engineers. The company provides complete installation expertise, 24/7 service, in-house design and build, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and fast-track construction for a wide range of electrical needs. It also provides voice and data communications systems, video, access controls, security and surveillance systems, and alternative energy solutions for LEED certification.
Streets first got his start in 1997 as a consultant at Arthur Andersen & Co. From there, he went on to Pinnacle Equity Management, Inc., before eventually rising to CFO at Blue Heron, his most recent position prior to joining Alterman. Streets graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with an MPA in Public Administration and from Brigham Young University with an undergraduate degree in business administration and finance.
10. Thomas Tulfer
Chief Financial Officer, Pabst Brewing Company
Thomas Tulfer is the Chief Financial Officer of Pabst Brewing Company. Pabst Brewing Company dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and was, by 1889, named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently a holding company that contracts the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor, including its own flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Tulfer joined Pabst Brewing Company after spending 20 years working for Heineken. Tulfer was a CFO at Heineken, and before that a VP of regional business control at Heineken Americas. He has also worked with Heineken Netherlands as a manager financing specialist and with Heineken Portugal, first as senior director of planning and control and later as CFO. Tulfer has a master’s degree in economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam.
11. Rod Riordan
Chief Financial Officer, Embrey
Rod Riordan joined Embrey in 2017. He brings more than 20 years of accounting, finance, and management experience to this position, with 12 years specifically in the multifamily real estate industry. As Embrey's Chief Financial Officer, Riordan is responsible for all accounting, tax and partnership reporting, administration, relationships with key constituents, and corporate finance. The company is a vertically integrated real estate investment company that develops, builds, acquires, owns, and manages multifamily communities and commercial assets in select markets throughout the United States. It has more than 6,000 units under construction or in development.
Previously, Riordan was executive vice president and finance/accounting partner at JPI, where he managed all corporate finance and a large team of accounting professionals overseeing $3 billion of assets from construction start to disposition. Prior to JPI, Riordan was with Belo Corp. in the corporate finance group and with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the financial advisory services practice. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance. Riordan also has his MBA from Southern Methodist University.
12. Kristin Gawlik
Chief Financial Officer, Qnnect
Kristin Gawlik is the Chief Financial Officer of Qnnect, a global producer of highly engineered electronic interconnect solutions for high-density and high-speed applications of leading original equipment manufacturers. Qnnect’s connector and interconnect businesses have over 100 years of combined experience as trusted partners in the Defense & Aerospace, Hi-Rel, Semiconductor, Test & Measurement, and Consumer Electronics markets.
Gawlik has over 20 years of experience in financial and management consulting, with a focus on government compliance and accounting for government contractors. Gawlik has served as CFO for multiple companies, including BEI Precision, with responsibilities ranging from strategic planning and forecasting to overseeing shared services groups for payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, general accounting, tax, and treasury. She also has experience in financial planning and analysis, capital asset management, and budget development in previous roles at Lockheed Martin Aircraft & Logistics Centers and the U.S. Civil Service at Kelly Air Force Base. Gawlik received a bachelor’s degree and later her MBA from St. Mary's University.
13. Ryan Engel
Chief Financial Officer, Big State Electric
Ryan Engel is the Chief Financial Officer of Big State Electric, having first joined the company in 2020 as controller. Since its establishment in 1966, Big State Electric has been a leader in the construction industry with a focus on electrical installations. With a strong presence in South/Central Texas, Big State Electric has strong partnerships with owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, and multinational corporations.
Previously, Engel was a treasurer at Oak Run Property Owners Association and a controller at Berry Aviation, Inc. He has also worked with PhyCor, Inc. DBA Diagnostic Clinic SA as an accounting manager and an IT manager. Engel earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from Texas State University.
14. Adam Young
Chief Financial Officer, DOCUmation
Adam Young is the Chief Financial Officer of DOCUmation. DOCUmation is a full-service business technology solutions company specializing in managed IT, print management, managed software, managed onsite, managed print services, and large format printing. DOCUmation is family-owned and has been in business for more than 30 years. It started as a small company in the print and toner business in the 1980s before entering into the critical technology solutions space.
Young has 14 years of experience. Earlier in his career, he worked with PwC as an assurance associate. Young graduated from Texas A&M University with a master’s degree in finance and an undergraduate degree in accounting.
15. Cecilia Johnson
Chief Financial Officer, Elite Roofing Supply
Cecilia Johnson is the Chief Financial Officer of Elite Roofing Supply. Elite Roofing Supply is a locally owned independent supplier of roofing materials and supplies. The company was founded in early 2013 and has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas.
Johnson began her career 29 years ago as the vice president of finance growth and acquisitions at Roofing Supply Group (RSG). From there, she went on to Massage Heights Franchising as a CFO, LLC, her most recent position before joining Elite Roofing Supply. Johnson graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
16. Eric Fournet
Chief Financial Officer, Catalyst Health
Eric Fournet is the Chief Financial Officer of Catalyst Health Group, the creator of Texas’ largest clinically-integrated network for primary care providers. Catalyst Health’s team supports more than 1.5 million patients. It encompasses over 900 providers, with over 300 office locations.
Previously, Fournet was a CFO at Partners First Cardiology and Partners Surgical LLC. Earlier in his career, he worked with US Oncology as a director of corporate strategy. Fournet earned an MBA in finance from Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business and an undergraduate degree in accounting from Texas A&M University.
17. Heather Martin
Chief Financial Officer, Yantis Company
Heather Martin has extensive work experience in finance and auditing. She currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer at Yantis Company. Yantis Company was founded in 1965, and has worked on building the streets, utilities, and drainage for thousands of projects across Central and South Texas. Founded by John Yantis as a utility company, Yantis Company has grown into a full-service civil construction firm that provides all aspects of civil work, including grading, site utilities, asphalt paving, concrete paving, and drainage. Yantis Company has constructed these types of projects for various municipalities and private developers across Texas.
Prior to her current position, Martin served as CFO at Travis Industries, LLC, as an assurance senior manager at RSM US LLP, as an audit manager at both Fidel, Perner & Michnovicz, LLC, Schlenker & Cantwell, P.A., and as a senior auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Martin's career began as a senior internal auditor at American Airlines. She holds a master’s in accounting and a bachelor’s in accounting from Texas A&M University. Martin is also a Certified Public Accountant from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.
18. Maggie Marotta
Chief Financial Officer, Lone Star Bakery
Maggie Marotta began her professional career 34 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Financial Officer of Lone Star Bakery. The company’s operation covers more than 400,000 sq. ft. of production, warehouse, freezer, and cooler space, and distributes its products nationally. Its specifically-designed equipment allows for orders of all sizes, from large volumes to small, customized requests.
Marotta first got her start in 1990 as a department head and section chief of claims/settlements at Resolution Trust Corporation. From there, she went on to Ursuline Academy of Dallas before eventually rising to CFO at Ware Holdings, her most recent position before joining Lone Star Bakery. Marotta graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
19. Mark Heinkel
Chief Financial Officer, Searchspring
Mark Heinkel is the Chief Financial Officer of Searchspring, having first joined the company in 2021 as vice president of finance. Searchspring is a search, merchandising, and personalization platform built exclusively for e-commerce, with customers such as Chubbies, Pura Vida, Moen, Fabletics, SKIMS, West Elm, Specialized, Wildfang, and Ripcurl.
Previously, Heinkel was a director of finance at Scaleworks and a manager of finance at Rackspace. Earlier in his career, he worked with KPMG Audit as a senior associate. Heinkel earned a master’s in accounting and an undergraduate degree in business administration from Trinity University.
20. Rhonda Hellums
Chief Financial Officer, Silence Therapeutics PLC
Rhonda Hellums joined Silence Therapeutics in April 2021 as vice president of finance and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in February 2022. The company pairs 20-plus years of RNAi experience with its validated mRNAi GOLD™ platform, partnering with pharmaceutical companies looking to access the benefits of the siRNA by adding this modality to their pipelines. It is developing a deep pipeline of innovative siRNAs based on their mRNAi GOLD™ platform for diseases with a genetic basis.
Hellums has over 25 years of corporate finance, accounting, strategic planning, M&A, treasury management, investor, and public relations experience. Prior to joining Silence Therapeutics in April 2021, she held management positions at several large healthcare companies, including KCI (now 3M+KCI) and Genzyme Corporation. Hellums previously served as CFO of Deer Oaks Mental Health and as CFO of Aratana Therapeutics, a publicly traded pet therapeutics company. Prior to her role at Aratana, Hellums served as director of global finance at Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI), a global medical device company with more than $1 billion in revenues and 5,000 employees, where she was responsible for global finance functions, portfolio valuation, and planning. Hellums also served as vice president of finance for Enzon Pharmaceuticals where she oversaw $180 million in investments, investor relations, as well as coordinated key components of the $300 million sale of Enzon's specialty pharmaceutical business. She received her BBA degree in Accounting and Information Systems and her MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
21. Bruce Kimbark
Chief Financial Officer, Unilink Transportation
Bruce Kimbark began his professional career 17 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Financial Officer of Unilink Transportation. Unilink Transportation is an international 3PL provider that offers a variety of services in the transportation industry. Unilink provides companies with large carrier networks and lower shipping costs, increasing efficiency in companies’ supply chains and risk management operations.
Bruce Kimbark first got his start in 2007 as a senior associate at SS&C GlobeOp. From there, he went on to Morgan Stanley Fund Services before eventually rising to finance/ FP&A/virtual CFO services at Compass CPA, PC, his most recent position prior to joining Unilink Transportation. Kimbark graduated from Southern Methodist University with a master’s in data science and from Fordham University with an undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics.
22. Allison Pyle
Co-founder and CFO, WaterFleet
Allison Pyle is the Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder of WaterFleet, LLC. WaterFleet is a service provider of mobile water and wastewater utility services, and workforce relief solutions, providing millions of gallons of verified potable water to thousands of workers every month. The company uses proprietary technology to fulfill needs where water and wastewater utilities are not available.
Pyle brings over three decades of experience in business operation, accounting, and finance. She began her professional career as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand and obtained her CPA license in both Colorado and Texas in 1985. Pyle's other prior roles include financial reporting manager at Alamo Savings Association, controller at West Telemarketing, financial reporting at USAA, and co-owner and treasurer of Steelhead Inc. Assisting in multiple family businesses, Pyle oversaw accounting and finance functions, financial data preparation and presentation, and financial policy development and implementation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas.
23. Nathan Johnson Jr.
CFO and VP Finance & Tax, Execupay
Nathan Johnson Jr. currently holds the position of CFO and VP of Finance & Tax at Execupay. For over 40 years, Execupay has been a provider of payroll and HR Solutions for both small and medium-sized businesses covering payroll, time and labor management, talent acquisition, talent management, and HR management for businesses and employees throughout the United States and over 25 other countries.
Prior to his current position, Johnson Jr. served as CFO at both Meals on Wheels San Antonio and RAICES from 2019 to 2021. Before that, he was the CFO at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, the director of finance at Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, and finance director at Tenet Healthcare-San Antonio Region. Johnson Jr. has a bachelor’s in accounting from Florida A&M University, an MBA in finance from The Wharton School, participated in an MBA Exchange program at the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University, and completed the Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations program at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also a licensed CPA.
24. Chris Caldwell
Chief Financial Officer, Living Security
Chris Caldwell is the Chief Financial Officer of Finance at Living Security. Founded in 2017, Living Security helps prevent cybersecurity breaches with a human risk management solution that meets compliance needs and changes behavior. The Living Security team is composed of over 80 cybersecurity professionals.
Prior to this, Caldwell served as the vice president of finance at J2 Global, where he led the financial strategy for the company. He has also held the position of CFO at Inspired eLearning, where he monitored budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis for the company. Caldwell's track record includes delivering cost savings and improving financial performance for companies. He has a master’s in finance from The University of Texas at San Antonio, a BBA in Corporate Finance from St. Mary's University, and a certification from the University of Texas in the Texas Executive Education Certificate Program in General Management.
25. Rich Wojcik
Chief Financial Officer, Prytime Medical Devices
Rich Wojcik is the Chief Financial Officer at Prytime Medical Devices, Inc., a medical device company that designs, develops, and commercializes minimally invasive solutions for hemorrhage control. In October 2015, the ER-REBOA™ Catheter, the company’s flagship product, received 510(K) clearance and the company began commercializing the device in the U.S. market in 2016, followed by the European market. Presently, over 365 hospitals worldwide use this technology.
Prior to his current role, Wojcik founded Wojcik Consulting, where he provided finance-related services and reporting. He has also served as the CFO at Aggregate Haulers and Capital Precast, LLC, where he focused on cost control, operational efficiency, and financial statements. Earlier in Wojcik’s career, he worked as the CFO at CaptureRx and as the financial leader of financial planning and analysis at W. L. Gore & Associates. He has held various financial roles at Dell, including senior financial consultant and financial analyst, where he implemented sales forecast and financial planning processes.
Wojcik obtained his MBA from St. Edward's University. Prior to that, he obtained his bachelor’s in general business administration and management from California State University, Chico, and completed his Corporate Governance certification at Cornell University.
