CFO Studio Magazine with Alison Cornell

ON A WELL-DESIGNED CAREER PATH, A FINANCE EXECUTIVE MAKES SMART CHOICES TO CONTROL HER FUTURE — BUT ENCOUNTERS AN UNEXPECTED TWIST BY JULIE BARKER Photography by Matt Furman Best-laid Plans T here’s an irony at the top of the Finance ladder, as Alison Cornell learned two years ago. Up to that time, in an almost 30-year career, she had been steadily accumulating the skill set and accomplishments she would need to hold a CFO position at a publicly traded company — a role where she envisioned herself advising and guiding the CEO, joining in counsel with the board and investors, and being a top — if not the top — valued member of the corporate decision- making team. When she reached that culminating moment, the surprise was finding that there’s another horizon beyond. Starting as an AT&T intern in 1983 and progressing through roles with increased scope and responsibility (moving to a different position approximately every two years), Cornell ultimately achieved the title of AT&T’s Financial Vice President, Forecasting Performance & Investment Analysis, a leadership role for a $30 billion business unit. There, she was actively involved in helping the AT&T leadership team realize cumulative savings of over $3 billion between 1999 and 2003, by identifying and implementing a series of recommendations to reduce operating deficiencies and associated costs and to streamline processes. Then, after almost two decades in Finance at AT&T, Cornell left to pursue her dream of securing a position as the CFO of a publicly traded company. It took about one year and 75 interviews to find the right opportunity. During that time (2003– 4), Cornell achieved her Certified Treasury Professional designation, a Six Sigma Green Belt, and helped her cocker spaniel puppy become a show dog. (No slouch himself, Cornell’s cocker spaniel went on to attain his Championship and then receive an Award of Merit at Westminster the following year.) Then, while interviewing for the job of VP, Finance – Late Stage Development Services at drug-development services organization Covance, Cornell told that company’s CFO that her goal was to have his job someday —which she secured eight years later, in 2012. (“As COVER STORY 6 WWW.CFOSTUDIO.COM Q1 2017