When Jean Compeau joined Sonar as CFO in March 2025, AI coding was not yet dominating industry conversations. By the summer and fall that followed, however, the landscape had shifted dramatically. Today, AI agents are producing software code at a pace that humans cannot easily verify, creating both opportunity and risk.

That shift sits at the center of Sonar’s mission. The company is the global leader in AI code verification and governance in what it calls the agentic-centric development lifecycle, or “ACDC, just like the band,” Compeau tells us. The scale is significant. Sonar is trusted by 7 million developers, processes 750 billion lines of code daily, serves 25,000 paying customers, and counts 75 percent of the Fortune 100 among its customers, Compeau tells us.

For Compeau, growth is measured through both financial and operational signals. ARR, NRR, GRR, and EBITDA remain core metrics, she tells us. But she also watches utilization, adoption, lead generation, pipeline activity, and free-to-paid conversion rates because these indicators can reveal future performance before financial results arrive.

That perspective shapes how finance participates in strategic decisions. As Sonar invests in new AI-driven products, finance evaluates not only bookings potential but also the company’s long-term position in the AI market, Compeau tells us. The finance function remains involved throughout the process, helping operationalize everything from product introduction and revenue tracking to order management and cash collection.

For Compeau, finance’s role is not simply to measure growth—it is to help shape it.

Each day, Stacey Jenkins watches a different set of indicators than the quarterly financial results that eventually appear on a report. Candidate applications, recruiter activity, and other throughput measures help tell the story of where Aerotek’s business may be headed. Financial results are “the lagging indicator,” Jenkins tells us.

That perspective reflects how she views both finance and leadership. While Aerotek remains focused on helping clients solve talent challenges and build flexible, specialized workforces, the company has steadily expanded its approach. Today, it is helping clients rethink how work gets done through workforce solutions, data insights, and new delivery models. Aerotek is also building capabilities in fully outsourced industrial services, Jenkins tells us.

The common thread is a willingness to look beyond traditional definitions of the business. Jenkins says she remains proud of the organization’s ability to help clients grow while helping people build their careers.

The same mindset appears in her approach to capital allocation. Rather than viewing investment decisions primarily through the lens of cost, she begins with curiosity. Drawing on both operational and strategic experience, she listens carefully to business leaders, asks for supporting data, and seeks to understand the expected outcomes behind each proposal.

The work does not end once funding is approved. Jenkins emphasizes the importance of measuring whether investments actually deliver the results that were anticipated. For her, resource allocation is about more than short-term spending decisions. It is about positioning the business, its people, and its clients for success over the next three, five, seven, and even ten years.

When Jesse Waldron describes Thyme Care’s work, he begins with the patient experience. Cancer patients, he explains, are often thrust into a healthcare system that can feel overwhelming both financially and emotionally.

That reality sits at the center of Thyme Care’s mission. As an oncology care navigation company, Thyme Care helps patients move through their cancer journey while also partnering with health plans and oncology providers. The company works at the intersection of those relationships, helping coordinate care and improve outcomes.

Waldron tells us that Thyme Care partners first with health plans, which identify members undergoing active cancer treatment. From there, the company works directly with patients and collaborates with oncology practices and health systems delivering care. The goal is to help patients navigate treatment while helping health plans manage rising oncology costs.

A key part of that model is Thyme Care’s virtual care team. The organization employs approximately 550 nurses, social workers, and health navigators, Waldron tells us. Those professionals support patients between appointments, helping ensure they stay on track with medications, receive timely care, and have access to guidance when questions arise.

The company’s virtual approach also expands its reach beyond major population centers. Thyme Care serves patients across the United States, including rural communities where access to large academic medical centers may be limited, Waldron tells us. He points to community oncology practices in places such as rural Tennessee as examples of where the model can make a meaningful difference.

Today, Thyme Care serves more than 120,000 members actively undergoing their cancer journey, Waldron tells us.