In that sense, even though he’s not building a software stack, he’s carrying out many of the same functions as TCNA’s engineers in a race to move faster than modernity would normally progress.
Cross recognizes that the true “secret sauce” of success is the achievements and the abilities of the members of TCNA’s finance and accounting team. They are crucial to the company’s success, which is why Mike wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to attend when he received his 2023 Dallas Business Journal “CFO of the Year” award.
“In finance, we hate to not have the answer. We hate risk. But I don't want to be the one that tries to solve everything” Cross said, reflecting on what he’s learned throughout this past year. “Sometimes, I need to be able to step back and ‘let go,’ which also challenges my team, my family and my children to go out, to explore and to grow. I’ll be over here if you need me....”
Cross credits his success in being able to work in an amazing environment that the culture at Toyota has ingrained in it. This includes the concept of Kaizen – the Japanese business philosophy that relates to continuously improving processes and involves all employees.
“My focus as CFO is to open up doors of opportunity for all areas of our business, including our leaders, engineers and our shared services teams. I work for them – although I may set the vision for the finance and accounting area, my other job is to get rid of roadblocks and make sure they have everything they need to be successful. I really want to make sure my team is developing into amazing, curious problem solvers who also just happen to know a lot about accounting and finance.”
For more information on the Dallas Business Journal’s “CFO of the Year” awards, visit: https://www.bizjournals.com/da...