The CFO'S Perspective

At CFO Selections, we may work in numbers… but we’re in the business of people. Because behind every financial report is a person making hard decisions, and behind every engagement is a human-to-human connection. In this series, we’re shining a light on those stories — introducing the consultants who guide our clients forward and the leaders who bring those numbers to life.

When Connection Is the Strategy

Ask Rebecca Alderfer what she loves most about her role, and she doesn’t mention policy (even after two decades working at the intersection of strategy, social impact, and public policy). What lights her up is connection, forging new partnerships, linking strategies across silos, and aligning people around shared goals.

“It’s really that chessboard,” Rebecca says. “How can we all support each other? Where can we leverage resources and opportunities that already exist? How do we grow the platform together, so that everyone benefits?”

That mindset has defined her career from the White House to the frontlines of maternal health in Colorado. As CEO of the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC), she’s no longer advising from the sidelines. She’s leading the charge, helping the organization grow from a startup into a statewide force for improving maternal and infant health.

At CFO Selections, we may work in numbers… but we’re in the business of people. Because behind every financial report is a person making hard decisions, and behind every engagement is a human-to-human connection. In this series, we’re shining a light on those stories — introducing the consultants who guide our clients forward and the leaders who bring those numbers to life.

Public accountant. Investment banker. CFO. Former president of the largest Italian car show in the world.

If you’re a collector of Italian cars, you might recognize Tom McDowell from Concorso Italiano. But closer to home, he’s known as a connector of people.

“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘the Seattle freeze?’” Tom asks. “People who are new here have difficulty establishing relationships. It took me years before I finally felt like I was accepted.” Now, he pays it forward. “I’m sensitive to that when I meet people who are new to the community. I talk with them, get to know them a little bit, and introduce them around.”

Tom has been in Seattle for over three decades now, but his storied career stretches even longer (and farther south).

As the year draws to a close, unfortunately, we must bid farewell to some of our nearest and dearest colleagues and friends Tom Varga, Tom Broetje, and Larry Numata.

Each of these men has contributed to our firm in a unique way to power its success. Their contributions to the long-term evolution of our organization will invariably be missed because the years of experience they leave with are not going to be easy to replace.

So, while we selfishly wish they were not leaving, we wish them best in their retirement.

Alex de Soto has been a vital member of the CFO selections team for 14 years. Alex is a former Big-4 CPA and CFO who provides executive search services for owners and CEOs of Pacific Northwest-based companies looking for a CFO, VP Finance, or Controller.

He continues to lead the search practice of CFO Selections which provides talented senior finance leaders for interim, project, or part-time assignments.

CFO Selections continues to benefit from his 30 years as a Pacific Northwest-based business professional and his extensive network of business and finance leaders. Alex has worked with hundreds of CEOs and owners and interviewed thousands of CFOs. He has an exceptional understanding of the role of a CFO and the unique nature of what each CEO/owner needs in a CFO.

We recently sat down with Alex for a quick interview:

Most of my vacations are pretty typical – camp on the Sound, cruise to Alaska, plane trip to kid-friendly destination, road trip to friends. 

... but not this year.

This year, I fulfilled a long-time dream and went to Africa.  I did the multi-day safari, fed the giraffes at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi, and enjoyed local cuisine and cultures. But mostly… I did financial spreadsheets.  And IT infrastructure planning. And computer teaching.  In other words, pretty much the same things I do all the time, except in hotter weather.

After a year of strategizing, planning, training and stress, my wife, Heather and I participated in the one-of-a-kind 7-day BC Bike Race in beautiful British Columbia.

After purchasing three homes in Portland in the past 15 years, I have come to a firm conclusion that houses choose us!  Not in some mysterious way or anything, but rather, just practically speaking.  As a home buyer, we don’t exactly drive around and pick a house off the street that meets our specifications and strike a deal.  Often, buyers must submit offers on several houses before a match is found.

We are privileged to provide our clients with the best finance experts in the region. Not only are they experts in the field, they are also authentic, caring and generous people. We want to honor them by giving you the opportunity to get to know them a bit better.

Our firm is well known for our philanthropic contributions to our communities.  One of our core values centers on philanthropy.

Even small companies have an obligation to re-invest in the communities where they earn their living,”  
- Tom Varga, CFO Selections Founder

What you may not know is how our team goes even further by giving of their own time and talent after hours. The stories of their causes are below.