Far from the number crunchers of early days, today’s chief financial officers (CFOs) are analysts, strategists, risk managers, futurists, and big-picture thinkers who can carry an organization forward. Given these shifts in the CFO role over the last few years, it’s clear that finance leaders are developing the necessary skill set to move from CFO to chief executive officer (CEO).

In the newly released winter 2025 issue of NewsAcount, three COCPA members share how they’ve leveraged their skills to move from a CFO position to that of CEO, and how their CPA designations played a role.

Alicia Gelinas, CPA, President and CEO, Colorado Society of CPAs

Alicia Gelinas knew early on that she wanted to be an accountant. Motivated by a desire to help others achieve financial stability, she pursued her CPA certification and built a career focused on making a difference.

After nearly a decade at EY, she sought a more direct impact on her local community and hoped to avoid the prospect of relocating outside of Colorado. Exploring various roles in consulting, outsourced accounting support, industry, and other work, she honed her coaching skills and ultimately, in 2017, jumped at the chance to become the COCPA’s CFO. 

“I saw this as a unique way to combine my accounting background with a greater purpose of supporting Colorado professionals in their career journeys at the COCPA, an organization that I’d been volunteering with for so long,” she says. “It brought together my mind and my heart, which I have found to be the key to a fulfilling professional life.”

Gelinas reflects that while she sometimes felt more in control of directly achieving results as a CFO, she has come to realize that true success as a CEO comes not from controlling outcomes, but from empowering others to see the vision and achieve more than what was thought possible. 

Colleen Knoll, CPA, Interim CEO, Canvas Credit Union

Colleen Knoll, who holds an MBA from the University of Colorado – Denver, didn’t start out as a CPA. After two decades in the retirement industry, she sought more stability and began working for the State of Colorado conducting bank and securities exams. 

During her tenure with the State, she realized that if she wanted to be a CFO one day, having her CPA would be a great asset. That decision – which brought a return to the classroom while working full time and ultimately sitting for the CPA Exam – changed the trajectory of her career.

After a job search, Knoll joined Canvas Credit Union as its new CFO, where she is responsible for all of the organization's financial activity. 

When Canvas’s CEO resigned last April, the organization’s board of directors knew just where to turn. “After 12 years, I had a strong basis of what goes on around here,” she says. “The board expressed its confidence in my ability to understand the business and how it works, financially and in a number of other areas.”

Knoll says having her CPA has contributed to her big-world view. “CPAs see how everything relates, what happens to balance sheets and income statements, and how things change through the numbers.”

During her time as interim CEO, the people element added another layer of understanding. “Managing both people and culture is one of the biggest challenges,” she adds. As interim CEO, Knoll also embraced a more public role. “I enjoyed getting out there and representing Canvas,” she says. “I believe in our organization, and it was important to retain our culture and standing in communities to ensure people knew what a value we are.”

Brad Siler, CPA, CEO, ARC Relocation

Growing up, Brad Siler didn’t have one particular vision for his career, but he was always driven to maximize his strengths. So, when he took a high school accounting class, liked the teacher, and realized that accounting made sense to him, he figured he might as well run with it.

Now, after serving as CFO at several organizations, he has run all the way to the top and is president and CEO for ARC Relocation in Denver. 

Following his graduation from Colorado State University, Siler began his career at Graebel Companies, Inc., where he remained for many years and eventually ascended to the CFO position. While at Graebel, he observed the many roles of a successful CFO, particularly noting the importance of strong communication and relationship-building skills.

Technology also captured Siler’s interest. “I learned how to get behind the scenes, access data, and analyze it,” he says. “And then I could report it, not just as numbers, but help interpret it, offering analysis and scenarios.” 

After 25 years at Graebel, Siler felt ready for a change. He took a year-long vacation before accepting the CFO role at a smaller company, where he found himself much more hands-on with daily operations. 

While he enjoyed the smaller company feel, Siler quickly discovered he missed being involved in the big-picture decisions that came from working for a large company. “I started asking myself if it was in my DNA to be CEO,” he says. 

Two years later, he stepped into the role of president and CEO of ARC Relocation Services.

Siler says that being a CFO before becoming a CEO helped him learn how companies work starting at the transactional level. “You have to understand the entire flow from beginning to end. You want a CEO who understands risks, complexities, and contracts. With an overarching view of the company, CFOs have an advantage.”

For more advice and insights on ascending from CFO to CEO, read the full article, “The Path from CFO to CEO: COCPA Members Share Their Stories,” in the newly released winter 2025 issue of NewsAccount.