Introduction: 00:48
- Introducing Vanessa Gage, General Counsel and Interim CFO at Cedar.
- Bringing a legal perspective to budget cycles and strategy planning.
Moving from Deputy General Counsel to Interim GC at Opendoor: 3:03
- Stepping into a role that isn’t quite the way you expected it to be.
- Finding the strength to take on an opportunity that surpasses your experience.
Advice for lawyers stepping into interim positions: 5:49
- Acknowledging the difficulty of stepping into an interim role.
- Valuing the importance of asking for the tools you need.
- Dropping “interim” from your title so you can succeed and grow.
Catapulting into a GC role at Cedar and taking on the responsibility of Interim CFO: 11:07
- Raising your hand when it’s time to pitch in and fill the gap.
- Getting a new perspective on your company by leading a second team.
- Finding ways to do more than just keep the lights on.
- Hiring the right people to keep operations running smoothly.
Advice for GCs who find themselves taking on additional interim roles: 17:17
- Staying the course while tackling the projects that just can’t wait.
- Accepting the inevitable attrition after an executive departure.
- Getting through transition periods by building trust in leadership.
- Knowing when “good enough” is the best course of action.
Pushing the business forward without tying your successor’s hands: 21:40
- Breaking down tasks to see what is urgent and what can wait.
- Accepting counsel as a lawyer who is used to counseling others.
- Receiving executive buy-in from as many of your peers as you can.
Preparing to step back from your interim role: 27:12
- Revisiting the contributions people have within the room.
- Acknowledging the growing voice of lawyers in making business decisions industry-wide.
What you are proud of and book recommendations: 31:25
- Working with a team that leans in and steps up.
- Taking joy in reading stories that are as far from reality as possible.
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